Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
I quirk a brow. “Murder.”
“You managed to get probation with murder?” he challenges back, amusement in his eyes.
“I had a really good lawyer.”
“Well, then, no.” He laughs. “But I would be focused on getting your lawyer’s info because that’s pretty good.”
“Why? You planning on murdering someone?” I tilt my head to the side, challenging him again. “Because I don’t fuck with guys like that.”
“Man,” he says through another laugh, running a hand through his brown hair. “You’re something. Was that trap preplanned or organic?”
I take a long sip of my water, holding eye contact as I swallow. “That information is classified.”
He smiles at me, his gray eyes dancing with entertainment. “I’m Miller, by the way.” He holds out his hand, and I take it.
“June.” I never give my full name in a situation like this. Juniper is too easy to find in an internet search should Miller turn out to be of the stalker variety and, quite frankly, too distracting. Once they hear it, they can never leave it alone.
“Well, June, can I buy you a drink?”
“I appreciate the offer, Miller, but I’m staying sober tonight, and the water’s free.”
“And what about tomorrow night?” he questions, his body leaning closer to mine. “Even if you don’t want to drink, I could offer dinner at an earlier hour.”
“You trying to ask me out?”
He shrugs. “If I say yes, will you give me your number?”
I dig my teeth into my bottom lip, hesitation heavy in my mind. On the one hand, Miller seems like a perfectly nice guy, but on the other, meeting strangers in clubs or bars has never really ended in anything great. Out of the two times I’ve tried it in the past, I got an excited texter who only used capital letters and exclamation points for every single word he exchanged and a guy with a horror-film-style apartment, complete with mold and actual fecal matter, that ruined the term bachelor pad for me for eternity.
In fact, besides Kai, a guy I met at a house party at the University of Miami and dated on and off for a year, no one I’ve tried dating at all has lasted more than an outing or two.
Which I guess makes sense on an intrinsic level—usually, when you fall in love, that’s your cue to stop looking. From personal experience, it’s a little trickier when they don’t love you back.
“C’mon,” Miller cajoles. “You can’t tell me a free meal is that bad of an idea.”
“I don’t know… I’m not big on meeting strangers in clubs.”
“What about parks?”
“Parks?” I question, puzzled over whatever angle he’s trying to take, but intrigued all the same. I have to admit that he’s determined, at least, and getting this level of attention feels nice.
“I have a little bulldog named Sadie. I walk her every Wednesday afternoon—”
“Everything okay here?”
I glance over my shoulder to find Beau standing there, his brown eyes flitting between me and Miller in concern. I furrow my brow as I look behind him to the VIP section he left behind, where his buddy Henry is the one talking to the blonde in red now.
“Yeah, man,” Miller says. “Everything’s great.”
“You sure, June?” Beau’s eyes are on me now. “This guy isn’t causing you any trouble, is he?”
A wave of excitement rushes over me as I consider the possibility that my wildest dreams are coming true. Did Beau actually leave behind the woman in red to notice me? To care about me? To love me?
“You know this guy?” Miller asks, a double question to cancel out my need for an answer to the first.
They’re swinging dicks of protection, and a little trill of glee makes me sit up straighter. In my mind’s eye, Beau’s next move will be to throw fists now and ask questions later. I am his damsel, in need of assistance and care, and he’s going to do it in gallant—
“Yeah, she knows me,” Beau answers for me. “We grew up together. I’m basically her brother.”
Every cell inside me withers and dies a slow, free fall of a death from my imaginary princess tower. My fairy tale is over, my bubble burst.
I’m basically her brother? Someone shoot me now and put me out of my fucking misery.
“June!” Avery shouts, her chest dewy with sweat and her eyes desperate as the blond dude she was making out trails behind her on their way toward me. “Get your ass back out here! We have more dancing to do!”
Five minutes ago, I never would have dreamed of walking away from a situation where Beau Banks was paying attention to my existence, but my corpse has other rules. She only allows for one emotional murder per night, and the brother line definitely finished the job.
“Coming!” I say, scooting out from my spot on the stool in between Miller and Beau and leaving my nearly empty water bottle on the bar.