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’m not going out tonight.” My phone vibrates in my hand, and ThunderStruck has reentered the chat populates on the screen.
Holy shit. He’s back.
Immediately, I can feel my pulse thrumming at the base of my neck. It takes everything I have not to stare at the phone while Avery is still in the room, and I’m nowhere near strong enough to resist a glance or two.
When he still hasn’t said anything fifteen seconds later, I start to wonder if I should be the one to break the ice since I am the one who left the note to meet me here.
“Are you listening to anything I’m saying?” Avery asks frustratedly, yanking my attention back to my door.
“Yeah.”
“Then what did I just say?” Her stance is defiant and challenging, and I search my mind for any remnant of her words. When I can’t find any, guilt niggles. I’m completely ignoring my best friend in favor of my secret boner for her brother—if this isn’t the whole reason for every tête-à-tête for this particular trope, I don’t know what is.
Still, I don’t want to go out, and I really need her to leave. I try to nudge her in that direction as gently as possible.
“I’m really sorry I wasn’t listening, Ave. Really. I’m just tired and distracted and seriously not in the mood to go out. But we’ll catch up soon. A whole convo, margs, club crawl, and pajamas and takeout at five a.m. kind of night, I promise. Okay?”
“God, June,” she huffs, even stomping her stiletto-covered foot. “We’re young. We’re supposed to be going out, living life, getting guys to cover our tabs, and dancing our assess off. What we shouldn’t be doing is sitting home on a Thursday night like some kind of single mom who works two jobs.”
“Does she love her kids? Does she never stop?”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Just Reba.
Avery narrows her eyes and charges toward me, plopping down onto my bed and making my heart rate soar right past fat-burning mode and straight to max capacity. At the same time, my phone vibrates in my hands, and I clutch it as tight to my lap as I can manage without drawing her attention.
I don’t know what the message says, but now, thanks to my bedmate, I’m going to have to wait.
“C’mon, June.” She reaches out to pat my sweatpants-covered thigh. “Just get up, get dressed, and come out with me.”
“Sorry, Avery, but I’m staying in tonight.”
She flashes her famous sad eyes at me, the same desperate eyes she gives her dad whenever she wants him to add an increase to her already-large monthly allowance. “Please?”
I shake my head.
“June!” she cries again, snatching my phone from my claws and waving it in the air. My lungs seize and my heart drops, my wide eyes bouncing back and forth as she waves my phone dramatically. “What are you even doing, by the way? Spending all night on your phone?” She shakes her head. “You know, I read a study about how bad it is to be addicted to technology. You should really do something about it.”
“A study?” I question harshly, reaching for my phone and jerking it out of her grasp.
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. A TikTok. Same difference. I mean, look at you. You’re practically salivating.”
The phone vibrates in my hand again, and I clench my jaw. I cannot look. Will not look. Not until she’s gone.
“I’m just…” I search for an explanation quickly, worry building over how long Beau will stay in the chat if I don’t respond soon. The first thing that comes to mind is work, and I run with it. Thanks to her hands-off office disposition, she won’t know what I’m talking about anyway. “I’m just looking through some spreadsheets your dad’s assistant wanted me to double-check.”
“Spreadsheets for what?”
Of all the fucking times for Avery to give a single shit about the work we both should be doing but I always end up doing alone… You’ve got to be kidding me!
“Spreadsheets for…” I rack my brain for a fruit salad of words that will give her a headache. “Quantum physics campaigns that showcase how the age of digital marketing has shown significant advancements over the course of the past decade and how the steady—”
“Oh my God, shut up,” she cuts me off and hops off my bed. “Whatever you just said sounds contagious, and I don’t have time to come down with the nerd gene.”
“Have fun,” I tell her, my fingers already hovering over the screen of my phone, ready to respond to Beau the instant she steps out of my room.
“I’d tell you the same, but I think we both know that’s impossible with your plans,” she calls over her shoulder at my door. “Text me if you shape-shift into someone fun!” A minute later, I hear her grab her keys and purse, and the door closes on a click.