Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Warmth spreads throughout my chest at the admittance. “Really?”
“Nope.” Her smile intensifies, as if she’s truly thrilled by the prospect.
“He doesn’t normally date?”
Her brow furrows as she shifts before leaning closer. “There was a girl in high school, but…”
I bite down on my tongue to keep everything trapped inside. I hate that he and my brother have this contentious past that sits between them.
It only makes it more imperative that I tell Maverick the truth about who I am as soon as possible. It sickens me that I’m keeping all these secrets when he’s been nothing but upfront and honest.
“Did he really like her?” As much as I don’t want to pry, I need to know.
Juliette nibbles at her lower lip as her gaze slices to her brother, who’s laughing with a few teammates near the bar. I can’t help but follow her line of sight. As soon as my attention lands on him, I’m slammed by the emotions that have taken root inside me.
How did I ever think that spending one night with him and walking away in the morning would be enough to satiate me?
He’s opened my eyes to so much. There’s no way to move forward and pretend that what I’ve experienced at his skilled hands doesn’t exist or never happened.
“Yeah, he did.”
I press my lips together, not wanting to ask for more details.
Little does she realize that I had a front-row seat to the fallout from the other side of things.
River was with Sabrina for more than twelve months. They broke up freshman year of college when they couldn’t make their long-distance relationship work. Even though she hurt Maverick, I liked her a lot. She’d sit with me when I wasn’t feeling well and we became friends. She didn’t mention Maverick very often, but even then, I was curious. At the time, her love story with River seemed romantic and meant to be.
In the end, it didn’t work out.
We still keep in touch through social media.
I can’t imagine what Maverick’s reaction would be if he knew that we were friends.
Nausea blooms in the pit of my belly when I think about confessing all of this.
It very well could be the end of us.
When I remain silent, lost in thoughts of the past, she blurts, “But that was a long time ago. Mav’s moved on. It’s all water under the bridge.”
That remains to be seen.
When the last notes of the song currently pulsing through the speakers vibrate through the air, a large man hefts himself onto the makeshift stage and raises his arms in an effort to capture everyone’s attention.
I glance around, surprised at how quickly the rowdy crowd has quieted.
“Looks like it’s that time of the evening,” Juliette says.
My brows pinch as my gaze moves to her again. “What do you mean?”
She nods toward the man. “You’ve never been here after a Wildcats win?”
I shake my head, intrigued by what’s about to happen as a sense of expectation buzzes in the air.
“Any chance you like to sing?” she asks with a smile.
“Only in the shower. Does that count?”
She chuckles. “Sure.”
The questions that have gathered on the tip of my tongue are cut off when the man’s voice booms through the microphone. “Our boys brought home another win tonight, and you know what that means!”
I squeak in surprise when the crowd bellows back in unison, “Karaoke!”
“You got it!” He points to the drunken college kids with a grin. “Now, who’s going to start us off tonight?”
That’s all the encouragement three hockey players need to jump onto the stage. They spend a minute or two picking out a song before belting out Bruno Mars’s “Grenade.”
Color me impressed.
They’re not half bad.
“Babe?” Ryder materializes next to Juliette before holding out his hand for her to take. “Are we going to sing our song?”
She pops to her feet before pressing a kiss against his lips. “Would you let me leave tonight without doing it?”
A smile breaks out across his face. “Nope.”
With that, he wraps a brawny arm around her shoulders before steering her toward the stage. I’m curious as to what their song is.
Maverick drops down into the chair his sister just vacated before passing me a bottle of sparkling water.
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem.”
Once the first few notes float on the air, I recognize it.
“Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence.
If I was impressed by the three hockey players, I’m blown away by Juliette. “Wow, your sister has an amazing voice.”
Maverick flashes a smile as pride lights up his eyes. “She took choir all through high school. And this has always been one of her favorites.”
Her big, blond boyfriend is no slouch in the karaoke department either. All that brawny muscle and the man can actually carry a tune.
I can’t help but be drawn into their performance. They stare at one another as if they’re unaware of the crowd watching them.