Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115590 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115590 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
The lady behind the counter shuffled over to me. “Y’ant to see something, dumplin’?”
Sweat beaded on my brow, and for some reason, I felt a little choked. “Uh…” I dragged a finger over the smudged glass. The diamonds were expensive as hell, and the ones I could afford were barely visible. My finger stopped over a gold ring with a round, green stone, tiny diamonds on each side. “That one?”
“The emerald one, sugar pie?”
“Yeah. Sure.” I didn’t know what the hell it was. I just thought Monroe would like it.
She pulled it out of the little velvet slot, handed it to me, then shoved her glasses up her nose while she peeked at the price tag. “That one’s five hundred twenty, sweetie. Want me to put it back?”
“No.” I snatched it from her hand. I knew it was supposed to be a diamond, but that seemed kind of mindless. Plus, diamonds were plain. And nothing about Monroe was plain. I handed it back to the lady. “Can you put it in a box?” I asked, already digging in my back pocket for the cash.
“I surely can.” She tucked the ring inside a box, then dropped it inside a bag. After I had paid, I turned around to head toward the bathroom to find Hendrix.
A few guys in Dayton letterman jackets passed by, Matthews in the middle. The son of a bitch actually paused for a second, his gaze aimed at me.
I cocked a brow, daring him to say something to me, but he followed the rest of the football players toward the entertainment section.
I was halfway through home goods when I heard my last name echo down the aisle. God, that shithead was brave. My muscles coiled when I turned around.
“This is bullshit,” Chase said, barreling toward me. “Monroe won’t talk to me. I know you’re keeping her away.”
He had to be kidding. I thought about him kissing her, and every part of my being wanted to punch him right in the mouth. I pushed my shoulders back a little, preparing to knock him the fuck out.
“God, you’re stupid, aren’t you?” Come a little closer, asshole.
“I don’t know how the hell you’ve managed to get a girl like her, but we both know she can do better.”
And that, unfortunately, was the truth. But she was with me. And this dick wasn’t worth it. She would kill me if I hurt him, so instead, I shook my head, and I turned the other way.
“That girl has wanted to go to Dixon since she was eight years old,” he said. “Then she shacks up with you. She’s giving up on everything, applying to some shit Alabama college…”
Closing my eyes, I stopped mid-stride. My fingers pulled into my palms, and I told myself I couldn’t hit him, telling myself he had no clue what he was talking about. “Matthews,” I turned to face him, anger tearing through me at Mach speed. “You should shut the fuck up. Now.”
“She loves you. And she’s never had that. She’ll give up everything for you, and you know it.”
That hit hard. Too close to home. In a matter of milliseconds, I was comparing myself to my father, comparing Monroe to my mom.
“What can you offer her? Dayton? Drug dealing? Stealing cars? What about when you go to jail?”
The thing that sucked, he was right. And the fact that she deserved so much better was something I had tried to ignore for so damn long; something I had told myself wasn’t true because I loved her. Love had to count for something, right?
“Let me guess, Matthews,” I spun around and took a step. “That’s when you’ll swoop in and save her? Fuck off with your bullshit.” But it wasn’t bullshit. It was the awful truth.
“You know, I can handle her not loving me. I just can’t watch her destroy herself to be with you.” He eyed me up and down while backing away. “Are you really gonna make her stay in this shit hole, just so she can be with you? So much for love, huh?”
I stood in the middle of that aisle, the bag with Monroe’s ring clutched in my sweating palm and my stomach in absolute knots while he stormed around the corner. That dickface had no idea what he was talking about. I did love her. I loved her more than anything else. And the idea of letting her go nearly killed me.
Because I was a piece of shit.
Hendrix booked it down the main aisle, ornaments falling out of his hoodie. “Come on, cocksucker. We gotta go.” He nearly busted his ass when he hooked it through the bath section.
Shaking my head, I followed the trail of shattered reindeers and Santas to the exit, taking the box from the bag and tucking it in my front pocket before climbing on my bike to head home.