Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I nod, and we finish up. Erin pays for it, which I’m super grateful for, and then we leave. When we get back to Slater’s house, Erin is extremely positive and continues to tell me everything will be okay before she leaves and goes back to work. She doesn’t leave until Damon arrives, he’s my afternoon company, which I’m okay with because he’s the easiest person I find I can talk to. Slater makes me nervous, Lincoln is just...Lincoln, and Finn always seems unsure on what to say to me.
Damon and I...it almost feels effortless. Like we’ve just been best friends a million times over. And I’m thankful for that, because it makes my life that much easier.
“You look down,” he says once Erin is gone, and we walk out to the back deck and sit down.
“I guess...my life is in turmoil right now. I can’t work, I can’t go anywhere, I can’t have alone time, I’m trying to figure out my memory and I have a monster closing in on me, daily. Like I’m just waiting for him to appear and bring me down.”
“Firstly,” Damon says, frowning. “You have us, and while it might feel like everything is shit, we’re going to fix all of that for you. And secondly, that mother fucker so much as even breathes in your direction when any one of us is around, and we’ll have him lifeless on the ground without even asking questions.”
I smile, weakly, but it’s there, because it means a lot to me that they’d go to those lengths to protect me.
“Thank you,” I tell him, and I mean it. I mean it more than I’ve ever meant any thank you in my life. “I know I don’t remember much, but I’m so thankful you’re all here for me. I’m terrified, but when I’m around you all, I feel safe. And that’s a feeling I haven’t felt in a very very long time.”
Damon grins. “Well, that’s what we’re here for. Besides, most girls feel safe around me. It’s my manly presence.”
I laugh softly. “It most certainly is.”
“You know what we need?” he says, clapping his hands together.
“What?”
“We need to get drunk, and eat food, and laugh until our bellies hurt. It’s the best medicine for anything.”
Get drunk.
I haven’t...well, at least I don’t remember, having ever been drunk.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I hesitate.
“Ellie, you deserve to let go. You’re safe here, and you’re so wound up. It’s time you relaxed a little, and remembered how it feels to laugh.”
He has a point...but still.
I’m nervous about it.
I’ve not had alcohol as far as I know, what if it reacts badly?
“Look, you don’t have to drink much, if you don’t want. Have one, chill out with me, and we’ll go from there, okay?”
“Okay, Damon,” I say, because honestly, I need to chill out. More than anything.
“I’m going to invite Scarlett and the girls over, they’re always a blast, and they’re funny as hell. That okay?”
I nod.
He gets out his phone and flings out a message. Then he goes inside for a few minutes and comes out with two drinks that look awfully...colorful.
“What in the hell are those?” I laugh.
“These, my sweet friend, are called sunrises. Don’t ask what’s in them, I made it up. But vodka...well...vodka. That’s all we need, right?”
I shrug. “I’ll take your word for it.”
He sits down beside me, turns some music on with his phone and then hands me my drink. I take a sip. It’s cool, and sweet, and there is a burn of something as it slides down my throat, but I like it. It’s definitely yummy.
“This is nice,” I say, nodding.
Damon grins. “Knew you’d like it. Haven’t met a girl that doesn’t.”
“This how you get girls, Damon?” I tease.
He smiles, big and broad. “You know, when you tease me like that, I almost forget that you don’t remember who I am.”
I lose my smile, and study him. “We were pretty close, you and I...weren’t we?”
“Yeah,” he says, and his eyes flash with something a little broken. “Yeah, we were best friends. I told you everything. You were the only thing I could rely on. When you went missing, we all felt it, too. But I guess Slater was so damaged, nobody ever said anything...and then we lost him too and well...yeah, shit got fucked up. Let’s just leave it at that and enjoy our night.”
“For what it’s worth,” I say, taking a sip of my drink. “I know when I’m with you, that you were important to me. I can feel it. I’m so comfortable, the most like myself I am with anyone. I like it, and I hope maybe we can be friends again, even if I don’t remember everything.”
He grins. “Oh, we’re friends again, don’t you worry about that.”
I smile, big.
We keep drinking, and the girls arrive half an hour later, loaded up with alcohol, and pizza, and a lot of happy chatter. I can’t help but smile when they set themselves up around us, drinking some fancy pink drinks that they make me, and that is absolutely delicious.