Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
“Are Charli and I invited to the party?” Nuala asked, pouring herself some orange juice.
“Sure,” Tristan replied while Derek said at the same time, “Definitely not.”
“Why?” Nuala complained, sending Derek sad puppy eyes. “I’m friends with Aidan, too.”
“Don’t listen to your brother,” Aunt Jo interjected. “Of course, you can go to the party. There’s absolutely no reason why Nuala and Charli should be excluded unless, of course, there are things planned that wouldn’t be suitable for them.” My aunt eyed her son shrewdly.
Derek shrugged, looking irritable. “You know what Aidan’s like. The party will be raucous. I just don’t want the girls getting caught up in all that.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it,” I said, arching an eyebrow and meeting my cousin’s gaze directly. I wasn’t typically into parties, but it bothered me how Derek didn’t want us there. Besides, by the look on Nuala’s face, she was excited to go, and I wanted her to have some fun considering her friends were excluding her.
He released a sigh. “Fine. Don’t come crying to me if it all goes belly up.”
Aunt Jo stood from the table and went to squeeze her son’s shoulder. “Don’t be so pessimistic. The girls will be fine.”
As soon as she left Nuala narrowed her eyes at her brother. “So, what’s the real reason you don’t want us to go?”
“Aidan’s birthdays are always wild. There’ll be lots of drink, probably some drug use. You’re only seventeen.”
“Tristan’s seventeen, too,” Nuala argued.
“Tristan’s six feet tall and isn’t going to have boozed up, horny lads chasing after him.”
“You can’t be certain of that,” Tristan countered, waggling his brows. Derek rolled his eyes.
“Hey, if Nuala and I end up going to the party,” I said, “the two of us will stick together. I’ll stay sober and make sure none of these so-called guys you’re talking about try to take advantage.”
“Fine,” Derek acceded and rose from the table. My attention wandered to Rhys, who was looking at me now, an intensity in his blue eyes. Did he not want us at the party either? It was difficult to tell.
A few minutes later, he quietly left the kitchen, and I felt uneasy about the tension between us. Granted, it wasn’t like we were best friends or anything, but I didn’t enjoy the idea of him icing me out.
Nuala was going to show me around town that afternoon, but my morning was free. I took the opportunity to have a video call with Gwyn to catch her up on my time in Ireland so far. It was early there, just after 6 a.m., but Gwyn had always been an early riser, so she was peppy and full of energy when the call went through.
“Ugh, how are you so upbeat? It’s disgusting,” I said.
“I’ve just been for a run, so I’m on an endorphin high right now,” she replied, smiling widely, her dark hair up in a neat ponytail, barely a strand out of place.
“It gets even worse,” I teased, and she chuckled.
“So, tell me all about Ireland. How is it? What are your cousins like? Are you having a good time so far?”
I started to fill her in on everything when my bedroom door opened, and Nuala appeared.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I should’ve knocked.”
“It’s fine,” I waved her off. “Come meet my friend, Gwyn. We’re on a video call.”
“Really? Well, okay,” Nuala said, a little shy as she quickly neatened up her hair like she was about to go on live TV or something. It was too cute.
She came around to the front of my laptop and gave a little wave. “Hello. It’s lovely to meet you, Gwyn.”
“Nuala!” Gwyn exclaimed. “I’m so happy to finally speak to you. Charli’s told me so much about you from those emails you two exchanged. Wow, you’re just as pretty as in the pictures.”
If there was one thing my best friend was good at, it was compliments. Nuala practically glowed. “That’s very kind of you to say. You’re very pretty, too.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, everyone’s pretty. Now, tell me how things are with you. How’s it been working at your dad’s restaurant?”
“Oh my goodness, so stressful, but at least I’m getting paid. Plus, Sam Pangborn just started as a bus boy, so I’ve been trying not to drool over him too much.”
“Who’s Sam Pangborn?” Nuala asked with a grin.
“Just the local hottie,” Gwyn replied. “He went to a different school than us, so Charli and I only got to admire him from afar. Are there any cute boys over there?”
“Hmm, well, I go to an all-girls school, so the only boys I get to see are my brothers’ friends, and Derek would murder me if I ever even considered their relative hotness, so …”
Gwyn laughed. “Right, but you must have a preference.” She looked to me. “Charli, which one do you think is cute?”