Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“Stop acting like you were asleep,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re such a fucking coward.”
“What are you talking about?” I pulled the sheet up to my waist. I’d been fine with her getting a good look at my ass, but not while we were talking. That felt weird.
“You think I don’t know when you’re sleeping?” she asked dryly, turning away. My mouth watered as she pulled her tank top off until it was hanging around her neck to put the bra on. “You snore.”
As soon as she was done, she turned back around. “And you fart.”
“I do not.”
“Not while you’re awake.” She shrugged. “You bust ass all night when you’re sleeping.”
I choked on my own spit, staring at her in horror. “I do not.”
“You do,” she said flatly, walking over to my dresser to grab the ratty backpack she took with her everywhere. “Your brothers warned me about it years ago, and sure enough…”
“You’re so full of shit,” I argued, sitting up.
I’d done a lot of gross shit in front of Nova—scratched my balls, hawked loogies, shot snot from my nose, gotten ripe as fuck when we went camping for a week and I’d refused to shower, but never, not once, had I ever farted in her presence. “You’ve spent the night a thousand times. You would have said something before now.”
She just shrugged, walking over to the edge of the bed. “I didn’t want to embarrass you,” she said with a sympathetic grimace. “Sorry, man, you fucking stink.”
I would’ve been horrified. Embarrassed to my fucking bones. But then I caught the twitch at the right side of her mouth.
“You’re a fuckin’ liar,” I yelled, pointing at her as I barked out a sarcastic laugh.
She lost all composure as she watched me. Her laughter filled the room.
I lunged.
“Rumi,” she screeched as I yanked her onto the bed.
“You were the one busting ass,” I said as we wrestled around on the bed. I was stronger, but she was flexible as hell and fast. As soon as I’d pinned an arm, she had it free again. When I’d wrapped my arms around her in a bear hug, she dug her pointy shin into the spot just below my shoulder.
“You’re so nasty,” she yelled as I jabbed her in the side with my thumb. “You may want to go take a shower because I think you may have shit yourself a little!”
My eyes widened at the gall.
“You,” I grunted, grabbing hold of her wrist and pinning it to the bed. “Are.” I hissed in pain as she pinched me, but somehow grasped her other wrist and pinned that one too. “Goin’ to pay.”
We were both sweating. My hair was in my face. One side of her tank top and bra straps were halfway down her arm.
And her legs were wrapped around my waist.
Nova raised an eyebrow.
“What happened last night?” I asked stupidly, trying to ignore the fact that I was getting hard. “I was so drunk—”
“Nothing,” she replied easily. “We came back here and passed out.”
I watched her.
She barely blinked.
“You’re lyin’,” I murmured softly.
“Of course I am,” she replied flatly. “But that’s what you wanted, right? You wanted me to act like we didn’t fuck on every surface of this room?”
“Nova,” I whispered apologetically.
“Get off me, Rum,” she muttered, pulling her arms out of my grip.
“That wasn’t what I was doin’,” I said as she slid out from under me and got to her feet.
“Nothing changes, alright?”
It was exactly what I was hoping she’d say, but the words made my gut twist.
“You’re my best friend—” I sputtered.
I had no idea how to salvage the situation. Nova knew me better than anyone, even my brothers. And yeah, she was hot as fuck and I’d imagined her naked a million times—but that didn’t mean I was willing to give up. We had just to see if we could make it as a couple. We were nineteen years old, for fuck’s sake. It wasn’t like we’d end up married. Inevitably we’d break up, and I’d lose her. It wasn’t worth the goddamn risk.
“I’m still your best friend,” she said, reaching out to yank my hair. “I’ll see you later. I gotta get to work.”
“Where you working today?” I called, quickly getting to my feet as she strode out of the room. I yanked the sheet with me to wrap around my waist as I followed her.
“Craft store,” she yelled back over her shoulder.
“You comin’ back tonight?”
She paused at the front door and turned to look at me. “What’s tonight?”
I drew a blank. It was as if my mind lost complete control of my mouth and I just stared at her. Nothing was happening that night. Not a goddamn thing. But as she’d hurried across the living room, I’d gotten this awful feeling in my chest like I’d never see her again. It was stupid. We were fine. She’d said we were still best friends. Nothing was going to change. But I still couldn’t shake that feeling.