Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Our families have known each other forever, it seems. Dad and Lucas, Aiden’s dad, played together, so there isn’t a memory that doesn’t include the Brooks family. Endless birthday parties, Christmases, and other holidays. The extended family we chose. All the Assassins players are more family than friends, or even teammates. Since all us kids grew up together, everyone assumed we’d marry one another or be together or whatever. So far, only Shelli, Owen, and Asher, Aiden’s brother, have done that. If I were smart, I would do the same. Someone I know, someone I trust, and someone who knows me. I mean, it’s a no-brainer. Problem is, I have no options. As of this moment, only one option is currently in my house.
Emery Brooks. And let me tell you, unless she is saving me from a serial killer, I don’t want anything to do with her, other than family stuff. I’m not going to lie; I’m scared of her. Everyone is. She’s wicked smart, like genius-level smart, and she has watched enough true crime that she is now one of those internet sleuths. How someone at the age of seventeen can successfully do that and keep her identity locked down is beyond me, but she has been recognized for her work by different homicide units across the US. They’ve even tried to hire her, but she says she wants to go to school first.
Oh, and turn eighteen.
The hell?
What is up with the youngest children in our families being so smart? I know I’m smart because I took all Owen’s intelligence, but how did our parents have any intelligence left after all us kids? Shouldn’t the youngest be dumb or something? Quinn and Emery are making all of us look bad.
“How are you liking Bellevue?” Fallon, Emery’s mom, asks me, and I look from where Quinn and Emery are laughing to her.
I nod as I finish the steak I’m chewing. “It’s going great. I’m enjoying all my new roles.”
“Shea said you’re working with the gymnastics team,” Lucas mentions. “That has to be different.”
“It is. Lots of chalk and tape,” I say with a smile. “But they’re a good group, and they respect me. I’m learning a lot.”
“That’s awesome. My friend Shantae is on the team,” Stella says, bringing my attention to her. She sits by her fiancé, Wes, who plays for the Assassins with Aiden, as well as Posey’s husband, Boone. “She told me about her hot new athletic trainer, and I laughed, saying we grew up together.”
Great. “I bet she had a lot to say.”
She grins widely. “Oh, she asked me to hook her up. But I got the feeling from what she told me that you weren’t interested.”
“Your feeling is right,” I say, nodding to her.
“Are you dating anyone right now, Evan?” Fallon asks, and I shake my head.
“No. Just focusing on school and my new roles.”
“That’s good, but remember to have fun,” Dad says, and Aiden points his fork at me.
“You can have a lot of fun there,” he says, and Shelli pokes him in the ribs with her elbow.
“Please, don’t encourage my brother to have sex,” she says, and everyone chuckles along.
Asher’s wife and our longtime family friend, Ally, laughs. “Let’s be honest. Evan isn’t the type. He has to know you to want to be with you.”
What the hell is happening right now?
“Absolutely. Remember when we tried to get Stella to date him?” Shelli asks. “He’s known her forever and she’s easy on the eyes, and he still said no.”
Can I please leave?
I look around as everyone laughs.
Stella grins at me. “It’s okay, Evan. My heart was only a bit broken.”
For the love of God.
“It’s too bad, really,” Fallon says, her eyes full of love for me. “We hit the daughter-in-law jackpot with Shelli and Ally. Would have been great to do the same with Stella.” She winks at Wes, who looks up quickly, and then he grins.
“Hey now, Mom. At least I asked you for your blessing to marry Stella, unlike how Asher and Ally did it,” Wes throws at her, and she snickers as Ally holds her hand up.
“We had to elope. Y’all are all suffocating,” she says, and Asher nods beside her.
“For real. I can’t breathe sitting here.”
“Same,” I mumble, and he laughs.
“Fine, but there is still Emery,” Fallon teases, pointing to her youngest. “She’s not of age yet and mildly obsessed with serial killers—”
“Mildly?” all the Brooks siblings say, and Emery just sits there, grinning from ear to ear.
“But we’ll hold on to her for you, and we can offer three goats and a donkey,” Fallon finishes as we all laugh, and I am mortified.
“Do I look desperate or something?”
More laughter ensues before Emery responds, “I don’t need goats and donkeys in my dowry, Mom. Plus, I’ve been with an Adler. I’m good. I’ve got the T-shirt.”