Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
I kissed her, softly pecking her lips, taking my time with each stroke of my tongue as it tangled with hers.
I tasted her tears.
Once I opened my eyes, I saw every sentiment I felt through her gaze. She allowed me to see her again. Her walls were down, and her flag was up.
She surrendered.
To me.
To us.
More tears slid down her tortured face, and I kissed those away as well.
“I said this from the very beginning at prom night. No matter what happened between us, it doesn’t change that we’re forever best friends. I won’t lose you, Livvy. At least not like that.”
Elizabeth Collins was my beginning and now the time had come for our ending. I just didn’t know what hurt more, the fact that this was our conclusion…
Or the fact that she’d be leaving tomorrow.
Chapter
Fifteen
Ethan
Twenty Years Old
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Mrs. Collins greeted everyone who walked through their door.
She wanted to surprise Livvy that she invited me to dinner at their home for the holiday. This wasn’t the first time I’d spend Thanksgiving at the Collins estate, and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. She said she wanted to have everyone there, and by everyone, I mean everyone. Their house was packed with people, and Livvy’s plane landed an hour ago.
She thought I’d be in Kansas, where my uncle moved for his job, and that was my initial plan until her mother called me a few days ago and begged me to join them. I appreciated the invitation. The last time I saw Livvy was during the summer. I stayed at her place for a week, and our friendship returned to what it always was.
We saw each other a few times a year, but we talked a couple of times a week and texted every day about something. We were both busy with school, and I didn’t have time for much else. I was in the process of developing a social media app that no one knew about. Not even Livvy. It was still a work in progress. I was determined to create it, and nothing would stop me until I did.
“Hello, Ethan,” Livvy’s dad announced, coming up behind me as I stood outside by their Olympic-size pool.
“Hello, Mr. Collins, how are you?”
“I’ll have my whole family under one roof soon. I couldn’t be better.”
I smiled, nodding.
“My wife tells me that Livvy doesn’t know you’re in town, and that you’ll be here tonight.”
“Yeah, Mrs. Collins wanted to keep it a surprise for her.”
“I’m sure Livvy will love that.”
I smiled again.
“You know, Ethan. I never got to thank you for helping us with talking Livvy into attending Stanford.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t do anything.”
He gripped my shoulder, affirming, “You let her go, and that’s what she needed.” With a gentle squeeze, he nodded for us to walk into the foyer at the same time as the front door opened, and Livvy stepped in.
Her eyes widened as soon as she saw me standing in front of her.
“Surprise,” I exclaimed, taking her in.
Only then did I notice that she cut her long, red hair. It no longer lay down her back. It was the shortest I’d ever seen it, and it was a little above her shoulders, framing her petite face.
“You cut your hair?” I asked, surprised.
She shyly smiled. “I did.”
“You look stunn—”
“Liv, baby, you almost left your cell phone in the Uber.”
My gaze abruptly shifted to the man walking in behind her with her phone in his hand.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her toward him to kiss her cheek. “You’d be lost without me.”
My eyebrows raised, caught off guard was an understatement.
She locked eyes with me and introduced him, “Ethan, this is Beau.”
He instantly extended out his hand for me to shake. “Ethan, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Eyeing him up and down, I scoffed out, “That’s nice, considering I haven’t heard a damn thing about you.”
“Ethan,” Livvy reprimanded in a stern tone before her dad interrupted us.
“My baby girl,” Mr. Collins celebrated, pulling her into a tight hug.
Who the fuck is Beau?”
Her mother quickly followed, hugging her too. “Sweetheart, you cut your hair. I love it.” Glancing over at me, she added, “Did you see our surprise?”
Livvy cautiously replied, “I did.”
Mrs. Collins’s stare moved to Beau. “Who’s this?”
“Now I know where Livvy gets her beauty from.” He shook her hand. “I’m Beau. Livvy’s boyfriend.”
I jerked back like he’d punch me in the stomach.
“Oh!” Mrs. Collins smiled. “I didn’t know Livvy had a boyfriend.”
I chimed in, “That makes two of us.”
Livvy nervously chuckled. “I was going to introduce you to him tonight, Mom.”
“I guess you came home with your own surprise,” Mrs. Collins remarked. “Well, Beau. Welcome to our home. I’m Livvy’s mother, and this is her father.”
Her parents started talking to him, and I didn’t hear a word they said. I couldn’t stop staring at how close Beau was to Livvy. How he still had his hand on the swell of her back and rubbed up and down with every word they said. Livvy stayed involved in their conversation and I had to step away from them.