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)
At least it felt that way for me.
My tongue touched her lips, and it was the craziest sensation as I pulled back my tongue so she could softly slide hers into my mouth. I tasted what was left of her honey lip gloss, knowing I’d never be able to smell that scent and not think of her.
I pecked her lips one last time and gently pulled away from her, leaving her breathless. Our eyes slowly opened at the same time, and I saw something in hers I’d never seen before.
Her pupils were dilated, and the emerald-green pools that I was so used to were gone. The two big black rings I saw held so much emotion that it was almost overpowering, yet I didn’t know what that meant. It scared me not to recognize my best friend, but at the same time, it was just as exciting.
I let her go, and she lightly touched her lips, swiping her fingers back and forth on her mouth. I watched her every move with an intense glare that had me trying to understand what had just happened between us.
I couldn’t move my eyes from hers.
“Why did you do that?” she whispered, our gazes still locked.
I shrugged, telling her the truth. “I didn’t want you to yell at me anymore.”
“Oh.” She lowered her eyes for a second.
“Livvy.”
As soon as she heard her name, she raised her stare to me. With our gazes once again connected, I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.
“Are you still mad at me?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Good,” was all I could reply.
I couldn’t help myself and licked my lips, tasting what was left of her. Even though what I felt for her, what we felt for each other, wouldn’t be understood until years later.
This was where it all began.
I didn't know it then, but that was when we started giving in to our love for one another.
This was only the beginning of our…
Friends-to-lovers relationship.
Chapter
Three
Livvy
Sixteen Years Old
I’d ride my bike to our river in the woods often, just to have some peace and quiet. A secluded place where I could be alone with my thoughts and feelings. Away from my dad, who was suddenly riding my ass about college and what my SATs needed to be to gain admission into the universities he demanded I apply to.
I rode the dirt road to our special spot, wanting to clear my head with some exercise. Parking my bike near the willow tree, I grabbed my sunglasses, radio, and headphones from my backpack and headed to the water’s edge. Slipping off my sandals near the shoreline, I walked through the tall grass into the murky, warm water. Letting the hot sun beam on me as I listened to the cricket’s chirp.
I climbed onto the rope swing that hung just above the water off a willow branch. Ethan surprised me with it on my fifteenth birthday. Putting on my headphones next, I scrolled through my songs on my Spotify and found the tunes I was looking for. I started to swing to the soft melody of “Loving You” by The Canons while softly singing the lyrics to myself.
All of a sudden, the swing jerked back, almost sending me into the water. I let out a scream, turning to see who was behind me.
Ethan chuckled. “I like having you at my mercy.”
“Don’t you dare,” I warned, instantly hopping off the swing. Kicking up water, I splashed him behind me.
He grinned in that Ethan, smart-ass sort of way. Cocking his head to the side, he challenged, “Don’t start a war you can’t win, Livvy.”
“Oh yeah?” I never took my eyes off his as I tossed all my stuff beside my sandals on the shoreline so none of it would get wet.
With a shit-eating grin on my face, I leaned forward, building up the anticipation of what I was about to do. Pushing my hands through the water, I shoved a huge wave in his face.
He stepped back, his eyes widening in shock of what I’d just done. “Don’t fuck with me,” he goaded, hiding back a smile.
“I thought I already did.” I splashed him again, this time with much more water in my hands. Not caring he was wearing all his clothes.
In a challenging expression, he bit, “Do that one more time and watch what happens, Livvy.”
“Hmm…” I baited, placing my finger on the corner of my lips. “Watch me!”
I didn’t give him a chance to reply before I went full force, splashing him as much as I could. Laughing my ass off the entire time, I never let up, throwing heaps of water at him. Each one worse than the last.
I vaguely heard him snap, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Wha—”
He threw me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing, completely catching me by surprise. Holding the back of my knees, he kept me locked in place.