Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 72616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I look up at him and see the smirk on his face. “You think you're slick.” I fold my arms over my chest, and I feel a pull, but it’s normal after not using it in three weeks.
He laughs at me. “Do you want me to buckle you in, or can you do it yourself?” I glare at him, getting into the truck and buckling my own seat belt. He closes the truck door, and when he gets in, I look over at him as he gets his glasses on. He is the most beautiful man I’ve ever met. But more importantly, he has the biggest heart.
He pulls into the parking lot, and he looks over at me. “You ready?” he asks, and I shake my head. “I’ll be right there.”
He gets out of the truck, and my hand is on the handle when he opens my door. He holds out his hand to help me, and I take it. I’m expecting him to drop my hand once my feet hit the pavement, but he doesn’t.
I look around and see groups of teenagers all over the place. “What’s going on?” I ask, and he looks at me.
“It’s Friday night,” he says. “All the kids meet here before they go and watch the Friday night game.”
“That really happens?” I ask, and he smiles at me. “I thought it was just in the movies.”
He shakes his head and is about to say something when someone calls his name. “Quinn.” I look over and see someone who looks very much like Quinn come jogging to him.
“Hey,” Quinn says, giving him a hug. “Are you behaving?”
“As much as you did at my age,” the boy says. “Hey there, darlin’,” he says to me. Quinn pushes his shoulder back, and he laughs.
“Back off, little brother,” he says to him, and I can see it. They have the same eyes, but his hair is black instead of blond. “Willow, this is Reed.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say, and he just smiles at me when someone calls his name.
“I have to go.” He turns back to us. “I’ll see you Sunday,” he tells his brother. “And I hope to see you soon, darlin’.”
“Remember that time you thought I shot you in the ass.” Quinn glares at him while Reed just laughs. “Keep that darlin’ shit up, and I will.”
He holds up his hands, laughing. “Duly noted,” he says, walking backward.
“Did you just threaten to shoot your brother?” I look at him as we continue walking into the diner.
“If he called you darlin’ one more time, I would consider it.” He opens the door with his free hand and holds it open for me to step in. “My mother would whip my ass, but it would be worth it.”
I shake my head as I step into the diner, wearing a smile on my face. I see the whole diner is full. Teenagers fill some of the booths and tables as the sound of laughter fills the room. I look around and keep my head down. I expect people to look at me and point. I expect people to watch my every move. I expect them to look down on me. But none of that happens. No one notices me. No one points. No one wrinkles their nose at me. No one treats me like I have a disease or shies away from me when we walk in.
“Are you okay?” Quinn says from beside me, and for the first time in my whole life, I feel like this is somewhere I could live. This could be home for me. I can picture myself living here and being one of them.
“I’m fine,” I say to him, and fuck do I ever mean it.
Chapter 25
Quinn
I hold her hand walking into the diner because if she is feeling anything, her body will go tight, and I’ll feel it.
The last thing I want is for her not to be comfortable here. My goal is to show her why she should stay, and if she doesn’t like it … well, I wasn’t even going to go there because there was no way I was going to let her leave.
“Where do you want to sit?” she asks. Someone bumps into her, and she stumbles into my arms. I wrap an arm around her waist to protect her from falling. Her hands go to my chest as she looks up with big eyes. “You okay?”
“I’m so sorry,” one of the teenagers says as she turns to walk out.
“Do you want to go?” I ask, hoping she thinks about her answer so I can have her in my arms longer than I should.
“Hey, you two,” I hear behind me and look to see Chelsea and Mayson. “Oh, you got the sling off,” she says when she sees both of Willow's hands.