Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Will and I had met Lisa and her friend Tara on a night out. Lisa didn’t seem to have issues with going out then, I noticed. We’d danced and hit it off with them. They were beautiful, funny, and had both refrained from drinking, which was a rule for me when I was hooking up, so when Tara invited me back to her place, which she happened to share with Lisa, I went. The four of us had a good time—not together, mind you. Will and I had never played like that.
The problem came after that, when Will and Lisa began dating, and it had thrown me for a loop. I’d seen Tara a couple of times—I wasn’t a complete asshole and I enjoyed her company—but I’d been honest about not looking to get into a relationship with anyone. I was pretty sure that’s where our troubles began. I’d never made any promises to Tara, so I didn’t understand where the wires got crossed, but Lisa hadn’t liked me much after I made it obvious we weren’t going to be this big happy foursome.
So yeah, it had been an awkward few months, to say the least.
I saved the document I’d been working on, closed my laptop, and ordered Chinese food. I was shit at cooking. Okay, I wasn’t bad at cooking, but I was shit at wanting to cook.
A few minutes later, I took the elevator down to the lobby because I was bored and why not grab the mail. My food came at the same time, so I got that. When I got back to my floor, arms full of fried rice and pepper beef, the door across the hallway opened. I was caught between rolling my eyes and frowning. My neighbor seemed to hate me a bit, though I couldn’t figure out why. I’d moved in about eight months ago. He was cool at first, but then he started getting all judgy on me. Sometimes it was fun. I mean, I loved some good banter. It turned me on, to be honest, but other times, he annoyed the hell out of me because I couldn’t make sense of why he didn’t like me. The guy didn’t even know me. And he was cute, so I didn’t like it when cute guys weren’t into me.
“Elijah.” I nodded.
“Shaw,” he replied, and then his eyes began darting around.
“Did you lose something?”
“Oh, no. I’m just surprised you’re alone. You rarely are.”
Aaaand…shots fired. This guy really had something stuck up his ass, and he didn’t seem to enjoy it. “Jealous? I mean, if you’re interested, all you have to do is ask.”
He rolled his eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile. He really was cute as hell. He kept his hair buzzed short, but it was dyed blond. I was pretty sure he was biracial. He had this warm, light chestnut skin, big brown eyes that were somehow innocent but full of mischief as well. When he smiled, which he never pointed at me, it was the type of smile that surely brought weaker men to their knees. Like the kind you couldn’t help return because it made you feel good. Maybe he belonged in a toothpaste commercial because his teeth were white and perfect and, yeah, why was I dissecting his smile?
“Ugh. Whatever,” Elijah said. “I don’t want to hook up with you.”
“Oh, wow. That’s weird. It’s very rare I hear that. Good thing I don’t want to hook up with you either.” Honestly, I kind of did. He was fun even though I wasn’t sure I liked him. He was a bit of an asshole, but then I’d been told I was as well. Also, he taught Pilates, so his body was to die for, firm and tight. Had I ever seen a stomach that flat? I didn’t think I had. I was fairly certain he was pretty bendy. I liked bendy twinks.
He crossed his arms. “Why are you so cocky?”
“Why are you so interested in me? You have a crush on me, don’t you?”
He frowned, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to shoot daggers out of them my way. “I don’t have a crush on you. Guys who sleep with someone different every night aren’t my thing.”
“Wait. It’s not every night, and are you slut-shaming me?” Most of the time, I didn’t understand people’s complex feelings around sex. Have it if you wanted. Don’t have it if you didn’t. If you weren’t having it with someone, how they chose to do it, whom they did it with, or how often was none of your business. It really wasn’t that difficult.
He looked a little panicked for a moment, his eyes wide as he shook his head. “No.” Then he dropped his head back and took a few deep breaths. “This is painful—apologizing to you and all—but I am sorry if that’s how it sounded. I don’t slut-shame.”