Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Nope. Not at all. Unless there’s some reason you don’t want to tell me about your work?” A reason like him being attracted to me even though he hated that he was.
“Of course not.”
“Great! Come with me. I’ll get us a drink.”
Spencer dragged his feet, but he did follow. I felt the hot stare of my friends on my back—they must’ve been wondering what the hell I was doing. Eventually, I would have to explain, but the truth was, I didn’t know what I was doing or what I would say.
“You’re annoying,” Spencer said.
“That makes two of us.”
“And immature.”
“I’ve never understood it when people say that. Is there a rule book or etiquette on how you’re supposed to act at each age? Is it a bad thing to be playful? To have fun? As long as you can be responsible and take important things seriously, what’s wrong with being immature? It’s a strange concept.”
He stopped walking, frowned, then looked at me. “Put a lot of thought into this, huh?”
“I might have heard it a time or ten,” I replied playfully. Spencer bit his cheek, I figured to keep from smiling. The thing was, though he’d said some hurtful things to me in the past about body image, it wasn’t as if he said those things all the time. It was one conversation when I called him out on not liking me. Now he was just bristly and grumpy with me.
“You’re ridiculous,” he replied.
“Hey, I might have heard that a time or ten too.”
Call it wishful thinking, but I was fairly certain he had to bite back his smile again. I liked being this for people, the one who could make them chuckle or roll their eyes. Maybe I was a bit of a cliché, but so what?
“Why are your friends giving me the evil eye?” Spencer asked.
“Because you bullied me.”
“I…what? No I didn’t. I spent most of my childhood being bullied. I would never do that.”
Me too. But I couldn’t make myself say it. Those memories spent too much time circling my brain and taking up residence inside me for me to set them free.
“Okay,” I replied.
“You’re the one who—” Spencer shook his head. “You know what? Never mind.”
“I’m the one who what?” I gave him shit, but I’d never been hurtful, and the only reason I liked to get under his skin was because he’d hated me from the moment he’d moved in next door.
“Nothing. One of the guest speakers is about to talk.”
I didn’t know why, but I stayed with Spencer while people spoke. I’d find my mind wandering, my gaze landing on his profile. Spencer was riveted on what they were saying, but I was studying him. Something about him had felt familiar from the first time I saw him in the elevator, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I must’ve been imagining it, though, since he’d never mentioned it.
I was curious about his work, about why he did what he did and how he got into it, but those weren’t the things I usually talked to guys about. Normally it was: your place or mine? Top, bottom, or just BJs?
When the speakers were done, I turned to Spencer to ask him something—what, I had no idea—but before I could let any words out, a man approached him.
“Hey, Spence. I didn’t know you’d be here.” The guy gave him a hug, and something about the embrace told me they’d fucked…or dated.
Spencer began talking to him, and I was pretty sure he forgot I was there. When I slipped away, he didn’t say a word, or didn’t notice. Unless I was being Obnoxious Corbin or someone wanted to fuck me, they didn’t tend to notice me much. Being pretty helped, but not enough for people to really care.
“Is Asshole Spencer your boyfriend prospect?” Kai asked when I rejoined my friends.
“What? No. Why would you ask that?” Yeah, Spencer was cute, but we’d be a disaster waiting to happen. I didn’t want to date him, and he sure as shit wouldn’t want to date me. “I just like annoying him. At first he used to get under my skin, but I’ve managed to turn the tables on him.”
Marcus’s caring—and yes, bossy—gaze held mine. “Just make sure you’re not trying to prove something to yourself. You don’t need his approval.”
“Totally not what this is.” I wasn’t trying to make him like me just so I felt good about myself. Liar, liar, pants on fire.
We hung out for a little while before everyone was ready to head home. We said our goodbyes outside, Marcus kissing me on the temple. “You got plans tonight, kid? If not, you can come home with us.”
Ugh. I knew Marcus said shit like that because he loved me, but sometimes it made me feel guilty. He shouldn’t have to worry about me that way. He shouldn’t have to be responsible for me. None of them should. “Nah, I’m good. I’m gonna call this guy who wanted to hook up earlier.”