Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“What’s your brother’s name? What does he do?”
“Alec. He’s a very successful business owner. He created a security company that uses super-advanced technology. And when I say he’s successful, I mean like a freaking genius level of success.”
“Your parents must be proud of you both.”
“They are, but they are also the kind of parents who would’ve been proud regardless of the paths we took, as long as we were happy.”
“Sounds like great parents.”
“I lucked out.” She tossed a cheesy nacho into her mouth. “What about you? Are your parents proud of your success?”
I huffed and shrugged. “I don’t know and don’t care.”
“Are you not close? Mano always makes it sounds like he’s close with them.”
“He is. We don’t have the same parents.”
Holly’s eyebrows furrowed. “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought—”
“No. We have the same parents, but we don’t in the sense that a different set of parenting styles raised me. Mano got their best. I received their worst. I pretty much raised myself.” I gestured toward the football field. “I would’ve loved to put on a jersey and play this game, but I never got the chance to do. I was left alone to my own devices, and the idea of after-school sports was a faraway dream.”
I’d never known Holly’s eyes could look so sad until that very moment.
“Don’t cry,” I told her.
“I won’t,” she lied, wiping away a tear. “It’s just sad.”
“It is what it is.” I shrugged. “I made peace with it.”
“Yeah, but…” She sighed and shook her head. “That little boy should’ve been able to play football as a kid. You should’ve been able to have your own jersey.”
“I promise you it’s okay.”
“Mano said he’s going down to Hawaii for Thanksgiving. What are you doing if he’s away?”
“Sitting in my apartment watching football.”
“What? No. You can’t spend Thanksgiving alone.”
“It’s what I’ve done for the past few years. I’m fine alone. I’m content being alone.” I glanced at her before looking back out toward the field. “Holly, stop crying.”
“I’m not crying!” she lied again, wiping at her eyes once more. “The thought of you being alone on Thanksgiving kind of breaks my heart.”
“I like being alone.”
“No, you don’t,” she argued. “You just got used to it.”
I went to say something snappy toward her to redirect the seriousness of the conversation, but when I saw the care in her eyes and the genuine concern, I felt my heart start beating like it hadn’t in years. “Don’t do that, Holly,” I whispered, lacing my hands together in my lap.
“Don’t do what?”
“Read the parts of my book that I don’t share with people.”
“It’s a good book, Kai. I’d wish you’d let me read it all.”
I grimaced but felt a wave of electricity shoot through my body. I stared back out at the field because looking into her eyes was too intense that night. I felt a wave of emotions I hadn’t felt before, not since Penelope. That alone scared me.
“My book has a lot of dark chapters,” I told her.
“Every book does.”
I snickered. “I doubt you do.”
I saw the shift in her body posture from the corner of my eye. Her whole demeanor was different. She looked sad. I turned back to face her, uncertain what I’d done or said.
“What is it?” I asked, alert at her sudden change. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just…we all have chapters that are hard to read. It doesn’t mean the book isn’t worth picking up.”
“Holly?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for running into me a few weeks back in the lobby.”
“Welcome.” Her softness started to return as she nodded and turned back to focus on the game. “But just to be clear, you ran into me.”
The conversation after that was lighter and easier, and it involved us screaming Mano’s name a lot. He was killing it out there. Whenever he looked out toward the bleachers, he found Holly and me jumping around like idiots, cheering him on. I was a proud big brother.
“He’s so good,” Holly exclaimed.
“He’s so good!” I agreed, echoing her words.
The game was beyond exciting. Both teams were solid with great players, but Mano was the star of the night. When he searched the field for someone to pass the ball to with the clock counting down for the third quarter to end, he used his quick wit to solve the problem. No one was available for him, so he took a risk and ran the ball across the field, scoring a touchdown.
A touchdown by Mano Kane! I lost my mind as I leapt to my feet, screaming so loud that I felt like my lungs were about to fall out of my chest.
“Is that a home run?!” Holly asked, jumping up and down with me.
I looked at her and couldn’t help but snicker. She had no clue what’d been happening on the field for the past hour. All she knew was she cheered when everyone around her did, and she booed when they booed.