Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“The truth. Tell me the truth, Cage. Do you actually care about football, or am I right? You’re hiding just like me?”
“Maybe I am hiding, but unlike you, I can’t break free of my choices. I’m here at North Woods because of football. It might not be my dream, but I’m stuck living it. You can be whatever and whoever you want, but you chose to be this…” He waves his hand in front of him, gesturing to me.
What’s wrong with me?
Teeth grinding, I wrinkle my nose. “You mean myself? That I choose to be myself? That must be a foreign concept to you.” I shake my head in disbelief.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Then how did you mean it? Pray tell, how you meant it.”
Like a typical male, he rolls his eyes. “You are hiding too, behind your glasses and your clothes. Hell, you’re hiding in your room. You never go out. You have what… two friends? Do you think that’s normal? ’Cause hate to tell you, babe, but it’s not.”
Asshole.
“Well, Mr. Popular, I’d rather have two friends I trust and love than twenty fake ones. Tell me, Cage. How many of your friends do you actually trust? How many of your friends actually know you? The real you? Not just this mask that you paint on every day.” My voice is thick, and my cheeks are burning, but I’ve proven my point.
My statement shuts him up, probably because he knows it’s true.
Taking a calming breath, I continue, “I’m not hiding from anyone, Cage. I simply choose who to let into my life because when I let someone in, I let them in all the way. I don’t act a certain way, so people will like me. I don’t do things because they’ll make me cooler. I’m myself. So what, I snort when I laugh. I’d rather read books than party. If you’re my friend, you take me as I am, no matter what. That’s what real friends do, they accept you for who you really are.”
“You haven’t let me in all the way.” It’s a statement and not a question.
“Because I haven’t chosen to do so.”
Cage takes a deep, audible breath and runs his fingers through his hair. I can see the anguish in his eyes. He doesn’t like confrontation any more than I do. This conversation had to happen though.
“I’m sorry, okay. I shouldn’t have followed you, and I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I was stupid, and I made assumptions I had no business making. Can we just forget this whole thing and go back to the way we were yesterday?”
“Sure,” I agree, even though I already know there is no way I’m going to simply forget this and definitely not that kiss. “Let’s study for your test.”
He nods, and we both sit down.
For the next hour, we do nothing besides study, no small talk, and no flirting. It feels weird. Off somehow, but I’m not going to be the first to admit it.
“Thanks for taking my bag,” I tell him when we are done for the day.
“No problem. Let me walk you to your dorm. I’ll help you carry some stuff.”
I look down at the full bag and the stack of books I brought. “Ugh, that would be great.”
Reaching for the stack of books in front of me, Cage shakes his head and takes everything, including his own bag.
“I got it.” He simply jerks his head.
Not feeling like arguing anymore today, I let him carry everything as we walk to the dorms. The entire walk, I can only think about one thing… please, let Amanda be gone. I don’t want another fight with her, or for Cage to be a witness to any more of her bullying.
I’ve been doing great avoiding her, and she has even been staying somewhere at night. I really don’t want to run into her, now less than ever since I have Cage with me. That will only give her fire to bother me again.
Of course, I’m not that lucky. As soon as we reach the door, I hear her talking, her nails on a chalkboard voice, making my ears ache. I unlock the door, even though everything inside of me tells me to run the other way.
When I pull the door open, and Amanda spots me walking in, her face tells me she is just as happy to see me as I am her.
“Let me call you back, my nerd roommate just walked in,” she says into the phone before hanging up.
“Do you have to be such a bitch all the time?” Cage snaps as he walks in behind me.
“Do you have to be such a jerk all the time? Oh wait, that’s only after you sleep with a girl.”
“Shut up,” Cage growls, and I notice the way his knuckles are whitening.