Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Unzipping the bag, Ryder pulled out a bag of various sized candles. While he started dotting them around the sand, I teased my phone out of my pocket to check the time and discovered a text from Sawyer waiting for me.
“They’re setting off soon,” I told Ryder as I read the words on the screen. Folding my arms across my chest, I admired the scene he’d set. The orange tent rested against a striking stone backdrop, looking out onto the ocean. We chose a spot that wasn’t cluttered with rocks and pebbles, though strands of seaweed and unusual shells decorated the sand in front of us. He’d arranged the candles into a heart shape, leaving enough room for us to sit inside its perimeter with our picnic, and despite the cheese factor, it made me smile. “This is perfect. Maybe you should date him.”
“He’s too tall for me. I’d need a step just to kiss him.”
I laughed. Ryder was indeed quite the shortass. “You brought matches, right?”
Slapping a hand to his chest, Ryder answered, “It hurts that you doubt me.” He pulled a lighter from his pocket. “Not much of a breeze but I’d light them last minute anyway.”
“Sure.” I nodded. “I can’t thank you enough for all of this.”
“Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
“No.” I would pay that motherfucker back if it was the last thing I ever did.
Laughing, Ryder took his e-cigarette out of his pocket and, pressing the button, sucked in a long drag. I liked to think his nonchalance was an act and deep down he was shaking with fear about my revenge. With nothing left to do but wait, we sat on a rock big enough for both of us and watched the soft waves effervesce as they rolled onto the shore while chatting about random nonsense. The two hours it took for my cell to ping with the news of Sawyer and Alex’s arrival seemed more like two days. I’d been away from Alex for just hours and my chest already ached for him.
Ryder scurried around his love heart creation, igniting the candles one by one, and then we jogged toward the steps that led to the road. When we reached the top, he continued on to Sawyer’s car, passing Alex who strode over to me with a look of intrigue settled on his face. The sight of him made my breath catch in my throat.
Delicious. That’s the first word that came into my mind. He closed in on me slowly, wearing black slacks and a button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the exact same shade of blue as his eyes.
“Are we visiting someone?” he asked when he reached me, his face curious as he motioned to the houses around us with his hand.
“No. Just you and me,” I said, holding my hand out for him. He took it, interlocking our fingers.
I tugged gently on his hand, guiding him down the steps. We walked side by side as I led him along the trail that led to our tent. The candles hadn’t reached maximum effect, given that dusk was only just beginning to settle, but as they flickered in the gentle breeze sweeping in from the ocean, they still looked pretty damn awesome.
“Welcome to your date, Alex,” I said, turning to face him when we reached our campsite.
“It’s like something out of a movie,” he whispered, his voice dripping with awe. “It’s stunning.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” I confessed, stepping over the wall of candles and lowering myself onto the blanket in the center. “Ryder’s been amazing.”
Alex joined me on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him. Flipping the lid on the picnic basket, I removed two champagne glasses and set them down on the blanket. They wobbled on the uneven surface and Alex steadied them with his fingers.
“Didn’t really think this part through,” I said, lifting the champagne out of the ice bucket that was now filled with water. It dripped onto my knees as I removed the cork with a loud pop, the bubbles foaming into the neck of the bottle and dribbling out and over my knuckles. “You hungry?” I asked, pouring a glass for Alex and then myself.
“Starving. Sawyer forbid me from eating anything.”
“Luckily for you, I have the king of picnic baskets here.”
I downed my glass of champagne in three gulps, thinking I’d have preferred a beer, before taking out different tubs of food. As Alex removed the lids one at a time, I noticed Ryder had used one of his precious dividers and dedicated a section of the basket to breakfast foods for the morning.
“Wow. This smells delicious,” Alex said, letting his nose linger over the potato salad. “There’s no way you made this,” he teased, picking out a piece of diced potato and tossing it in his mouth.