Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
I twist the phone in his direction so he can see what I’ve been looking at and force the fakest smile I can possibly give.
“So how’s Jaime?”
2
Erika
“This is not what it looks like!” Chris replies, his voice filled with panic.
“Oh, it’s not?” I respond, scrolling up to reveal the rest of their conversation, which goes backs weeks, if not months. “Because it looks like you two have been texting for as long as you and I have been dating.”
Chris rushes in and snatches the phone from my hand. I’ve never seen him stumbling over himself in such a way as he scrolls the screen like he doesn’t know what he’s looking at.
It’s a performance he’s putting on, and I have to admit, it’s almost convincing. But I’m already standing up and going to the door for my things.
My phone vibrates in my hand, and I quickly check it.
Sarah: I’ll be there in five.
“I’m sorry, Erika!” Chris protests, coming after me as I grab my purse and my coat. “I just didn’t want to upset her–”
“Riiight.” I nod as I reach for the door. “That’s why you haven’t blocked her and why she’s in your phone under a fake name? Biggies? Quite apt, if I do say so.”
Chris opens his mouth to continue the argument but closes it again when he realizes he’s got nothing left to say. Thank God I was smart enough not to put out for this idiot.
“We’re done, Chris. I’m leaving now,” I reply as I open the door. I take a few steps outside into the cool night air, then stop and turn and glance back at him. “You know I hate strawberries. I don’t know how many fucking times I told you.”
I leave Chris behind, go down his steps, and walk toward the sidewalk, moving as quickly as I can while still trying to look like I’m a total girl boss who’s in control of her emotions and couldn’t be more happy than to have just dumped her lying, cheating boyfriend.
And in a way, part of that’s true. I was kind of looking for an excuse to get rid of Chris, but at the same time, nobody likes being cheated on, especially with a girl like Jaime, the girl with the best rack in a 50-mile radius. Now I just feel like an overcooked Wendy’s hamburger while Chris was off indulging himself with three-star Gordon Ramsay cooking.
I’m two seconds away from throwing my phone into the bushes when Sarah pulls up beside me, rolls down her window, and shouts, “Hey, bitch!” She’s smiling at me, doing her best to lighten the mood as she leans over and shoves open the passenger side door.
“Get in!”
Thank God, I think as I suck a deep breath and practically hurl myself into the seat and slam the door behind me.
“Drive,” I tell her.
“Where to?”
“Anywhere but fucking here.”
Sarah nods and slams her foot on the gas. The car jerks forward, the tires screeching in the quiet suburban neighborhood. I glance over at her in shock, but she just smiles back at me, her palm out to already subdue anything I might have to say.
“Relax, bitch. I’ve got a perfect place to go, okay?”
I just smile, lean my head back on the seat, and put my life in Sarah’s hands—at least for the rest of the evening. She’s been my bestie throughout all of high school, so if she says she’s got the perfect place, then she’s got the perfect place.
“So are you gonna tell me what happened?” she asks.
“Well, he was trying to get me to give it up tonight,” I say with a sigh.
“As we suspected.” She nods.
“But as it turned out…he was cheating.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Sarah groans. “That piece of shit! With who?”
“Jamie Peters.”
“Jamie big-tits?” Sarah replies. “I thought they broke up.”
“I thought so too,” I say with a sigh as my phone vibrates with several texts from Chris.
“Is that him?” Sarah asks. I nod, thumbing through them. “What’s he saying?”
“I’m sorry…I made a mistake…I love you…typical bullshit. I’m gonna block him now.”
I do, without hesitation.
“I’m sorry, girl.”
“Eh.” I shrug. “It’s not like he broke my heart emotionally or something. We weren’t like in love, you know? I just feel…”
“Like a guy still cheated on you?” Sarah suggests.
“Exactly.”
Sarah nods and pulls into a parking lot, and I realize that in the amount of time we’ve been talking, she’s been driving pretty fast and we’ve arrived at The Sundown Beach, one of the local bars in town. I glance over at her as she takes out her keys and grabs her purse.
“What are we doing here?” I ask. “Neither of us have fakes.”
“No need.” She smiles. “My brother’s friend started tending bar here last week. He’ll totally let us in.”
Before I can say anything, she hops out of the car and heads for the door—a door with an enormous bouncer with arms the size of my waist standing by it.