Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 50770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
I laugh. “Maybe I wanted to watch you?”
“That was not a passive activity, Chloe.” He winks. “And I’m a little in shock and suddenly so very sleepy right now.” He yawns and stretches his arms above his head. He literally has lean muscle everywhere. “Stop staring, that’s what stalkers do.”
I make a face.
“Where did you come from?” I ask.
He leans forward and points up. “The sky, I’m like superman but I can’t fly, oh shit, that rhymed,” I turn away as he rearranges himself.
I gulp. “Yeah well, you’re clearly a poet.”
His hands find my face and turn me back around. “I’m not a one-night stand sort of guy and you didn’t even share all the Milk Duds, so at the risk of sounding extremely cheesy, do you wanna go walk on the beach?”
“How’s that cheesy?”
“Because clearly I’m saying it so the night doesn’t end, and while I appreciate all the sexual tension throbbing—“
I wince.
“—Yup, poor choice of words.” He clears his throat in the most adorable way. “Ahem, while I appreciate the connection.” He grins down at me.
“Better.”
“Thank you, so where was I, oh yes, while I appreciate the strong connection we have, I really want to get to know you, so can we attempt to not step on a jellyfish wherein I would have to sadly pee on you, and walk for a bit so I can ask you a shit ton of dumb questions that have to do with all your favorites so I don’t fail you miserably when I obviously ask you out on a second date.”
“THIS WAS A DATE?” I yell.
His body goes still, his eyes narrow, he points at me, I love that he keeps jabbing his finger in the air like he can’t actually believe I said that. “Nobody prepared me for someone like you.”
Excitement bursts in my chest, it feels like a billion butterflies are fighting for dominance to escape my stomach just so they can touch him in real life. “Meh, I’m special.”
He reaches for my hand and kisses the back of it then squeezes my fingertips, his expression is unreadable but the way he looks at me, it’s as if he’s known me in a past life which is crazy, his gaze is serious, intense. He stands, still holding my hand, then pulls me back against him, leaning into my right ear and whispering, “But I still get Milk Duds right?”
“What is with you and candy?”
His expression sobers, sending chills down my spine. His hand comes up, but at the last minute he pulls back and lightly drags one finger down my jaw. “I like sweet things that know how to be naughty. Nothing has to be perfect in this life, I think we just combine the perfect moments, and later when things turn unperfected, we remember the gifts we were given, otherwise, how do you even survive?”
I spin in his arms and pull him close in a hug. “Whoever broke your heart never deserved you.”
“Nah, I never deserved her, and my best friend loved her first.”
That’s what he leaves me with as we walk hand in hand toward the door and it kills me that I don’t have the guts to ask what happened in that moment, because it’s gone.
And because I don’t want to tarnish our present with his past. We keep walking and eventually are on the beach, past all of the small-town cafes, restaurants, all the people just roaming around trying to vacation.
Music hits us the minute we hit the boardwalk, someone’s playing guitar while their dog sits next to them, the dreads on their head look badass and quite honestly, he looks so free in his worn white tank top and blue jeans that I almost want to spin in front of him.
Quinn notices me pause then pulls me toward the guy and his guitar case, he drops a five-dollar bill in the case.
“What do you want to hear?” The guy stops playing immediately and asks.
His smile is free and cool. His eyes, a clear blue, his posture not like a person who’s living off the streets.
I frown and tilt my head.
Quinn points. “You’re, you’re, you’re—“
“—-Shhhh.” He grins. “I like a good hobby.”
“Demetri.” Quinn gets the word out. “Bro, I haven’t seen you in like seven years!”
“Demetri?” I repeat. “The homeless guy is Demetri?”
Alleged Demetri winks at me, he’s extremely good-looking his hair is pulled back into a ponytail with the light blonde dreads and he’s looking like he belongs on a red carpet more than a street in Oregon, though his shirt is dirty I now realize that it’s on purpose.
“YO.”
“Did he just say yo?” I ask.
Quinn laughs. “Bro, it’s good to see you, how are the kids?”
“Good. Busy.” He nods. “So very, very, busy.” He winks his blue eyes at me. “But thanks for the fiver, I guess I can buy a burger now.”