Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 106797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“What’s your first name?”
He kissed me back, his hands resting on my waist. “Rhodes”
“Your name is Rhodes Rhodes?” I smirked, nudging him.
Rhodes’ jaw flexed and he swallowed. It never occurred to me that maybe he hadn’t told anyone before. Why would anyone want to hide their name?
“It’s William.”
I smiled. “William.” He shivered when the syllables left my lips. “I like that name.”
Rhodes and I did eventually make it to the gym that Sunday for my weigh-in, after staying in bed all afternoon and evening. I was officially down thirty pounds, and I’d lost another two inches off my hips and three off my waist since my last measurement three weeks ago. It was a huge milestone, and we celebrated, though Rhodes warned me that it would be more difficult to lose from that point on.
It was surreal to me. In six weeks, I’d lost more weight than I thought I was even capable of. More than that, I’d gained muscle and strength — in more ways than one. At the beginning of the summer, I’d felt like I was floating. I was trying to find a purpose, a drive, a passion, but I kept coming up short. The more my body changed, the more I let myself see the beauty in my life and my choices. Maybe I wasn’t on the traditional path that society had lined up for me. Did that really mean I wouldn’t find my own way?
After our session, I drove straight to Willow’s to spend her last night in town together, though it was extremely difficult to say goodbye to Rhodes. I knew he had made the decision to not fight whatever we had anymore, but still, something inside me knew what we had was fleeting. When we were apart, he had the chance to think — and when he had time to think, he thought about all the reasons we couldn’t be together. I had a constant ache in my chest that told me not to hold on too tight, but it only made me squeeze my fists harder.
Willow was completely packed and ready to go when I showed up, so I took a quick shower and we fell onto her couch to watch a string of movies we’d seen a thousand times before. We hadn’t even made it through the credits of 10 Things I Hate About You when Willow turned to me, popping a sour gummy worm in her mouth.
“Okay, now that we have background noise, I need to know every detail of your night after you left last night.”
I chuckled. “I already told you. Rhodes and I talked, then we went back to my place.”
“And?” She dragged the word out, spinning the worm in her hand. I laughed.
“And,” I exaggerated. “None of your business.”
“Boo!” Willow tossed her half-eaten worm at me, the sugar crystals flying all over my sweatpants. “You’re the worst. You can’t bone the bad boy of Poxton High and not tell your best friend how big his wang is.”
“His wang, Lo? Really?”
“Yes, really!”
I laughed, retrieving the airborne worm and biting off its tail. “Fine. Let’s just say I’m still sore… and not from the squats today.”
“SHUT UP.”
“Okay, stop.” I blushed, sitting up straighter. “That’s all you get. Did people freak out when I left?”
I could tell Willow wanted to ask more, but she conceded. “Oh, of course.”
“I’m sure they’re still talking,” I groaned.
“Whatever. People are always going to talk, might as well give them something to yap about. And believe me, you and Rhodes are definitely gossip-worthy.”
“I just feel like we’re already so complicated, the last thing we need is everyone else in our business. But I know that’s how it’ll be.” I could feel how fragile our relationship was, and I wondered if Rhodes felt the same. He was always more confident than I was, but I wasn’t sure if that applied to us or just my training. “And what if they’re right? I mean, what do you think? Did I make a mistake choosing Rhodes? Am I just too naïve to see the signs of something that’s going to end up crushing me? I mean, look at him.” I gestured toward the door and then back to my own body. “And look at me.”
Willow popped up from the couch and skipped over to a large shopping bag leaning against the fireplace. Falling back down into the cushions, she shoved it toward me. “Forget what they think. Or what they say. You walked out that door because you knew in your heart it was the right thing to do, right?”
I nodded. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life.”
She shook her head, her dark eyes sincere, a small smile reaching her lips. “We only have so much time to be, Natalie. So be wild, be crazy, be spontaneous, and be passionate. Never be sorry. And when someone tells you you’ll regret your choice later, be confident in the fact that you won’t.”