Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Don’t you go crying, sugar. I just wanted you to know you have a friend in me.”
I pull him in for another hug, but this time, a strong arm wraps around my waist, tugging me from behind. I look up and Trevor is glaring over my head at Cody.
“Not a threat, bro. Just saying goodbye to a friend,” Cody says.
Trev kisses the top of my head. “Let’s go. We have somewhere to be.”
I turn to face him. “I thought we were just taking a walk.”
He pulls a face as if just realizing his mistake. I smile up at him. I should have known. He’s been acting weird all day.
He dips his head and nips at my bottom lip. I cling to his shirt and allow him to kiss me deeply. My toes curl in my shoes and I forget all about what we were talking about.
He breaks the kiss and pecks my forehead. “We’re taking a walk to someplace we should be,” he murmurs against my skin.
“In that case, lead the way,” I breathe. I turn and wave to Cody and the others. “See y’all. Have a good night, fellas.”
Trevor reaches out his hand and laces his fingers with mine. I wrap my free hand around his bicep and lean in to place my head against him. My mind goes to what Cody just shared with me.
My sister was the greatest. She was always there for everyone. She became what you needed when you needed it. This world was a better place with her in it.
Corinne catches my eye and I have to wonder if I’m just being cruel. There’s something about her that rubs me wrong, but Brooke had to see something in her if she had her as a friend. Right?
“Trev?”
“Yeah, baby?”
My face warms from the endearment. I snuggle closer to him and squeeze his hand. He glances down at me once we’re outside, through the crowd moving into the bar.
“Did Brooke trust everyone here? I mean, were all these people really her friends?”
He gives me a wink. “Your sister was smart and wise beyond her years. She made everyone around her comfortable, but in that comfort came loose lips.
“In other words, no, not everyone was a true friend. She may have given them true friendship, but she knew who she was keeping close to shorten the distance of the strike.
“I learned a long time ago Brooke would make friends with your enemies or mine to keep us safe. Remember Lauren Fisher?”
I frown at the name. “Ugh, I remember her. She was so mean to me and then she would smile in your face and act like she was Pook’s best friend.”
“Pook knew. Lauren was only her friend to get to me after I caught her bullying you and beat up her brother. Your sister knew Lauren had one more time to bully you before the two of us got into trouble.”
I start to laugh. Trev shakes his head. “She had to be crazy. After she was mean to you and I caught her, I had no interest in her, no matter how big her boobs had gotten,” he says with a frown.
“Oh my God, but she still hung out with Pook all she could,” I say.
“And got herself nice and comfortable around her. Pook wouldn’t tell me, but Cliff did. That fight they got into was because Lauren made some comments about you, thinking Brooke wasn’t going to react.
“From what he said, she threatened to do something to you and Pook, laying hands like Jesus.” He chuckles. “But no one believed Lauren because, come on, this was Pook, she didn’t fight anyone.”
“Not like me. I would have gotten into so much trouble for what Pook did to her,” I say through my laughter and shake my head.
“Exactly,” he drawls. “She was always looking out for us and intercepting our bullshit.”
I wipe a tear. “God, I miss her.”
“I know, darlin’. I know. I do too.”
We fall silent for the rest of our walk. I realize after a while that we’re heading back toward the Eiffel Tower. It’s a nice warm night and the sky is clear.
You can almost feel the romance in the air. I imagine how my sister would have felt as she walked these streets engaged to her Monroe. Cliff proposing to her here would have been perfect.
I wish she could have had that. Maybe there’s some parallel universe where she’s living out that version of her life. I hope there is because she deserved it.
“Do you believe in parallel universes?”
“Say what now?” Trev replies as if I’ve pulled him from his thoughts.
“Do you believe we’re living another life on some other plane? Like if we don’t get it right here, we’re there making better decisions or experiencing a better version of this life.”
He shrugs. “I believe anything is possible. The one thing I know for sure is that I want to be in whatever life or universe where I get to spend my life with you.”