Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91299 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91299 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“How was Cadillac’s last night?” Penelope asks a few minutes later when she comes into the kitchen. She’s changed from her pjs into jeans and a Wildcats shirt—another one. Nice.
I sit down at the table near the bay window. “Margo, Connor, and the chess champs were there so I hung with them.”
“Did you see him?”
My hands tighten. “He had two girls with him. Looks like he’s expanding his harem.”
She frowns and takes cinnamon rolls out of the oven. She must have put them in earlier. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I decide to not dwell on Blaze and give her the rundown from the phone call. She listens, her head cocked, eyes studying me. I see worry in her gaze.
“Dang. Sorry, Charm. I know this isn’t how you wanted to start off the new semester.” She pours sugary icing on the rolls and brings me one. Like Ma, she thinks food solves everything.
I look down at it, mentally tallying up the carb points. “I shouldn’t eat this.”
Her hands go to her hips and she gets a little scowl on her face. “Are you on this diet thing again?”
I snort. “I’ve been on a diet for seven days, but all I’ve lost is a week. Heck, all my cardio consists of is walking to the fridge—hence the attempt at yoga.”
“You’re talking crazy.”
“No, I’m serious. Ma is short and curvy, and I got the gene. My muffin top is a three-layer cake!”
“Why do this to yourself?” She exhales a breath and sits down across from me. I sense a lecture coming.
“Pen, you don’t get it.”
Her eyes are kind as she takes my hand. “Stop comparing yourself to others. That isn’t the Charisma I know.”
“I know…but I keep thinking about those horrible nicknames—”
“That was a long time ago.”
“But,” I remind her, “you never heard people call you those things.” I run my fingers over the rim of my cup. “And then Trevor…” I blow out a breath, my head going back to the popular, crazy-good-looking guy I was in love with back in high school, the one who admitted at prom he’d only asked me because his friends dared him to take the chubby girl to the last big party of the year. Most of the time I don’t think about him or the horrible, awful feeling that crawled inside me when he pulled that, but I’m slipping. I’m losing my confidence. My mojo is MIA, probably hiding in a corner eating a bacon salad.
“Trevor was an asshole, a stupid immature boy. I’ve never met him, but if I do, I will slay him for you. Heck, I’ll sic Vampire Bill on him. His claws are sharp.”
“I know life is too short for self-hatred and carrot sticks every day, but damn, have you seen Dani up close? She’s practically a supermodel.”
“Enough of that.” She jumps up, opens a junk drawer, and comes back with a compact mirror. Flipping it open, she holds it in front of my face. “Look at you. Your eyes have these little golden sparks, and…come on…your boobs are amazing—much better than my titlets.” She smirks. “Hey, remember those two tennis guys who got into an argument over who was going to buy you a drink at Caddy’s once? They nearly came to blows over you, Charm, and you dissed them both. You have something about you, a little extra sparkle that makes men nuts.”
I laugh. “Pretty sure it was those kickass shoes I had on that night—you know the ones, the four-inch leopard heels.”
“Those are great shoes, not denying it, but…it was you. You’ve got sass, baby.”
I sigh. “My sass packed her bags and left three months ago.”
Her lips tighten, and I figure she’s remembering how I moped around the house and refused to go anywhere he might be. “I know, I know. You haven’t been your usual confident self. Don’t let seeing Blaze with her—”
“Blaze?” asks Ryker as he waltzes into the room, fresh from a shower.
I arch a brow. “No offense, QB1, you’re my boy and all, but you are the last person I want to talk to about him."
He holds his hands up. “Message received. Don’t talk about one of my best friends in front of you ever.”
There’s an awkward silence, and I frown. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be the friend everyone walks on eggshells around.
“I know he’s your friend,” I mumble. It makes things even harder. Normally, I never would have chosen Blaze for a hookup—too hot, too aware that every girl in the room wants him—but we were thrown together in the same friend group, and things just happened…like his cock inside me.
Whoa. Don’t even think about him and his—
See, there I go.
I take a sip of coffee as Ryker exchanges a long look with Penelope and then glances back at me. “He’s my friend and you are too, so don’t sweat it.” He shrugs then moves to the sink to wash out his mug and tells Penelope he needs to check in with his advisor.