Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
“I get it. To gain one thing sometimes means losing something else,” she says softly.
“Still worried about telling Cameron you’re going to travel with Noah during the season after graduation?”
She groans, burying her face in her hands. “We just had so many plans, you know? I don’t want her to feel like I’m leaving her. Even if Brady does get drafted, they have already cleared it with her family, fully prepared to take over her parents’ property and build up the farm even more. She wants a place for him to come home to when he can and to go right to work, and that’s great, but I just want—”
“To be where Noah is?”
Tears fill her eyes, and she looks toward her best friend. “I know she’ll be happy for me, but it’s still tough to throw out everything we talked about for the last decade.”
“Hey, you never know. She hasn’t had to be away from Brady yet. Maybe he’ll be drafted by the same team as Noah, and she’ll want to travel too, at least for a couple years, and then you’ll be together every day.”
“Can you imagine? That would be amazing!” She beams, tears now forgotten as she pulls out a top and holds it up to her. “Speaking of Noah, you do know you could ask him for help with the studio. If he can help, he will.”
“I know, and I really appreciate you not going to him with this. He would insist, and I won’t allow him to. My initial quotes for just the bones are already astronomical as it is. My career of choice won’t exactly leave me with much profit. It’s a modest living, at best, so no loans. Or handouts, for that matter.”
Ari grabs my arm, giving me a little squeeze, and not a second later, Cam comes back around the corner, arms full of clothes.
“Okay.” She smiles. “I have full confidence one of these is going to be it!”
My brows lift, and I take the dozen dresses folded over her forearm. “I sure hope so.”
“Go, go, go.” She spins me, pushing my back until I’m slipping inside the dressing room. “We have thirty minutes to meet the guys for pizza. Strip, and I want to see each one! We need you looking smoking for your date!”
My muscles freeze, my face falling, shirt half over my shoulders. “It’s not a date.”
Cameron and Ari both laugh, loudly and slowly, and my muscles move again, my top falling to the floor.
We’re just going to a work thing for a job I might have to take one day.
It’s not a date.
Right?
Chase
“So.” Brady drops back on the couch, protein shake in hand. “What time is trust-fund guy picking her up?”
I swing my glare his way. “We don’t know if he’s a trust-fund guy.”
Brady scoffs. “He’s definitely a trust-fund guy.”
He looks to Mason for validation, and I do the same.
“I mean, I’d peg him for one, but my knowledge comes from all the movies the girls used to make us watch and the khaki-wearing dudes in the frat house across the street, so…” Mason grins.
Sighing, I shake my head and go back to my assignment.
It’s Sunday, the one day a week we have tried to dedicate to our friend group since freshman year, even if it’s just for a quick meal. We were really good about it in the beginning but fell off a little as we all started getting busier. For the most part, we make it work, even if it’s just us guys or a trip to the pizza place for something easier, which is what we did today before coming back to Payton and Mason’s studio to hang out for a bit.
Brady and Mason are chillin’ on the couch, playing video games, and I’m working on tomorrow’s assignments. Of course, I’d already agreed to come over and had been here with just the boys and little D when the doors burst open and in came the girl gang.
Apparently, Ari and Cameron went over to Paige’s dorm to help her get ready, but Cameron’s curling iron isn’t working and instead of asking Payton to come get hers and bring it back, they all came here.
I’ve spent the last twenty minutes pretending I can’t hear the girls laughing and rereading the same damn question without comprehending a single thing.
“I still can’t believe you’re letting her go on a date.”
My head yanks around once more, and I pin Brady with a glare, swinging it on Mason when he tries, and fucking fails, to hide his laugh.
“Seriously?!” I hiss, eyes cutting toward the hall and back. “It’s not my business.”
“Fuck yeah it is.”
“No. It’s not. Besides, I don’t care.”
Mason laughs. Loudly. And I flip him off, holding his gaze before moving mine to Brady. Both just stare and wait.
I spin in my chair, crossing my arms. “Fine, whatever, but what could I have done, huh?”