Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“She did agree to hang around and talk to the social worker, though.”
“You think she’ll follow through?”
“I might kill her if she doesn’t,” I replied darkly. “Make sure your parents adopt my siblings, okay? I know they’re getting old, but remind them that more kids means more money for their future nursing home.”
“Morbid.” He laughed.
“Saoirse told me to hide Mom’s keys.” I sighed. “I hate that they have to deal with this shit.”
“Not a bad idea, but she’d probably just walk or have someone pick her ass up.”
“I don’t want to think about it anymore,” I said with a groan, dropping my forehead to his chest. “I’ve been going over it in my head all day.”
“It’ll work out, baby,” he whispered. “Come up here and kiss me.”
“Why don’t you come down—” My words cut off with a breathless grunt as he put his hands under my pits and jerked me up his body.
“Kiss me,” he ordered again.
“Fine,” I grumbled jokingly, dropping my head to kiss him.
Just like every other time our lips met, I suddenly felt like I could breathe again. Richie had shown up a year after we lost my dad, just when I’d gotten used to feeling like everything in my life was out of control and would stay that way. Suddenly, I’d found my anchor—the single port in my shitstorm of a life. The first time he’d kissed me, my mind had gone completely blank. It was a welcome reprieve.
Richie’s hands smoothed down my back and into the waistband of my shorts, gripping my ass.
“Her room’s right below mine,” I reminded him, arching my back and pressing my ass into his hands.
“Fuckin’ Mandy,” he growled.
“You’d like her even less if she came banging on my door because she heard us,” I mused, leaning up to look at him.
“Doubt I could like her less.”
I smiled and kissed his chin. “How was work?”
He shot me a look, telling me he knew exactly what I was doing. “It was fine. Made pizzas, saw that girl you like from school who always wears those platform boots.”
“That really narrows it down,” I joked.
“You know, the one with the pierced lip.”
“Right. Leia.”
“That’s her name!” He shook his head. “I knew she was named after a character, but I couldn’t remember which one. Anyway, she said to tell you hi.”
“She’s in my accounting class.”
“The college one?”
“Yup.”
“Nerds,” he replied.
I snorted, and then we were both laughing, shushing each other as the bed shook.
“I love how you try to pretend you aren’t just as smart as me.”
“Am not.”
“Whatever.”
“How many college classes have you taken, nerd boy?” I asked, poking him in the stomach.
“Zero,” he hissed, grappling for my hands.
“Liar!” I whisper-yelled back, tightening my knees as he tried to roll us over.
“I can’t remember!” he said in exasperation, still trying to wiggle away from my fingers.
“Yes, you do.”
“Five,” he said finally as he got a hold of both of my hands, wrapping his fists around them. “Good god, woman. How many hands do you have?”
I was out of breath as I settled back against him, both of us listening intently to make sure we hadn’t woken anyone up.
“I love you,” he breathed, kissing the top of my head.
“Love you, too,” I murmured, feeling better than I had all day.
There was something about Richie that made me feel like I was wholly myself when we were together. Every day I woke up and put on ten different hats. I was a big sister to Cian and Saoirse, mother to Ronan and Aisling, cashier at the store, perfect student no matter what was happening at home, cute carefree girlfriend in front of Richie’s family. It was exhausting.
With Richie, I could just be.
We lay there quietly for a while, neither of us sleeping. I knew why I was awake, but I was a little surprised when Richie’s breathing never slowed into the shuddery breaths that I knew meant he’d passed out.
“I got into the plumbing apprenticeship,” he said finally, tightening his arms when I moved to sit up. “Stay here.”
“You did?” I asked, twisting my head to look at him. “When did you find out? That’s awesome! Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You were already dealing with the social services shit,” he replied quietly.
“So?” I stared at him in the dark.
“Oh, hey E, I know you’re freaking the fuck out about this woman who showed up to your house, but I need to interrupt you for a minute because I got great news today,” he said sarcastically. “I’m not that much of a dick.”
“Don’t do that,” I said, shaking my head as my stomach sank. “Don’t. If we ignored your good news every time I was dealing with bullshit, we’d always be ignoring the good stuff that happens for you. I don’t want that. Are you crazy?”
“I’m telling you now,” he replied, giving me a squeeze.