Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Holy shit, how did Asher take the news that his best friend and sister got together?” Asher and the guys were very protective of her, more so than I’ve ever seen before. We weren’t in the same age group or friend group back when we were kids, and of course, we moved when I was fifteen.
“Asher didn’t give two fucks. After Briar’s dad, anyone would be a step up. Trent, though, he’s the real deal, took care of Kenny when she was stranded, helped her get out of trouble when shit went down at her job, and loves her and Briar more than anything on this earth,” he says with conviction.
“I have no doubt. You all might have been a bunch of teenagers at one point, but you’ve always loved deeply.” I lick my lips, and Jagger tracks the movement.
“You’re not tempting me yet. Still have blue balls from my mother calling earlier, asking where you were when she didn’t see your Tahoe at the house.” His muscles flex as he puts his hands behind his head and laces his fingers together.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll keep my hands to myself.” It’s a lie, and we’re both well aware of the fact. I probably should have told Eleanor my plans, except in the excitement to get to Jagger, I kind of forgot.
“Sure. Where was I?” He pauses for a moment. “There’s Johnny. He owns the night club Undercover Lovers. That also has a bottom floor that’s called Night Moves. It appeals to a certain lifestyle, exclusive, and no way am I taking you there. Anyways, Johnny married Winnie. Shit went down with her sister, and she left for a few years. The sister passed away but held her own kid over Winnie’s head to keep her from leaving until drugs ultimately took her. Winnie came home, Johnny found out, and now they have custody of Sebastian, her nephew. She’s also pregnant. That’s the short story of a much longer, much more detailed saga.”
“Damn, that had to be a lot for all three of them. I couldn’t even imagine watching a family member go down that road, plus to have a child involved.” My heart hurts for the three of them.
“They made it out on top and are tighter than ever, which is saying something because before shit went down, they were rock solid.” I’d imagine they had to be, kind of like Jagger and me, and while neither of us has said the same words that were repeatedly said in our teen years, it’s in every look, every touch, and every breath. “Tysen is a pilot, went commercial and hated every minute of it. Finally went private. Maci entered the picture, they had a one-night stand, lost touch for all of a minute, it seemed. She showed up on his plane at Vaughn Elite, Tysen figured out she was pregnant, both of them fell for one another, and now they’re well on their way to getting married.” Damn, these men have done very well for themselves, as I’m sure their ladies have, too.
“Is everyone a business owner or super successful?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind.
“Yeah, I guess so, now that you mention it. We all started Jagged Edge together. It transcended into their own thing, whether it’s because one had the capital or they needed the money to get their own venture started. We all put in the effort, and luckily, it paid off.” I’m not sure it’s got anything to do with luck; it’s clear these guys work, and they work hard. I may have left college when Mom got sick, but I still kept at it, transferring to a local college, and enrolled in classes that wouldn’t interfere with doctor’s appointments and spending time with her. It meant it took me longer, and I’d been well on my way to starting on my next leg of the journey when Dad’s diagnosis came through. I’d had dreams and aspirations; my next stop was to get my bachelor’s degree, then master’s, and from there, I’d do my clinical fellowship to finally become a speech therapist. Things changed, life happened, and while I could still go back to school now, the thought no longer appeals to me. I’ve been around enough doctors, patients, medical staff, and hospitals to last a life time.
“You okay?” Jagger asks when I remain silent.
“Yeah. Thinking about my own life and how things change so quickly.” I shrug my shoulders. “Please continue. I want to hear about everyone else. There’s Matthew, Jude, Crew, and Luke, right?”
“We’ll come back to that. Matthew is an estate lawyer but has no problem dabbling in other areas, family law to be exact. He’s stepped up for Kenny and Winnie without blinking an eye. He’s still single. There’s been chatter about his cleaning lady, but nothing’s confirmed yet. Which leads me to Jude. The man is like a dog with a bone. He let me know the minute the house was transferred into your name and when you came back. He hacks everyone’s shit, phone included. The only way to get away from him is to turn off every single device, put it in a different location, and he’ll be none the wiser.”