Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“You’re stuck with me forever, sister.” She grabs my hand, folding our fingers together.
We turn to face each other, sand imbedding itself in our hair, water from the wet sand soaking into my pants.
“Do you and Noah watch the sunset together?”
She nods. “We do. He has a spot he likes to go, somewhere his mom used to take him, but we haven’t been there since he left. Why?”
My lips curve but I just look up at the sky, a sadness slipping over me.
“Cam.” Ari smiles softly. “You ready for this?”
Inhaling until my lungs are stretched to the max, I nod. “As ready as can be.”
“Good. Because Noah just turned onto our street.”
Well then. Here we go.
We walk back to the house, chucking our socks on the deck and slipping inside with bare feet, sand in our hair, and wet spots on our pants. Ari runs straight through when she could have just gone around, throwing the door open and bursting outside.
I hold back, sliding my fingers through my hair, and tie it up in a quick, high pony, cringing at the wet, sandy strands clustered together. My leg begins to bounce, and I roll my eyes at myself, walking back the way I came and into the kitchen.
Lolli came over yesterday and waited for the grocery delivery to get here. She was nice enough to not only put away the cold foods but the whole-ass load, so I go straight for a chilled Capri-Sun, making a mental note to walk down to the store tomorrow to get another box so an adorable little boy doesn’t catch me drinking all of his. I stab the straw in, sucking the thing dry as I take inventory of what we’ve got in case I want to tiptoe down for something sweet in the middle of the night. It’s a momentary break from the bittersweet undercut whirling in my stomach as I wait for our guests to come inside.
There’s a hint of excitement streaming through my veins, but right behind is an icy chill of anxiousness—of unease, because I know how this is going to make a certain man feel. In part I want to avoid that all together, but again…that anticipation is still there.
Huffing, I close the fridge, yelping when I find a man standing there. Not just any man but a man with familiar green eyes.
I cough, slapping at my chest. “What—”
“You good?”
I jump out of my skin when a second person makes themselves known, whipping around and narrowing my eyes on a different man.
Brady’s brow jumps, and he speaks a slow, slightly fearful—as it should be—“What?”
I open my mouth, knowing what comes out is going to hurt someone’s feelings, probably my own, because what the actual fuck?
But before I can say a word, a figure appears over his shoulder, and my eyes slide that way.
They freeze there, and my heart gives a little nostalgic thump. Ever so slowly, I feel my smile stretch.
The third man to step into the room smiles back, arms opening wide in invitation.
“Trey.”
Brady
She did not just say what I think she did.
I want to turn around and see if my subconscious is conjuring some sort of fuckery, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the girl in front of me, not when she’s smiling like that—with her whole body. Her eyes are the brightest of blues, her cheeks stretched high and tinted a pretty pink. Her shoulders have gone lax.
She’s happy to see him.
Her bare feet carry her past me, my pulse pounding harder every step she takes. She moves into his open arms, and the moment his close around her, lifting her off her feet the way I like to, a fire lights in the pit of my stomach.
It burns, a physical heat that scalds all the way up and into my throat, demanding I say something because who the hell does he think he is, holding someone else’s girl like that?
She was his first, a voice in my head screams, but I strangle it the way I’m imagining strangling him.
And, man, that’s unfortunate, because I really like the guy. I got to know him my first year at AU, back when he was the talk of our defense.
It used to be his name the broadcasters said when they wanted to talk about the magic of the Sharks’ defense.
It’s mine now.
Just like she is.
Fuck.
My eyes finally leave the back of her head, shifting to look at Trey.
I forgot what a big fucker he is, and he only looks stronger than the last time I saw him.
Finally, he lets her go, and satisfaction serves as a bucket of water for the burning sensation in my gut when she takes a few small steps back.
Distance. Yes. That’s good.
He smiles at her, and I’m reminded Alister is here when he appears beside me.