Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 111685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
My heart dipped. It skipped a beat, and those flutters suddenly exploded all over in me.
I pulled back, giving him a glazed-over look. I was trying to smile, but I wasn’t sure if it was coming out the right way. “You were amazing.”
He looked at me, his eyes darkening. He bent down, saying to my ear, “Can’t wait till we get back to the house.” Then he was pulling away, but his hand dropped, grazing just slightly over my ass and I knew it’d been intentional. I stepped back, a private smile on my face, so I looked down.
Jared and Apollo were going crazy over Stone. It was the same as with Colby and Jake. Pictures were taken. They got his autograph on everything they had, their clothes, too.
Georgia sidled up next to me. “He’s delicious.” She was now holding Angie and was patting her back, her head lying over her shoulder. Georgia was taking in Stone. “Wow. You know, we’ve always heard about him back home. I’ve met his parents, but we don’t run in the same social circles, and I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Jared looked up to him, but I was worried. Thought he’d be arrogant, or I don’t know. I heard he wasn’t the nicest person when he went to school there. Now, seeing him, I’m happy I was wrong.” She nodded at me. “I’m happy I was wrong for you, too. I saw how he looked at you. Whatever you two are doing, he’s all in. You know that, right?”
I stepped back.
I didn’t mean to. The response was instinctual, but seeing that Georgia registered it, hurt flashed in her gaze.
Before I could say something, try to rectify that, a hand came around my waist again. I was being pulled back to Stone’s chest.
He kept me anchored to him, my face in his chest, as he continued talking to someone beside me.
I could feel his other arm signaling for someone or something. His hand came to the back of my head and he looked down at me. “Just a bit longer. I’ll have someone show you to a room to wait in.”
I sagged into him, knowing there were probably a hundred images being taken of this moment. Or just one. One was all that was needed. But I couldn’t pull away, not even for the life of me, and there’d been no getting around this moment because this was all for Jared.
Georgia touched my arm, leaning into me. “We’re going to go. This little one really needs to get to bed and we have to be up by four. It’s going to be a short night for us.”
I stepped away from Stone’s shelter to hug her goodbye. Even Apollo hugged me. Angie wound her arms tight around my neck and said, “Your boyfriend is cute.” Then she was back cuddling against her mom.
Jared was last.
His face was a mix of adrenaline, excitement, and now a somberness was edging its way in.
I shook my head and grabbed him for a firm hug. “Nope. Don’t look like that. It’s my turn to come see you. Okay?” I pulled back, my forehead to his again. “Got it? No sadness. Nothing. Text me later.”
He nodded, but he flicked a tear away, then he hugged me back. “Love you, sis.”
Oh.
Those words.
I clasped my eyes shut, knowing I would have a cascade of tears falling if I didn’t keep them shut. I groped for his hand, squeezing it as he moved back. “Love you back.”
With a last wave, Georgia herded her family through the crowd. Then the two of us were left, and Stone bent down. “You okay?”
“I will be.”
And I meant it.
Chapter Thirty-One
It took about another hour before the door opened and Stone walked in. “You ready?”
I’d been curled up on the couch. He’d had me taken to the same waiting room as before. There’d been a few other people waiting in here, as well, but one by one, they left. The last thirty minutes had just been me, and this couch had started calling my name.
“Yeah. Hi.” I gave him a sleepy grin, and however I looked, Stone laughed a little.
He let go of the door, coming inside and moved to where I was still sitting on the couch. He sank down next to me, laying an arm over the back of the couch, and just like that, I wanted to sink back down into him.
A yawn left me, one of those full-body ones, and I was closing my eyes.
“Colby invited us over. I’m assuming you want to head home instead?”
Home.
I didn’t have a home anymore.
Suddenly, I was wide awake. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
He frowned. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I was peachy, even tried to give him a thumbs up.
“I’m starving. I want to swing through some place for food.”
When we left, we walked side by side. Stone was leading me through a maze in the back until we came out into one of their back parking areas. Most of the people were gone, but some still remained. People took note of Stone. Even the people who worked there.