Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I’m about to insist that I have to wait until at least seven a.m. tomorrow—Darcy isn’t a night owl and it’s already after midnight—when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I pull it out, my stomach sinking as I see the name on the screen.
“Who is it?” Binx asks.
“Darcy,” I murmur, backing toward the door to the kitchen.
“Answer it!” Binx hisses. “Answer it and lie your face off. It’s for the greater good!”
I lift a hand, signaling for her to quiet down as I move quickly through the door into the kitchen. I tap the screen to answer, already knowing I’m not going to like whatever Darcy has to say. “Hey,” I murmur, willing my heart out of my throat. This is the first time we’ve spoken since she came over to pick up her things from her drawer in the bedroom after the breakup. “What’s up?”
“Daria’s here,” Darcy says, her voice tight, though I can’t tell if she’s upset with me or her sister. Daria and Darcy are as close as most twins, but that doesn’t mean Darcy doesn’t get sick of her sister’s antics. There’s a reason she never goes out with Daria on weekends. Darcy’s as chill and conflict-avoidant and Daria is hot-headed and wild. “She told me you’re dating Tessa Martin.”
“That’s not true,” I say, my jaw clenching as I hear Daria yelling in the background.
“Daria stop, I can’t hear him,” Darcy snaps, proving she’s about as excited about this late-night drama as I am. “Yes, I’m serious. Be quiet or I’m hanging up.” Once her sister has settled, Darcy asks, “So you aren’t with Tessa? And she didn’t say I was a prude with a stick up my ass?”
“I’m not seeing anyone right now.” I chew the inside of my lip, my conscience prickling too intensely for me to leave it at that. “Tessa and I went camping together once, last October. That was it.”
“Camping, your favorite,” Darcy repeats wryly. “Well, good for you. I’m glad you’re moving on.” There’s a squawking sound from Daria in the background, but Darcy shushes her. “Truly, I am, Wes. And don’t worry about Daria. I’ve let her know that there’s no battle to fight here.”
“Thank you,” I say, hating that I hurt Darcy, but grateful tonight didn’t make things any worse. “I wish you nothing but the best, Darcy. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” she says, the sadness in her voice twisting the knife a little deeper. “Take care, Wes. And apologize to Binx and Tessa for me. Daria’s sorry she ruined their night.”
Daria squawks something else—presumably insisting that she doesn’t apologize because Daria never apologizes—but Darcy ends the call a beat later.
I take a moment, stretching my neck to one side and then the other, releasing the tension in my jaw before turning to see Binx standing in the doorway leading into the living room.
“Sorry, I was eavesdropping,” she says. “Sounds like we’re good?”
“We’re good,” I say. “Darcy’s called off the dogs and we ended the call amicably.”
Binx sags against the doorframe. “Awesome. What a relief. But seriously, someone should put a muzzle on Daria. She’s an agent of chaos. Thank God you didn’t let her move in with you and Darcy. Can you imagine?”
I shudder. “I can.”
“One of you would have been dead in a week. Probably you. No offense, but she’s way scarier than you are, even when you’re in tough guy mode.”
“No offense taken,” I assure her.
“Good, now give me the keys to your motorcycle.” She holds out her hand, wiggling her fingers. “That way I can drive myself home and you and Tessa can talk.”
“I’m sure Tessa doesn’t want to talk,” I say, pushing on in a hushed voice when Binx tries to cut in, “I tried to talk to her earlier tonight. She made it clear she isn’t interested.”
“Only because you didn’t try hard enough,” Binx whispers, glancing over her shoulder before moving deeper into the kitchen. “You need to grovel, brother. Get down on your knees and beg for a second chance. She’s worth it and you two would be perfect together. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. I was trying to set her up with Maynard, but—”
“Maynard.” My upper lip curls. “Cousin Maynard? With the hair all over his back?”
“Yes. He’s fun. And nice.”
“He looks like something a cat coughed up on a bad day,” I shoot back, more irritated by this idea than I should be. “I’ve literally never seen a man that covered in hair. It stretches from his neck all the way down to his waist. And who knows how much farther it goes. I’ve only seen him in a swimsuit.”
“So?” Binx shrugs. “Hair can be removed. Asshole is harder to fix. And since when did you get so superficial and judgy?”
“I’m not superficial and jugdy,” I say. “I just think Tessa deserves someone better.”