Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Come here.”
My arms gradually fall back to my sides. Allowing myself to get too close to him is a shit idea. Especially after what happened the other day. I don’t need our relationship to become any more complicated than it already is. My feelings for him have always been tangled and murky.
When he pats the comforter for a second time, I find myself gravitating toward him. It’s gingerly that I settle at the far end of the bed. A smile twitches on his lips as if he understands my need for distance.
He sits up and inches closer. “How’s Pamela doing?”
The question throws me off guard. I thought for sure he would bring up the kiss from the other day. That just shows you how much it’s been taking up space in the back of my brain. And how much I need to exorcise him from my head.
Thoughts of my mother are enough to douse any flames that have been smoldering.
I jerk my shoulders. “Fine, I guess.”
Ever since the divorce, Mom has flitted from one rich man to another in an effort to live her best life now that she no longer works for a living or takes care of me. It’s embarrassing that she’s so content to live off her alimony payments. She even asked Crawford for extra money when she wanted to jet off to Berlin with new friends.
Of course he gave it to her, no questions asked.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
With a frown, I swivel toward him.
If I’m being perfectly honest—this is exactly how I prefer my relationship with Mom to be.
One of absence.
So, it’s not like I’m marking time, waiting for her to pop up and act all motherly.
I search my brain, wondering when I saw her last.
“I don’t know…a couple months ago.”
I think.
Maybe.
His hand rises to scratch his shadowed jaw. “Huh.”
My gaze dips to the movement before I give myself a sharp mental slap and refocus my attention.
“What?” I search his eyes for clues as to what he’s thinking. “What does that mean?” Even talking about Pamela makes me twitchy.
“Guess I’m just surprised. Dad mentioned they got together for dinner a couple weeks ago.”
My nose scrunches at that bit of unexpected news. “They did?”
He watches me closely. “Yup.”
“She never mentioned it,” I mutter.
“You know Dad. He’s always happy to spend time with her.”
That hard truth makes the corners of my lips wilt. Poor Crawford. Even after the shit she pulled, he’s still under her spell. Sometimes, I want to smack him upside the head and hope it knocks some sense into him where Pamela is concerned.
I’m almost afraid to ask but I have to know…
“Did he mention anything else?”
“Nope.” He pops the P at the end of the word.
“Good.” Relief radiates through me as the fist clenching my heart loosens just a bit.
Ford smirks. “Not interested in being steps again, huh?”
“Hell, no.”
But it’s way more than that. Crawford was devastated when Mom took off. For months, I lived in fear that my freshly ditched stepfather would announce that I was no longer welcome in his home.
Thankfully, that never happened.
But it’s always been a concern.
One I can never quite banish.
Especially with the way she pops in and out of his life.
“Aww,” Ford says. “Now you’ve gone and hurt my tender feelings.”
I can’t help but snort. “Tender feelings my ass.”
He grins, one hand drifting to the middle of his chest, pulling my attention along with it. “What? It’s true. I’m incredibly sensitive.”
I roll my eyes.
If there’s one thing I can say about Ford, it’s that he’s always been able to make me laugh. No matter what was going on in my life. It’s one of the things that first attracted me to him. He has an easy-going personality that people automatically gravitate toward. Guys want to be friends with him, and girls want to belong to him.
For a night, a week, or longer.
I’ve watched that particular scenario play out hundreds of times before.
When he gave me his full attention, I felt special. Like he saw something in me that others couldn’t possibly see. We’d hang out, talk, play games…
It’s another reason why him icing me out had been so painful. I’d thought we were friends.
More than friends.
I’d thought it had been the beginning—
Those memories are all it takes for a thick protective coat of ice to harden my heart against the one person I’ve always secretly feared could crack it wide open.
There’s no way in hell I’ll allow Ford to hurt me for a second time.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice and I deserve everything I get.
Chapter Ten
Ford
Say what you want about Carina, but the girl has never had a poker face. And she doesn’t hide her emotions either. You always know where you stand with her. There’s no subterfuge or games. It’s one of the things I like most.