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)
That being said, I don’t want her messing with Crawford. And I don’t want her to hurt him to the point where he tosses me out of his life because he doesn’t want any reminders of her lurking around his house.
Even the thought of that makes my blood run cold.
“Carina? Are you okay?”
My eyelids snap open and just like the past couple hours, I force a smile to my lips. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a long day.” Then I pushed myself in the studio, trying to burn off some of my excess emotion. Dance is the only thing capable of getting me out of my head.
Well…maybe that’s not altogether true. Ford does it as well.
But not this time.
She points to the books and computer spread out on the tiny table in the dining area. “I have an exam tomorrow. I’m pretty sure inorganic chem will be the death of me.”
I push away from the thick wood and swing into the compact kitchen to grab a bottle of water. “Nah. You’ll ace this test just like all the others. You’re wicked smart,” I say in my best Boston accent
“That remains to be seen,” she mutters before rubbing her eyes.
“Girl, please. You’ll probably wreck the curve for everyone else. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
She snorts before switching topics. “Hey, how did dinner go?”
If there’s one thing I hate to do, it’s lie to Juliette. Over the years, she’s become one of my closest friends. Maybe we didn’t grow up together and only found each other in college, but that girl is my soul sister. The frick to my frack. My sister from another mister. Normally, we talk about anything and everything. Even the vibe I found while rummaging around in her underwear drawer.
Let me tell you—the fact she actually had one and it was so dang cute was a pleasant surprise. The memory of her embarrassment is almost enough to make me smile.
But I don’t necessarily want to discuss Pamela. The situation is embarrassing. Juliette’s parents are like an institution, and the four of them are the perfect family. It’s hard not to be jealous. Especially when I see how close she is to her mom and how much Natalie genuinely cares about her. Something in me longs for the same kind of relationship, even though I recognize that Pamela isn’t capable of it.
“It was fine.” I decide to give her a tiny bit of the truth, so I don’t feel so guilty. “Mom dropped by for a visit.”
Her eyebrows skyrocket. “Oh?”
She draws out the word so that it comes out sounding more like ohhhhhh.
“Yeah.” My voice turns flat. It’s impossible to pretend that I feel any kind of joy where that woman is concerned.
When I say nothing more on the subject, she asks, “How come?”
I jerk my shoulders, trying to loosen the growing tension that now sits between them. “She and Crawford might be getting back together.”
There’s a second or two of silence as she studies me more carefully. “Is that good news?”
Nope. It’s the worst possible news ever.
“I don’t know,” I say with forced lightness. “Guess we’ll just have to see.”
How long it lasts, that is.
“So…what does that mean for you and Ford?”
That question is enough to have my heart slamming painfully against my ribcage. “Nothing. We’re just hooking up. It’s not that big of a deal.” Pushing out that response leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, because nothing could be further from the truth.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
When I refuse to say anything more, she glances at her computer before rubbing her eyes. “I should probably get back to it. I’ve still got a couple hours to knock out before calling it a night.”
“Don’t stress. You’re gonna kill it.”
A smile curves her lips. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
I blow her a kiss before heading to my room to change. Just as I’m about to pull off my shirt, something on the bed catches my attention. I step closer, trying to get a better look.
It’s a paperback.
It’s probably the one I loaned to Juliette last week. She’s been devouring them lately. It might have taken a couple years, but I’ve finally managed to turn her to the dark and smutty side.
I pick up the book and inspect it with more care. My brows draw together as my fingers slide over the crisp cover. That’s strange. It’s not one I recognize. I flip it over to check out the blurb.
Wait a minute…I think it’s from one of my wish lists.
A new release.
Aww, Juliette is the sweetest. She really is a good friend.
My step is a little lighter as I return to the living room and hold up the paperback. For the first time in hours, a genuine smile curves my lips.
“Hey, thanks for the book. I was looking forward to getting my hot little hands on this one.”