Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
I nodded, so they could understand how true that was.
“And she’s right, she’s almost eighteen. She’ll be a high school senior in the fall. She might be going away for college—”
“The fuck she is. She can go to the university up the road.”
“Oh my God.” I frowned. “Are you expectin’ me to live at home too?”
When the expression on his face didn’t change in the least, I knew my answer.
“Daddy ... what are you gonna do when I get married? Huh? Are we gonna live here under your roof?”
“Baby girl, the day you brin’ a little shit home is the day I try out my new rifle.”
“Creed Jameson!” Momma reprimanded. “You are acting exactly like my daddy did when I was her age. And you remember what happened then, right?”
“Mia, don’t try me. I remember clear as day what happened at that time. Which is why she ain’t goin’.”
“This is absolutely ridiculous! I’ve been lookin’ forward to this trip all year. Why are you tryin’ to ruin my life?”
“’Cuz you look exactly like your momma, and I know what I was thinkin’ when I looked at her at your age.”
She beamed, blushin’.
“Momma ... come on, stay on my side. Don’t let him trick you with his flirtin’.”
“Harley, let me handle your father.”
“What exactly do you think you’re handlin’, Pippin? ’Cuz last time I checked I was the man in this house, not you.”
Luke grinned, and I resisted the urge to kick him in the nuts. As much as they bumped heads, he admired the hell out of the barbarian who was our father.
My mother didn’t pay him any mind, fully aware of the man she married. Instead, she coaxed, “Creed, a word. Outside. Now.” Turnin’ her back to us, she spun on her heels and made her way toward the door, knowin’ he’d follow like a little lost puppy.
Daddy pushed off the door, noddin’ to Luke to stand guard while he was gone. Makin’ me roll my eyes at both of them.
Men.
“You might as well go unpack, ’cuz your ass ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“Why is it that I’m always on your side and you’re never on mine?”
“’Cuz you’re a girl, and we gotta protect you from those motherfuckers out there.”
“Ugh! That was the most sexist response I’ve ever heard, Luke Jameson! I can take care of myself, better than any boy ever could.” Referrin’ to him.
“I don’t see any boys standin’ here, Harley.”
I rolled my eyes again.
“Is Jackson goin’?”
“What does he have to do with anythin’?”
“Everythin’.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes every bit of sense, which is why we ain’t lettin’ you go.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” he snidely remarked, lacin’ his thumbs through the loops of his jeans all cocky-like. “We’ve seen how close you two have become lately.”
“By close, you mean prankin’ each other? ’Cuz that’s always been our dynamic since the beginnin’ of time.”
We hated each other ... or did we?
After that night on the bed of Trigger’s truck, a lot changed between us, but a lot stayed the same too. We went back to prankin’ one another like always, just in a less cruel way. More considerate of each other, if that made any sense.
At least it did in my head.
On one hand, Jackson was still very much a bully. On the other, he could be the sweetest boy when no one was lookin’.
Includin’ me.
The sunflowers he left in my room every Sunday mornin’ never stopped. He’d still write me letters as well, leavin’ them in my locker for me to find. Sometimes he’d be an asshole and say how awful my outfit was that day. Other times, he’d tell me how good I smelled when he walked past me in the lunch room.
It varied daily. He kept me on my toes, guessin’ which side of Jackson I’d get on any given day.
Either way, I found myself lookin’ forward to whatever he had to express. In true Jackson Pierce form, he still pissed me off every chance he got.
Except, in different ways.
He was different.
I was different.
We had changed.
I never saw him with Willow after the night on the bed of Trigger’s truck. It was a drastic change, on top of not hearin’ any rumors about him with any other girls at school either. It was like overnight, he stopped lookin’ at anyone other than me.
We’d study together sometimes, go to the movies, get some lunch. I don’t know, our relationship just grew up.
We evolved.
I guess we became ... friends, kinda.
It was all very confusin’ and had my head constantly spinnin’ with a tornado of thoughts and emotions. He never tried to kiss me, never even tried to hold my hand. Yet still, we were closer than we ever were before. There was this new understandin’ between us.
Like we could have secrets, but not lies.
I desperately tried not to think about the fact he was leavin’ Oak Island in a few short weeks. As soon as he graduated, he was movin’ to Tennessee to start football camp with Trigger, along with a couple other players from our school. They would all be attendin’ the university come fall.