Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
He kissed my head. “I know you think I’m overprotective, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you.”
“I know. And I love you for it.”
Chapter Eighteen
“It’s fine.” I shrugged as we walked around the house Aubrey’s parents bought to replace the one destroyed in the fire. “And it’s cheap rent.”
Aubrey’s jaw dropped. “Fine? Uh … it’s bigger than the last house and it has an infinity pool. What’s not to love?” She unpacked the new dishes. New everything.
And yes, there was a beautiful infinity pool.
My bedroom was twice the size, and I didn’t have to share a bathroom.
And it was so close to campus, I wouldn’t need to take a scooter or worry about parking my Jeep.
It just wasn’t on the same street as Wylder and Jericho. They were in walking distance if I wanted to walk five miles each way.
“It’s fine. Nice. Totally acceptable.” I loaded the new bowls she handed to me and arranged them in the dishwasher.
“Slade’s dick won’t reach quite so easily.” Missy snickered, lugging the last box into the kitchen.
“A guy? You don’t like the house because of a guy?” Aubrey’s scolding tone rose a notch.
“Dude …” I shook my head while frowning at Missy. Not because she was wrong—because she called me out on it. “I said it’s fine. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it. And for the record … his dick is pretty fucking amazing. It just might reach.”
We fell into a giggling fit. The girls drank wine. And I kept checking my phone for a message from Mr. Five-Mile-Long Dick. He’d been out of town on “business” again. Dad left earlier that morning, content with our new place and rather gleeful about the five-mile distance to the firehouse.
“You have to just ask him,” Kara grabbed my phone and started typing.
“No!” I reached for it, but she turned in circles twice before running out the back door and around the pool like a racetrack.
“Give. It. I’m not chasing you.” With my hands planted on my hips, I waited for her to do whatever destruction she felt she needed to do.
“What are you doing?” I huffed as she taunted me from the opposite side of the pool, eyes glued to my phone screen. “I don’t care if he’s home or not.”
“You do. And I want him to reply before I give it back, so you don’t send off a take-back message.”
“What did you type?”
“Wait …” She held up a finger. “He’s typing.”
“You’re a terrible person. You know that, right?”
“Oh my god! Total asshole!” She covered her mouth with her hand. Wide, blue eyes pinned me with a look of complete horror.
“WHAT. Did. You. Say?” I stomped my bare feet toward her.
“I … uh … said he needed to disclose his location so I … uh … you … could decide if he would be dicking you tonight or if someone else needed to fill in until he returned.”
Snatching the phone from her, I rolled my eyes. “Nice. Really nice.” My brow furrowed as I read his reply.
Do what you need to do.
“Wow. Okay. That’s …”
Kara cringed, lips pressed together. “Does that mean he’s doing what he needs to do? Are you two not exclusive?”
“I don’t know what we are.”
“Maybe you need to have that talk.”
“Talk,” I murmured, contemplating whether or not I should respond, let him know I didn’t send the original message. What if I had been the one to send it? “Yeah, Wylder isn’t exactly the best talker.”
“It was just a joke. Clearly. But that response …” Kara crossed her arms over her chest. “Not cool. Maybe you should find better company tonight. Show him you won’t be treated that way.”
Tucking my phone into my back pocket, I pivoted to return to the kitchen. “I’m not going to screw some other guy to make a point. Remember how well that worked for me last time? Besides … I do have better company.” I smiled over my shoulder, and she hugged me from behind.
“Girl time!”
After we finished unpacking, I forced myself to put on my best face while we grabbed dinner and stocked up on groceries. One sober and three moderately drunk college girls.
Let’s just say we bought way too much junk food. I knew green smoothie Aubrey would not be happy that I didn’t make everyone stick to our list. We put the groceries away with music blaring, wine flowing, and me missing Wylder and Jerry so bad it angered me.
Why? Why did I let him or the lack of him affect me so much?
“One glass …” Missy giggled, singing all the wrong lyrics to Blake Shelton as she held out a nearly empty bottle of wine while twirling in a circle next to the pool. Thankfully, it had a cover. I might have been able to save one drunk girl, but not three. The other two sipped more wine and stared at their phone screens from lounge chairs under strings of white and blue lights, blankets draped over their legs to keep the nip of the cool evening at bay.