Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
He stops momentarily, noticing me staring at him, and even from far away, I can see the same thoughts running through his head. I miss him so fucking much; I feel like I am dying. Will this pain ever go away?
chapter two
Hunter
I’m just phoning my classes in at this point. I’m supposed to be playing basketball, but instead I’m bullshitting with my best friend, Ryder Stone.
“I heard Jenna Helwani wants you to ask her out.” You have got to be fucking kidding me. Do I need to take an ad in the newspaper or put a post up on social media? There will never be another girl for me but Gwen. Ever. She’s the only girl I’ll ever kiss, ever fuck, ever love. What’s so fucking hard about that?
“Fuck, let’s not do this,” I tell him, annoyed.
“Why not? You need to move on. You can’t pine away for Gwen forever.”
“I know you’re not telling me that, Ryder.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, aggressively tossing the basketball at me. I catch it and toss it back to him just as aggressively. The man is delusional.
“Bullshit. What about Heather.” The man has been in love with my younger sister for as long as I can remember, yet he won’t say anything to her. He also won’t date anyone else. “You won’t even tell her how you feel.”
“I can’t, man. She’s way too young.” I roll my eyes. She’s seventeen. We are eighteen.
“She’ll be eighteen next year. You could date her.”
“That feels so wrong.”
I hear a whistle. “You two could at least pretend to do what I asked,” Coach Warton shouts, and we get back to basketball.
After school, I do on-the-job training with my dad at his construction company, and I love it. I’ve been making and banking good money since the summer after seventh grade. While I can and do help out in the office, I love working with my hands, too. There is nothing more satisfying than starting with an empty lot and building a home from nothing. I also enjoy restoring homes to their former glory. I love it all. I’ve learned a lot from my dad and want to continue to work with him after graduation. He made me promise I’d go to college, but if I’m being honest, I’d rather work. I’m hanging drywall today. The work is hard and exactly what I need. I’m sweaty and covered in dust by the time I'm done. My muscles ache, but I know my day isn’t done. Not until I see her. Not until I know she’s safe. As I get into my truck, my phone rings, and it’s Gwen’s mom.
“Hello, Gladis.” She’s always insisted that I call her Gladis. I resisted at first, but Gladis is a force of nature, just like Gwen. There’s no resisting her.
“Hi, Hunter. I was hoping we could talk. Do you have a moment?”
“Yes. I have time.”
“Excellent. I was wondering if you could tell me what happened between you and Gwen.”
“I was actually hoping you could tell me,” I answer, confused. I thought for sure she’d tell her mom what happened.
“No, she’s been very tight lipped about your breakup. She’s sullen and withdrawn.”
“I’ve noticed.” Of course, I’ve noticed. I notice everything about her.
“Well, we’ve got to figure this out, Hunter.”
“I agree, Gladis. I love your daughter. I can’t turn that off.”
“I know, Hunter. Everything will work out. I’m sure of it.”
“Thanks,” I tell her.
“Hang in there,” she says, ending the call.
I hang up the phone and drive over to Gwen’s house. I climb the tree outside her window. She’s sound asleep. All I want to do is climb inside and curl up with her like I used to, but I don’t. Most nights, I used to climb inside her room and quietly fuck her to sleep. My cock hardens just thinking about it. I know I’ll be jerking off as soon as I get home. Seeing her, making sure she’s okay, is enough for now.
chapter three
Gwendolyn
It has been only a few hours since I last saw my mom, and I am patting myself on the back for succeeding at dodging her. I have been at the tutoring center all day, which is where I am coming home from, and she has been away on business. Normally, she makes the clients come to her, but sometimes, she travels to them under special circumstances.
Parking my car, I check the mailbox only to see it is empty. My dad must be home. He is the only one who checks it consistently. I take a deep breath and walk in. Now, let me say my father is amazing. I am totally a daddy’s girl. He can read me like no one can, which is why I am so nervous. My father is Cuban and all man. He is tall like a Skaarsgard, which is pretty rare for a Cuban, but he is built like a man built for lucha libre. I have my suspicions that is what he used to do before he came here for college, but he will never confirm it.