Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“If I think a guy is cute and has potential, I ask him to pick truth or dare. If he goes immediately for dare, it’s because he wants me to reciprocate and pick dare, and then he’ll dare me to do something with him or to him—shows he’s more interested in fooling around than us getting to know each other.”
Her logic was untraditional, but I suppose she sort of had a point. And shit, was I glad I’d picked truth that first day. “Do most guys pick dare?”
“Almost all of them. Well, not Gavin from my art conservation class. He picked truth. But I realized he didn’t really count a few days later when I met his boyfriend.” She tilted her head and smirked at me. “You’re not gay, are you?”
Her ass was still in my hands with her legs wrapped around my waist. I responded by grinding my hips into her so she could feel my erection. “What do you think?”
Summer giggled. The sound was damn awesome.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked. “I thought we were meeting up after you went to your party?”
“I was just going to ask you the same thing. Did you already hit your party?”
My brows drew down. I thumbed toward the house. “This is the party I was going to. This is the party you were going to, also?”
She smiled. “Yep. That’s so funny. You said you were going to a frat party, and I said I was going to an off-campus party. It didn’t dawn on me that we were both talking about an off-campus frat party.”
My eyes fell to her lips. “I want to get out of here. Take you … I don’t know … anywhere but here. But my brother wants me to meet someone.”
“I have to meet someone, too. Maybe we can sneak out right after.”
“Definitely.”
As much as I hated to, I lowered Summer to the ground. The house was too mobbed with drunk people to maneuver while carrying her. I took her hand. “Come on. Let me introduce you to Jayce. Maybe his girl is here by now.”
“That’s funny. The guy I’m meeting is named Jayce, too.”
Sometimes you just know. Like the first time Mom fell down. I helped her up and asked if she was okay. But something inside of me was certain she hadn’t just tripped, even though that’s what she’d said.
I knew the answer before I asked Summer.
“Any chance your middle name is Pearl?”
She wrinkled her little nose. “How did you know that?”
Chapter 15
— Natalia —
I could barely concentrate on the game. Sex, not love. Those were the exact same words that Anna had said to me about having a relationship with Hunter. The two of them made it sound so simple. Maybe it was. Maybe I was making it out to be more difficult than it needed to be. After all, it’s what I’d have with Marcus if I slept with him. But could I keep things with Hunter only about sex? I was attracted to him, sure. Who wouldn’t be? Though it was more than just physical already. I actually liked him. He was funny, smart, outdoorsy. Not to mention he’d bonded with Izzy—a guy has to be something special to combat teenage revulsion. Could I go in with my eyes wide open and keep feelings from growing? My heart was barely stitched back together from my marriage. It couldn’t take another hit. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be ready for that risk again.
“You want something?” I heard Hunter say.
I turned to him with confusion written all over my face. “Hmm?”
“You didn’t hear one word I said, did you?”
“I heard you.”
“Yeah? What did I ask?”
“You asked if I wanted something.”
“Before that.”
“Oh.”
He smirked and leaned in. “Thinking about what I said earlier in the car, aren’t you?”
“I am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“How old are you? Because you sound like you’re seven.”
Hunter stood. “What do you want to eat? Because if you let me decide, I’m buying you a hot dog to watch you eat it.”
“I’m not hungry.” It wasn’t until my eyes followed Hunter down the bleachers that I even noticed the game had stopped. It was halftime, and I’d been dazed for most of the first part of the game.
Hunter returned with a brown box holding pretzels and two ridiculously large sodas. He handed one to me. “So, what did you decide?”
“I guess I’m having a pretzel since you bought it for me already.”
“I meant regarding my proposal you’ve been fantasizing about for the last half hour.”
“I wasn’t…” I thought better of protesting again, which would lead to another round of immature am not, are toos, and instead, I came clean. Rolling my eyes, I said, “I’ve been going over the pros and cons in my head.”
He set his pretzel down, dusted off his hands, and turned in his seat to give me his full attention. “Lay ’em on me.”