Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
I don’t want to answer, but I force myself to.
“Is it true?” he says as soon as I swipe the green icon.
“Yes. I made the video. I had a crush. I was a kid, Paul.”
“What about since then?” he snaps. “You’re not a kid now, Sophie. How do you feel about him now?” He pauses and sighs. “I’m sorry, sis. I don’t mean to snap. These damn pills… No, let’s do this again. Let me do this again. Hang on.”
He hangs up the phone.
“What’s happening?” Kaleb asks.
I shake my head. “He hung up. He’s calling back. Hello, Paul?”
“How are you doing, sis?” he says, then laughs strangely. It does remind me of Dad, the way he used to draw out his words. “TV looked awful. I’m sorry for yelling.”
“It’s okay,” I say. “Paul, I—”
“Let’s talk tomorrow,” he cuts in. “Late tomorrow. Dinner. After dinner. You can come by, right? We can talk about it then. There’s some stuff I’d like to say, too. Okay? How does that sound?”
“What sort of stuff?” I ask.
“No, no. Tomorrow.” He sounds like he might burst into tears. “Okay? Tomorrow.”
He hangs up, leaving me to stare at the phone. “That was really weird. It was like he was going to cry or something. Has the crush messed him up that bad? He said there’s something he wants to say, too.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to call Riley. Let her know to keep an extra close eye on him.”
As I make the call, Kaleb drums his fingers against his leg, staring out the window. I can tell he’s wondering what Paul was talking about. I can’t blame him. So am I.
“I guess we’re done for today, then,” I murmur once I’m off the phone with Riley.
“Nothing now except to watch the stock market and see what effect that had.”
“I didn’t do it for that,” I say.
He takes my hand again and squeezes it. Warmth courses up my arm and through my body. It’s like he’s got a magic touch. A relaxing feeling takes hold of me, making everything seem less intimidating. He leans over and kisses me on the cheek. It almost makes it feel like we’re a couple.
“Should I call him back?”
“What did Riley say?” he asks.
“He doesn’t want to be disturbed, but he’s taking all his meals.”
“Whatever it is, we’ll see tomorrow.”
“Are you coming?”
He nods, eyes narrowed as if he thinks the question is insane. “I’m not going to make you go alone, and if you’re going to drop the us bomb…”
“What would I even tell him? Hey, bro, your BFF rocked my world on the beach near the golf club? Oh, and we almost had sex?”
“That’s why I said we shouldn’t tell him unless…” He looks out the window, all dreamy.
“Unless what? Please feel free to finish that sentence.”
He smirks, but he doesn’t look at me. I never thought I’d see the day when Kaleb Kennison shifted around awkwardly, looking anything but free. “It’s like you said. All we’ve done is get hot and steamy together. I’m not complaining. I could do that all day with you, but it’s not something to talk to a man’s family about.”
“Well, I don’t know what else to say.”
“That we’re dating,” Kaleb says. “If we have to tell him anything, we’ll tell him that.”
“I hate to break it to you, but we haven’t actually been on any dates.”
He finally looks at me. “It’s about time we changed that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kaleb
“I wish I could show you off,” I say, sitting on the balcony with the sun shining down on us, a table between us. “A real restaurant like you deserve. With you on my arm.”
She smiles, looking so hot in her dress, just a little cleavage on show, enough to get my mind stirring. Since the car ride, it’s like we’ve agreed not to mention her brother. Tomorrow can wait. The PR shitstorm can wait. Everything can, except for each other.
“I wish I could…” She suddenly goes quiet, picks up a French fry, and bites the end.
“Please feel free to finish that sentence,” I say, just like she did in the car.
She frowns, the sun making her cheeks glow. Somehow, even a frown from her is bright and beautiful. “You won’t like it. It’s about the crush. That’s why I stopped myself.”
“Maybe I have to get used to it. Tell me.”
“I wish I could tell my old self that I’m here. She wouldn’t believe it. She’d be so happy.”
“But you don’t have the crush anymore,” I say.
“It’s not a crush. It’s attraction. I don’t know why it creeps you out so much.”
“I’ve already told you,” I sigh. “It makes me feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“It’s not taking advantage if I want it,” she says passionately, all sass, all fire. “You either think I’m mature enough to make my own decisions, or you think I’m that same dorky girl from the video. It can’t be both.”