Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68391 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68391 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
“Babe, your ex is in town. You’ve had nothing but drama since I met you. I’m not taking any chances.”
“It hasn’t been all drama,” I lie; it’s been complete drama since we met.
“Anna,” he says with a sigh.
“Anyway. I’m fine, and I’ll see you when you get home.”
“See you when I get home, and tell Sam I said thank you for coming to check on you, even though I’m sure she was happy to have a reason to drive, since she just got her license.”
I laugh, remembering the sense of freedom I felt when I first got my license. “I’ll tell her.”
“Later, baby.”
“Bye.” I hang up and walk back down the hallway, and Bane takes his attention off Sam and comes to me. “I’m so sorry you had to come over,” I say, rubbing the top of his head as she gets up off the ground.
“It’s cool.” She smiles, then tips her head to the side. “So you and Calvin are dating?”
“Yeah.” I can’t help the smile that tips up my lips.
“Awesome, that means I’ll see you again, since he’s around all the time,” she says, and then her phone rings and she pulls it out of her pocket, groaning and tipping her head back to the ceiling before putting it to her ear. “Hey, Mom. Yes, she’s here. She was asleep and her phone was on silent. I know . . . I know . . . yes, Mom, I know . . .” She groans once more. “I’ll be home soon . . . Mom, I’m not an idiot. I know not to pick up hitchhikers. Bye, Mom.” She hangs up and looks at me, and the giggle I’ve been trying to control escapes, and she laughs along with me. “My mom is crazy.”
“She loves you.”
“I know, but seriously, she’s crazy. Like, where the heck am I even going to see a hitchhiker in town?”
“You can never be too safe.”
“I guess,” she mutters, then looks at Bane. “Do you think Calvin would notice if I took him home with me?”
“Probably.” I smile as Bane goes to her like he knows what she’s said.
“Sorry, big guy, you gotta stay here.” She rubs the top of his head, then looks at me. “It was cool meeting you, Anna. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“I hope so,” I say, meaning it.
She turns for the door, opens it, and calls over her shoulder, “Later, Anna.”
“Get home safe, Sam, and please don’t pick up any hitchhikers!”
Her laughter fills the house as she leaves, and Bane whines at the door while pawing it. “Sorry, buddy. You’re stuck with me for now,” I tell him, and then I go back to the kitchen. “Do you need to go outside?” I ask, and he starts jumping around like he’s a tiny puppy instead of a huge dog.
I open the back door and step outside with him, wrapping my arms around my waist as I watch him run around before stopping in the middle of the yard and lifting his leg. When he’s done, he comes back to me, and I start to head back up the steps to the house, but he takes off again. “Bane, come on. Time to go in,” I say, and he runs back with a ball in his mouth, then drops it at my feet. “Oh, you want to play.” I pick up the yellow tennis ball and toss it in the air one time, and he woofs. “Sit,” I order, and he does. “Stay.” He watches my hand, and then, as soon as I bring my arm back to throw it, he springs to his feet. I let it go and watch him take off and then catch it as it bounces across the yard. He brings it back to me and drops it again, so I pick it back up and lose myself in the simple act of playing fetch.
“You made chili?”
I jump and spin around to face Calvin, and Bane barks as he runs across the yard to greet him.
“I couldn’t get the jar of spaghetti sauce open,” I admit, and he smiles as he comes down the steps toward me. “Seriously, they must have glued it on. I even tried the banging-against-the-counter trick, but it didn’t work.”
“I should have opened it before I left.” His arms wrap around me, and I snuggle into his embrace.
“It’s okay. I just hope you like chili.”
“I hate it,” he says.
I look up at him and search his eyes. “You’re joking, right?”
“No.” He laughs. “My mom used to make it all the time when I was a kid. I hated it. I’m pretty sure the shit you found in the pantry was left over from the last time she took it upon herself to go shopping for me.”
I giggle and rest my forehead on his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”