Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
His hands fall away as he takes a step past me, but Tarni shoots around us, forcing herself right in front of Noah, bringing him to a stop. She all but thrusts herself at him, and as he backs up to put space between them, he steps right into me again, his fingers discreetly clutching mine behind his back.
“Get the fuck off me,” Noah growls in disgust, using his other hand to shove her back.
Tarni gapes at him, her brows furrowed. “But I thought . . . you were looking at me.”
Noah scoffs, and I have to really concentrate on keeping my face neutral. “You thought I was looking at you?” he questions as though it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard, the rich laughter in his tone speaking right to my soul, while the other part—a really small part—hurts for Tarni. She really thought this was happening, but she’s truly a moron if she thought she stood a chance with him. Especially considering how much he’s always despised her. It’s not like he ever made it a secret. “Fuck off, Tarni. Go and whore yourself out to someone else. You and I are never gonna happen.”
He goes to step around her, having to release my hand, but she’s a real sucker for punishment and steps into him again. “Hold up a second,” she says. “We’ve known each other forever. I thought eventually we’d just come together.”
“No, I’ve known Zoey forever,” he says, making me wince as Tarni’s gaze briefly flickers to me. “And as for you, you were a leech who wouldn’t fuck off. I tolerated you because, for some fucking reason that never made sense to me, Zoey liked you, so don’t mistake that for anything else.”
Ah, shit.
Noah shoves her aside like trash under his foot and walks away, leaving Tarni gasping for air.
“Shit, girl,” Abby says, stepping into her, putting her hand on Tarni’s back and pushing her into the middle of our circle as if to hide her when she falls apart. “Are you okay? That was kinda rough.”
“Right,” Cora agrees. “I’d heard he had a bit of a mean streak, but I didn’t realize he was that cold and cruel.”
“I just . . . I don’t understand,” Tarni says, discreetly wiping her tears. “I thought he was interested. He’s been watching me all week.”
She looks at me as though I can offer her some insight, and I just shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know what to tell you,” I say. “I don’t know him anymore. He’s different from the kid I used to know. Perhaps he’s just going through something.”
Tarni snatches the almost full drink out of my hand and throws it back before muttering under her breath. “That’s a bullshit excuse and you know it.”
Forcing a smile across my face, I take the empty cup from her hand, trying to figure out how the hell to salvage our night before she reads too far into it and sees everything I’ve been trying to keep hidden. “I say we go get you really drunk,” I tell her. “And then we’ll see just how good your table dancing skills have gotten.”
A stupid grin spreads across her face, and she throws herself into my arms, squeezing me tight. “See? And that’s exactly why you’re my best friend.”
Without wasting a single second, the girls down shot after shot while I throw mine right over my shoulder. Tarni and the girls laugh like hyenas, and I can’t wipe the grin off my face. Within moments, I’m dragged back to the dance floor.
I try to keep up with them, but it’s not possible, and I quickly find myself out of breath. “Oh my god,” Tarni groans, clutching my hand and tugging me with her. “I need to pee.”
I follow behind her as she weaves her way through the bodies, and as we pass by the billiards room, something has me glancing in, and a shy smile cuts across my lips when I find Noah chilling with most of the guys on the football team. I feel that familiar tug on the invisible string between us, and he glances up, those mesmerizing eyes coming right to mine.
He smirks, and my cheeks flush, but Tarni keeps pulling my hand, and all too soon, he fades from view. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” Tarni chants. “I’m gonna wet my pants if I don’t find a toilet soon.”
“I thought you’d been here a million times before.”
“I have,” she whines, leading me down a long hallway. “But everything seems backwards and my head is kinda spinning.”
She laughs to herself, and when she finally finds the bathroom, I’ve never been so relieved. I wait outside as she pees, making sure she comes out alive, and the second she’s done, we trade places. I quickly pee and wash my hands before fixing my hair in the mirror and wiping the smudged eyeliner from below my eyes.