Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
“Sorry to cut in, but Alexis is wondering if we can get her home. I guess she has a paper in her folder she wanted to do before school tomorrow.”
The whole time he’s talking, his eyes are searching my face, and all I can do is stand here with my mouth hanging open. He heard me. He heard me say I love him. I want to bury my face in my hands. How dumb can I be? Of course he’s going to hightail it out of my life now. Geez, I slept with him last night, and already I’m confessing my love for him to my mother. I won’t blame him when he leaves.
My voice is loud and shrill. “Yes. Of course. Good idea. I need to get home and grade some papers anyway. We should go.” I grab my mom and hug her. “Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”
I practically run past Davis to find my dad and tell him bye. Alexis is already gathering her things, and as soon as we’ve all said our goodbyes, we’re in the car, driving the few minutes to my house.
Luckily, Alexis fills the conversation in the car. She talks about dance, school, homework, and even asks if there are any leftover donuts. As soon as we pull into the driveway, I’m climbing out of the truck and helping Alexis out. “Well, thank you for the ride, Davis. We’ll talk to you soon.”
I’m walking toward the house without a backward glance, ready to get to the safety of my house. It’s not until I’m struggling with my purse, leftovers, and Alexis’ bag that I realize Davis has followed us up on the porch.
When I find the keys, I pull them out of my purse and put them in the door to unlock it. “Did you forget something?”
“Nope,” he says.
I push the door open, and we all step inside.
“I’m going to my room,” Alexis announces. “And I know, I know, bath in an hour and then brush my teeth and in bed. Davis, will you tuck me in later?”
He calls after her, “I sure will, Lex.”
She disappears down the hall, and I look everywhere but at Davis. “So I should probably apologize.”
He puts his hand to my chin and brings my face up. “Apologize for what?”
I look down the hall. Most likely, Alexis will be in her room for the next hour, poring over a homework sheet. She won’t look up until her bath alarm goes off, but I’m not taking any chances. I grab Davis’ shirt and pull him through the house, and when we get to the back door, I step out into the dark night, and he follows me onto the porch. I take a step back from him. “I’m sorry for what you heard at my parents’ house.”
He widens his stance and puts his hands on his hips. “You mean you’re sorry that I heard you tell your mom that you’re in love with me?”
I clench my eyes and nod my head. “Yes.”
“Did you mean it?”
I peel my eyes open and tilt my head to look up at him. The moon is out bright tonight, and he’s watching me closely. My breath is just a whisper. “Did I mean it when I said that I love you?”
He swallows and nods his head, holding the rest of his body perfectly still. The damage is done. He’s already heard me say it, and there’s no reason for me to deny it now. “Yes, I meant it, but I shouldn’t have said it. I know you think I’m crazy. You have sex with me and the very next night, I’m telling my family that I’m in love with you.”
He crowds me, putting his hands to my waist. “You love me?”
I slap his chest lightly and shake my head. “Are you making fun of me, Davis?”
He leans down and looks me in the eye. “I’m not making fun of you. You can say it a hundred times, hell a thousand times, and that wouldn’t be enough.” He tilts my chin up. “I just want to hear you say it to me.”
In a quick breath, I tell him exactly how I feel. “I love you, Davis.”
He trembles and then presses his lips to mine. His firm lips take control over mine, and all I can do is let him have his way with me. When he pulls away, we’re both breathless, and his forehead is pressed to mine. He whispers to me, “I love you, Abby. Fuck, I love you so much.”
I rear back in shock. “You love me?”
His hands go to each side of my face, and he peers into my eyes. “Yeah, baby. I love you. You deserve a better man than me, and your brother is going to probably kill me when he finds out, but yeah, I love you.”