Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Twice in one day,” she says to me, laughing.
“I’m giving you a heads-up.” My voice comes out harsher than I want, and my mother’s laughter stops. “I just walked in to a showdown between Candace and Zara.”
“Oh my,” my mother says.
“Mom, if I have to choose, I’m going to pick Zara,” I tell her. “Candace came into our house and said things I’m not even going to repeat.”
“I’ll call her,” she tells me. “You know she is only looking out for you.”
“I know that,” I tell her, walking to the door that leads outside, “but I’m only looking out for Zara.”
“Go and make sure she is okay and then call me back so I can meet her,” she tells me. “Let me talk to Candace.”
I put my phone down on the table next to Zara’s stuff, and I have to smile, seeing her stuff mixed with mine. I open the door and walk outside toward her couch. She is on her phone, and when I get closer, Stitch sits up and looks at me, and I swear I can hear Lilo growl at me.
“Hey there,” I say. Walking to her, I lean down and kiss her lips. She kisses me back, which is almost a win. “Whatcha doing there?” I say, sitting next to her. Throwing my arm around her, I bring her close to me. I look at her phone and see the American Airlines app. “What is that?”
“I was just looking at flights,” she says with a softness I’ve never heard from her.
I turn in the couch now, and she still doesn’t look up. Reaching out, I lift her face to look in her eyes, and I see she is crying. “What is going on?” I bring her to me, hugging her. “Talk to me.” I move back so I can see her eyes, but she still won’t look up.
“It’s stupid,” she says softly and uses her sweater to wipe her nose.
“Nothing is stupid, sweet Zara.” I move her chin up again. “Please tell me why you’re crying.”
“The things she said, Evan,” she says, and she blinks wiping away a tear. “They were harsh, and I just stood there.” She shrugs her shoulders. “The old Zara would have throat punched her, grabbed her bag, and took off. After she smashed her car by backing into it five times.”
“Candace was out of line,” I tell her. “One hundred percent out of line and I told her it was unacceptable.”
“I don’t even know her,” she says. “I’ve never met her in my life. She said I was a publicity stunt.”
“I left practice thirty minutes early, and the first thing I did was call my mother,” I tell her, and she opens her eyes bigger. “They are flying in on Friday night for the game.”
“I’ll go stay at a hotel,” she says, sitting up
“Over my dead body. You sleep where I am,” I tell her. “I called her because I want her to meet you.” I grab her face in my hands. “I want her to see how amazing you are and how we are together. I just …” I try to find the words. “I want her to meet you ’cause I’m head over heels in love with you, and I want everyone to know it.”
“But …” she says.
“There is no but,” I tell her. “Do you love me?” I ask her, and she nods. “What would you do if that happened to me?”
“What do you mean?” she asks me, tilting her head.
“If you walked into the room and saw Matthew there, and he said stupid, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about stuff.”
“I would put Nair in his shampoo bottle, and then put itching powder in his skates,” she answers without hesitation.
“Jesus,” I say, laughing but knowing she probably would.
“Three years ago, he pissed me off for, I can’t even remember, but we put gorilla glue on his hockey stick.” I can’t stop laughing now. “We still have the stick with the gloves stuck to it.”
“I’m so sorry she hurt you,” I tell her, and she just shrugs. “I don’t ever want to be the source of your tears. I want to be the one who wipes them away.”
She smiles at me. “Oh, you’re good.” I lean down, kissing her cheeks where the tears streamed down. “I’m sorry I doubted you,” she whispers, looking up at me. “I’m sorry that I doubted us.”
“I’d really like to make it up to you?” I get off the couch and reach down for her, picking her up and tossing her over my shoulder. Her laughter fills the yard, making the dogs excited.
“This is not the way to start foreplay.” She laughs, and I swat her on the ass. “Okay, that’s a start,” she says. I walk into the house, and the dogs follow me. I close the gate leading to the bedroom, and Lilo gives a little whine. I walk into the bedroom and see her suitcase opened by the wall.