Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Until a few months ago, Josh was never around. Now, I swear he’s here almost every other day with his friends. If he were anyone else, I might think it was sweet of him to come check on his elderly aunt, but there’s something about him that I just don’t like.
I finish locking up, then shove my keys in my pocket, and when I turn around, Josh and his friends are watching me. That’s when I notice two suitcases with them.
“Hey, Hanna,” Josh greets catching my eye. “Guess what.”
“What?” I force a smile, because even if I think Josh is a douche, I love his aunt, and I know she loves him and thinks he hung the moon.
“We’re moving in upstairs. Isn’t that bloody brilliant?”
It’s not… not even a little.
“With Mrs. Lewis?” Even thinking about them living with her makes me shudder. They might be considered men, but they act like teenagers. More than once, the police have been called on them for being too loud and multiple times I’ve had to pick up after them when they have been hanging out front, drinking beer and eating.
“No, into the apartment on the third floor. She wants us to live here while we do some repairs.”
“Oh.” Well, that’s not a bad thing. This building is probably well over a hundred and fifty years old, and even if the apartments have been updated in the last decade, everything in the main entryway hasn’t. The stairs to the upper floors have tilted with time, which always concerns me, since Mrs. Lewis uses them daily. There is only one light that works down here, and the paint is so old you’d probably get lead poisoning from standing near it for too long.
Don’t even get me started on the carpet on the floor under my feet. It’s so worn it’s a total trip hazard—something I know from experience. Plus, the glass doors that lead to the main door are heavy and will take you out if you’re not careful when coming or going. As I said, outside of the interior apartments, the building needs a lot of work.
“We should start work tomorrow, so if you hear some banging, that’s what it is.”
“Awesome, thanks for the heads-up.”
“You’re welcome.” He grins, and I start for the front door.
“See you around, Hanna.”
“Yeah, later guys,” I call over my shoulder as I let myself out, rolling my eyes when one of them makes a comment about my ass as the door closes behind me.
As I walk down the block toward the tube, I wish I had my phone with all my numbers so I could call Mrs. Lewis just to hear from her myself what’s going on. I doubt Josh is lying about doing repairs for her, since she’s mentioned before that she wanted someone to come do some work, but I don’t know that he or his friends have any experience. And I don’t want them taking advantage of her.
When I arrive at the underground station, all thoughts of Josh and Mrs. Lewis become background noise as I wait for Walker’s train. I want to believe I didn’t make a colossal mistake telling him yesterday that he could come here, but I’m totally questioning my decision. We only spent two days together while we were on vacation, and everyone knows the person you are when you’re only obligation is to soak up the sun is totally different than the person you are who has to clean and work and do all the normal people things that are not very exciting or sexy.
Okay, that’s only part of what has me feeling anxious. The other part is that I have to tell him that I’m going out with Star, her husband, and her husband’s brother tomorrow night. And even if I know it’s not a date, and Star has assured me it’s not a date, it sounds exactly like a date.
Fidgeting nervously, I watch the train pull up to the platform, and I’m not sure if I’m going to puke from excitement or trepidation as both emotions churn in my gut when the doors open, and dozens of people flood off in a hurry.
Then, I see him… standing a foot taller than everyone else. And maybe I imagine it, but I swear it feels like time slows and the entire world ceases to exist when his eyes find mine.
I’m frozen in place as he slowly walks toward me, wearing a pair of jeans with a gray tee, his leather bag’s strap over his shoulder, a hoodie tossed over the bag itself. When he’s a couple of feet away, he stops, and my feet tingle, urging me to run to him. But I stand still, not sure how to greet him. Throwing myself against him seems a little ridiculous, even if that’s exactly what I want to do.