Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 164459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 822(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 822(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
“Okay. Whatever you want,” I mumbled, lifting my guitar up again.
I felt her looking at me. “Make sure you’re at your singing rehearsal tomorrow morning.”
“I know. 10:30. I’ll be there.”
“Good.” Mom walked out of my room quickly and when she was gone, I pushed off the bed and shut the door.
I checked the time on my phone. It was only eight. I needed to talk to Kylie. I needed to tell her my good news, of course, but I also needed to rant.
Fortunately, Oscar was still talking to her, but she felt things weren’t the same between her and him. He was becoming distant, which meant he was seeing her less and less.
He’d blame it on working, fighting, going to the gym, and looking for Drake, but if he really wanted to be around her, he’d make a way.
It was becoming clear now.
God, why didn’t we just listen to everyone else?
The Davenports were bad news.
They only cared about themselves.
They broke hearts.
To them we were just another number and, like idiots, we added ourselves to the charts.
Chapter 22
Jenny
“I just don’t get it, Jen. I thought we were doing good, you know?” Kylie’s eyes were red and puffy. Her hair was a frizzy mess, her olive skin pale and chalky.
Oscar broke up with her that morning. She didn’t call because she was too heartbroken.
“I know,” I whispered as she rested her head on my shoulder.
“I mean, I did everything I could to make him happy. I was nice. I attended his fights. I cheered him on. I supported him.” Her voice was nasally and angry. “I had sex with him all the fucking time, so he can’t say I was a boring girl. I took showers with him and snuck him into my room. I…I love him, Jenny. I really do.”
Her words were getting to me. They reminded me too much of what Drake and I shared, minus me going to his fights all of the time. He wasn’t as lenient as Oscar.
I felt her look up. “You still haven’t heard from him?”
“No.” I looked away, avoiding her eyes.
She sat up instantly. “Oh, my God.” She sniffled and swiped her tears away. “Jen, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be making this all about me. You haven’t even talked to Drake.” She slid in closer, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.
And it was that gesture, and that gesture alone, that caused the tears to flow. I broke down in Kylie’s arms, and she shushed and cooed at me, as if it would make things better, but it didn’t.
Not one bit.
“He told me he loved me… all the time. And if he wasn’t telling me, he would ask me and I would tell him yes. Don’t you think,” I hiccupped, “that if he loved me so much, he would actually have the balls to tell me what is going on with him? Where he is?”
“Yes,” Kylie responded. “He should. He has no excuse.”
“I mean, I know he’s sad and hurt about his grandma. I’m sad for him, but his disappearance doesn’t make any sense.”
“Boys don’t make sense, honey,” she sighed.
That was true. They didn’t. Or maybe it was just the Davenports. They made things more complicated than they needed to be. I hugged Kylie back, clearing my face on the shoulder of her shirt. “I’m sorry about Oscar.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not yours, either,” I said, leaning back and grabbing her shoulders. “You’re a great girl, Kylie. Don’t think otherwise. He’ll realize what he’s let go of, and he’ll regret it.”
She smiled warmly. “Same goes for you, Jen. And I mean it. You’re the sweetest girl I know. You two were perfect together. Drake is a fool for letting you go.”
I nodded and released her, and she stood, blowing out a heavy breath. “I can’t wallow about this anymore. Let’s go downstairs and eat some ice cream. My mom has a ton of chick flicks in her room. I’ll tell her what’s going on and she’ll feel so bad for us she’ll watch the movies and eat the ice cream with us.”
I laughed as she tugged on my hands and pulled me to a stand. “That actually sounds like a lot of fun right now.”
“It will be. Let’s just forget about them for a few hours.” Kylie grinned and led the way out of her bedroom. We spent six hours watching movies, eating mint-chocolate and chocolate ice cream with fudge, and Kylie was right.
Mrs. Miller felt really bad for us, and even told us stories about guys she used to think she was so in love with that turned out to be complete trash.
“Don’t take anyone this age seriously, girls,” Mrs. Miller sighed. “Unless he shows you that he wants to be with you and would do anything to be with you, he isn’t worth it. Boys learn much later than girls. A real man knows what he has when he has it and he refuses to ever let it go, no matter what’s going on in his life or yours. It takes time with them. That’s all.”