Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Just a little.” I winked. “But I’m happy you liked him.”
“Neil is really cute, and he seemed super nice, too.”
“Yeah. I’d have to see him again to know for sure how I feel. I don’t think you can really know someone after only one meeting.”
Although, I remembered explicitly knowing Brad was the one from the first night I met him. But that kind of instant connection wouldn’t likely repeat for me. Maybe that’s why I was so hesitant to declare Neil a catch. Was it comparison to Brad? Or worse, did my hesitation have to do with the weird-as-hell feelings I seemed to be having for Josh lately?
CHAPTER 13
* * *
JOSH
I DIDN’T WANT her to come home and see me awake, as if I was waiting for her. But I couldn’t sleep for shit.
My phone rang, and I thought it might be Carly, but it was my brother Neil. I owed him a phone call.
“Hey, dude,” I answered. “What’s up?”
“I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No. Not at all. And I’ve been meaning to call you since I got back, but things have been busy.”
“I know. Michael told me. Scottie’s a real handful, huh?”
“He sure is.”
“How are things going with Brad’s ex being there?”
“We’re getting along. It is what it is.”
“What’s her name again?”
“Carly.”
The phone went silent. For a moment I thought we’d been disconnected.
“Did you say Carly?” he finally asked.
“Yeah. Why?”
“What does she look like?”
“Why?”
“Just answer me,” he said.
“Blonde...medium height...really pretty.”
It was radio silence again on the other end of the line.
“I think I met her tonight,” he said.
My eyes widened. “You met Carly?”
“Yeah. At The Bar. I’m supposed to go out with her next weekend.” He exhaled. “Holy shit. I was on cloud nine and needed to talk to someone about her. That’s why I called you.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“How the hell did you not know who she was?” I didn’t mean for that to come out so harshly. I softened my tone. “Didn’t she tell you what she was doing in town? You didn’t put two and two together?”
“She told me she was helping a friend. I could tell she was holding back, but I thought maybe she was being cautious. And I couldn’t remember Brad’s fiancée’s name, so I didn’t make the connection.”
“You never mentioned my name as your brother?”
“No.” He heaved a sigh. “I told her I grew up in Woodsboro but never mentioned my family or anything.”
“Well, shit,” I muttered.
“Small fucking world, huh?”
“Yeah. For real.” I swallowed. “She agreed to go out with you?”
“You sound surprised.”
“It was just a question, Neil.”
“Yeah. Like I said, next weekend potentially. Is there a reason I shouldn’t go out with her?”
I wracked my brain for something I could say, but I had no legitimate reason. “No. I mean, she’s a great girl,” I answered.
“Didn’t you not like Brad’s fiancée? I’m a little confused.”
You’re not the only one. “Yeah, I thought I didn’t. But I really had no basis for it. I never got to know her until this trip.”
“Should I text her right now and tell her who I am?”
“She’ll be here soon. I’ll tell her.”
“Let me know how she reacts once you do.”
“Yeah, man. Okay.”
After we hung up, I sat on the edge of the couch and held my head in my hands. This was not a scenario I had anticipated—though it wasn’t far-fetched at all considering how small Woodsboro was. This damn situation with Carly and me was complicated enough, though, without her dating my brother. But I had no right to interfere. Carly deserved a good guy.
Hearing Neil say how much he liked her—so much that he had to call me—was bittersweet. I knew what I felt was jealousy, but there was no better human than my brother Neil. He was the opposite of me in every way. He never cheated on his girlfriends, was always respectful, and was the most dedicated to our father of all of us. He also seemed the least scarred by our mother’s abandonment. While it would be completely inappropriate for me to make a move on Carly, there was no reason Neil had to feel guilty. He hadn’t been Brad’s best friend. There was no conflict of interest. He wouldn’t go to hell for dating her, like I would have.
When the door opened, I stood up from the couch. So much for not being obvious about waiting for her to walk in.
Carly put her purse on an end table. “Hey. I’m surprised you’re still up.”
“Yeah, well, I’m up half the night on that shitass mattress anyway.” I raked my hand through my hair and tried to seem nonchalant. “How was The Bar?”
“It was really good, actually.” She plopped down on the couch and sighed. “I was surprised how good the food was. I wouldn’t have expected that in a dive-bar atmosphere.”
“Yeah, the food’s always been good there.”