Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Roman looks around the weight room. “Raise your hand if you knew Dallas had a hard-on for Hemi.”
All the guys raise their hands.
I cross my arms. “You couldn’t all know that.”
“Dude.” Flip watches his reflection in the mirror wall as he does alternating hammer curls. “She gives you the most fucked-up promos in the history of the universe, and you never say no. There is no one else on the team who does half as much bizarre church charity stuff as you.”
“The church stuff is mostly for Granny. And her friends and their friends.” This is true, but also, Willy always accompanies me, so it’s a double win. I get to spend time with my granny and give back to the community—like every other member of my family does every single day with their jobs—and I get Willy’s undivided attention.
“Okay, but she always goes with you, no matter what,” Flip counters. “I’m sure part of that is so you don’t do or say something to cause her a headache, but that can’t be the only reason. If that were true, she’d live in my condo, in my spare bedroom.”
“What other reason would there be?” I wish I could be cooler about this, but I don’t want to be alone in my obsession.
“She attends all this nonsense so she can spend time with you,” Hollis says.
“The same way you started coming to the diner so you could spend time with my daughter,” Roman notes.
“I came solely for their breakfast hash until earlier this year,” Hollis replies.
“Uh-huh.”
“Anyway.” Hollis turns back to me. “Now we know why she attends even the obscure stuff.”
“Did Hammer say something to you about it?” My sleuthing continues. If I have confirmation from my teammates that I am not alone in this, that changes everything.
Hollis gives me a disbelieving look. “Like I would share anything my girlfriend says to me with all of you.”
“Rix has said something similar before,” Flip pipes up.
“Is that true?” I ask Tristan who shoots death lasers from his eyeballs at his best friend.
“Don’t see why Flip would lie about it,” he mutters noncommittally.
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I’ve kind of gotten my hopes up. At least I’m able to focus on the weights and leave it alone for now.
After our workout, Ash and I meet my parents for breakfast at The Pancake House. They have the best eggs benny and great coffee.
“I’m so excited to see Shilpa tomorrow.” Mom pours half a packet of sugar and a creamer into her coffee, stirs it, sips, and adds the rest of the sugar.
“She’s looking forward to seeing you, too.”
The adoration goes both ways between Shilpa and Ash and my parents.
Mom smiles and turns her attention to me. “I had Grandma Bippy’s ring cleaned for you while you were working out with the boys.”
I nearly spit-spray coffee in her face. As it is, I choke and sputter. I thought she was kidding about the ring. “Uh, it’s a little early for that, Mom.”
“Is it, though? You’ve known each other your whole lives. You’ve been working together for years,” she argues. “Ash, when did you know you wanted to marry your wife?”
Ash looks like he swallowed a veggie sausage whole. “After the first date.”
“And you two grew up together.” My mom waves her spoon around like a weapon.
“Yeah, but we weren’t really friends growing up, and we didn’t run in the same circles in high school.” I’m not about to tell her my friends tormented Willy in middle school and I stood passively by, which is just as bad as being the tormentor. She knows about the time I made student council posters for Willy, but she doesn’t know why I did it, or how I accidentally fucked Wills over in the most unforgivable way right before prom.
“But you’ve been in each other’s lives this entire time. And you can’t tell me that her working for the Terror isn’t fate bringing the two of you together.” She tilts her head. “Besides, I can see how happy you are, Dallas Mattias Bright. You are head over heels in love. You can just hold onto it until you’re ready to make her yours forever.” She motions to Ash. “Don’t you agree?”
“Being prepared is good,” Ash says hesitantly and knocks my knee under the table while he gives me a look that tells me he doesn’t agree. At all.
“I just don’t see the point in waiting when you have all this help and it’s clear you’re completely in love with her. You don’t want to let this one get away, Dallas. Isn’t that right, Mattias?”
“She’s a keeper,” Dad says from behind the rim of his coffee mug.
Being her boyfriend will protect her from Brooklyn and Sean and the rest of the gossipy jerks at the reunion. But if she were my fiancée...then no one could question our relationship.