Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
He read my mind … only not really. I had too many voices in my head drowning out my own. Too many emotions. Love. Hate. The desire to please. The pressure to do the right thing.
The right thing … I had no clue what that looked like.
Josie was going to be a brilliant doctor. She’d probably cure cancer or some other awful disease. And I’d … what? Bag groceries? Stock shelves?
Or … defend my country, acquire life skills, serve my community.
I thought we could wait for each other. We could be together after reaching our full potential. Was that fair? What if I died? What if she passed up opportunities to find love while waiting for me … and then I died?
“Yeah,” I said with my heart in my throat.
“Hey, I never got a chance to ask you. What did Andy Miller do to earn your fist in his face a dozen times?”
“He started a rumor about Josie that wasn’t true.” I didn’t know if it was true. I hadn’t talked with Josie since the incident. She wasn’t happy with me. But I had to believe it was just a rumor. That was the only thing that kept me from killing Andy.
“Just between us, thank you. I’ve always felt better knowing you’ve been looking out for Josie’s best interest. I know she can be a handful, and maybe that’s why she’s never had a lot of friends. You’ve been like a big brother. I won’t ever forget it.” He glanced over my shoulder and nodded. “Speaking of my awesome daughter …”
I turned my head as Josie pulled into the driveway. She climbed out of her red Civic and pulled off her sunglasses. It wasn’t anything new to see me hanging out with her dad, but the distrust on her face leaked her emotions without saying a word.
“What are you two doing?”
Her dad returned his attention to the Chevelle. “Solving the world’s problems.”
She scoffed. “I highly doubt that. I’m going for a run.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Josie’s right eyebrow slid up her forehead. “You don’t run. You lift weights and try to intimidate innocent people.” She eyed her dad as if to make sure he wasn’t focusing on us.
My lips twisted. “I do run. Let me change my shoes.”
She blew her hair out of her face and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m leaving without you.”
By the time she finished her warning, I was already to the street. “I learned how to tie my shoes a long time ago,” I hollered. “I’ll be back in less than two minutes because I need to grab socks.”
Minutes later, I beat her to the end of the driveway, but not by much. She wanted to leave me behind. The second she saw me, she started a fast-paced jog. I sped to catch up.
“How’s Andy’s face?” I asked.
“How was being expelled from school for two weeks and nearly not graduating?”
I grinned. “It was good. I spent most of my time with Vera, eating biscuits and jam and playing the piano. Slept in. Caught up on laundry …”
“You’re lucky Andy didn’t press charges.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t break his fucking nose.”
When we reached the end of the street, she stopped, hands parked on her hips, black hair falling out of her ponytail. “I don’t need you to defend my honor. If I decided to beat the shit out of every girl who talked about what you did or didn’t do with her, I’d be in juvie.”
“Should I be offended that you’ve never felt the need to defend my honor?”
“Pfft … you’re not defending my honor. You haven’t even asked me if it’s true.” Josie’s dark eyes narrowed, daring me to ask her.
It didn’t matter. Okay, it mattered, but I wasn’t going to confess that. Either way, Andy deserved everything he got and then some. I shrugged. “It’s a moot point.” I started jogging again.
“Why?” Her feet slapped the pavement behind me.
“Because it’s none of my business at this point. And when you leave for college, it won’t be any of his business either. He’ll be here, working for his dad. It will be hard to suck his dick remotely.”
“And where will you be?”
“Basic training.”
“What?”
I raced past her because I wasn’t ready to have that conversation with her. I wasn’t even sure if that’s what I was planning on doing. It came out, and I felt the need to commit.
Commit to a direction.
Commit to a purpose.
Commit to letting her go.
And it fucking hurt.
“Jesus, would you stop and look at me?” She grabbed the back of my shirt.
I sighed and turned. “What?”
“You can’t enlist.”
“Why not?”
Her lips parted while her head swiveled in denial. “B-because … it makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. I fucked up my scholarship opportunities. I have no clue what I want to do with my life. My dad’s an asshole, and my mom is pathetically gullible for taking him back. I have no reason to stay around here—”