Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
When Kayla left to use the bathroom, I went over to Nicole. “Are you okay?”
She wouldn’t look me in the eye as she blushed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. You just look like something is wrong.”
She hesitated. “I think it was this…seafood I ate earlier.”
“Seafood? You’re sick to your stomach?”
Nicole continued to look away from me. “Yeah,” she muttered before getting up from the couch. “You’d better stay away so you don’t get sick, too.”
Something seemed off, but I had no reason to question her. A few minutes later, when Kayla was back on my lap, Nicole left the basement. After that, I found it hard to focus on anything else. I couldn’t ignore the prospect of Nicole being jealous.
Unable to help myself, I lifted Kayla off my lap and stood. “Excuse me for a minute, okay?”
“Where are you going?”
“Bathroom,” I lied.
Nicole was nowhere to be found upstairs, so I assumed she had left, which bummed me out. I was about to return downstairs when I spotted her car in the driveway. I rushed outside just as she was backing out. I held up my hands, prompting her to stop.
She rolled down the window.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Not really.”
“You’re feeling sicker?”
Despite the darkness, I could see her face turning red.
“You don’t know what’s going on here, Atticus?” Her eyes glistened as she looked up at me. “You really don’t know?”
“Why don’t you tell me…” I walked around to the passenger side and got in.
She backed out and drove a ways down the road before parking on one of the side streets. Nicole shut off the engine. “I can’t stand seeing you with her.”
My heart beat faster. I was right? She’s jealous? My chest filled with hope. I swallowed. “In what way? Like, you don’t like her… Or you don’t like her with me?”
“I don’t like anyone with you. I thought I’d be able to handle this when the day came. Especially since I’m going away. But I’ve never felt so much jealousy in my life.”
Before I could respond, Nicole got out of the car and hurled all over the street. I ran to hold her hair back.
After she finally stopped, she turned to me. “This is so mortifying.”
“That must have been some fish…” I teased.
She held her stomach. “You’re the fish, Atticus! It’s you. Seeing that girl all over you made me sick to my stomach.” She shook her head. “You must think I’m nuts.”
“Are you kidding? This is the happiest night of my life. I didn’t know you felt that way about me. I really didn’t. If I’d thought for a second that you had feelings for me, I wouldn’t have been with her at all, let alone brought her around.” I brushed my hand along her cheek, not giving a shit if I got vomit on me. “Nicole, I’ve been so into you all this time. But I was scared you didn’t feel the same way. I’ve dreamed about you telling me you had feelings for me. Can’t say I imagined it happening like this, though.” I laughed.
“You didn’t imagine the barf?”
“Not quite. But it’s all good.”
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“What do you think we do? I’ll drive us back to the house, take Kayla home, and tell her we can’t see each other anymore. You wait for me to come back.”
“Wait for you where?”
“Wherever you want. I’ll go wherever you are. Just tell me where to meet you. But make sure no one else is around, because I want to kiss you like you’ve never been kissed before.” I winked. “Just brush your teeth first.”
Still looking embarrassed, she laughed nervously. “I’ve never been kissed before, Atticus.”
I arched a brow. “Say what?”
“I know that’s crazy. I’m eighteen, and I’ve never been kissed, but the opportunity just hasn’t presented itself. I’ve spent the past two years wishing I was with you.” She looked down at her feet and shook her head. “I haven’t been interested in anyone else.”
After she dropped me off at Cassius’s house, I ran down to the basement and told Kayla we needed to leave.
Feeling a bit giddy, I drove her to her house and let her down as easily as I possibly could. Still, she got pissed, slammed the car door, and ran inside. Maybe that was a shitty thing to do to someone, but the girl of my dreams liked me so much that she’d thrown up.
That was pretty damn awesome.
CHAPTER 20
NICOLE
Atticus’s large arm was wrapped around me when I woke up. This guest room bed certainly wasn’t big, but until now we’d managed to avoid being this close. I should’ve moved away, but I didn’t.
You’ll wake him if you move, I told myself. But I knew better. The truth was this felt too good. Being in the warmth of his arms was the best place in the world. It was the only time I’d ever felt safe. He was sleeping and oblivious to it, so I didn’t have to justify my actions.