Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Even I went up there sometimes. He had both cabins and tents for rent—and a few old silver bullets he’d fixed up. Plus, the area was stunning, packed with hiking trails and activities. I kept my kayak and climbing gear at his place.
If it didn’t take so long to get there, I might’ve shown Natalie around. If one of the easy trails didn’t do it for her, she could try bouldering, kayaking, orienteering, or—
“So, the date was a bust?” Lias asked.
“Yup.” I stuck my fork into my salad and regretted not ordering the pita. “She didn’t even deserve an Ethan Quinn signature kiss.”
“Urgh.” Lias grimaced. “You should speak less.”
I shot him a glare. “Kid, you’re the one who wanted to come here tonight. Ain’t my fault your TV doesn’t work.”
“Where am I supposed to go?” he demanded. “Ryan’s not in town, Ma worries too much, Willow’s busy, Elise and Avery are having a goddamn board game night, and Darius is too happy these days. He smiles like every fucking day now. It’s sick.”
The annoyance kind of drained out of me, and I chuckled and returned to my food instead. In other words, he’d come to the brother who was miserable and alone like he was.
“It is kinda sick,” I admitted. “But don’t give him shit. He’s happy for the first time in ages.”
Darius had been a happy punk when we’d been young, not much unlike me, but his work had dragged him down over the years. I was happy he’d gotten together with Gray Nolan.
Nolan.
They weren’t actually related, were they? I understood Gray and his brothers didn’t sound Southern—they’d been born and raised here in town—but Chloe? Maybe she had a hint of a Southern accent, though nothing that could compare to Natalie. Besides, the type of South was different too. Natalie reminded me of an old college buddy from Georgia.
“Let’s just watch the game,” Lias muttered. “I’ll apologize for bein’ a dick once I have food in my stomach.”
I snorted under my breath.
“But I’m not completely out there,” he added. “I’m not the first to say you have some serious douchebag tendencies.”
I scowled to myself and shoveled food into my mouth.
No, he wasn’t the first. My whole family liked to call me conceited and whatnot, but they didn’t have a single clue what I was up against. More followers meant more business, which paid my bills, and they didn’t wanna see an old saggy fart grunt through his workout. My health was fucking perfect, but I needed more than that. I needed to defy my own age. I needed to be less forty-one and more twenty-six.
The following night, I texted Natalie as I stepped out of the shower.
I was hitting the sack early tonight. It’d been a long day at work, and my shoulder was still giving me grief.
Evening, Natalie. Ready for our hike tomorrow?
I applied deodorant and aftershave and hung my towel to dry before I walked out of my bathroom and aimed for my bed.
Had I taken my magnesium? I was fairly sure I had.
My phone dinged as I sat down on the edge of the mattress.
Hi! Yes, I’m ready. Thanks again for the swimming advice, btw. I had an hour to myself in the pool today too, and I don’t feel as sore and tense.
I was glad to hear it. I’d clearly walked by the pool at the wrong time, because I hadn’t seen her yesterday or today.
I replied to her.
That’s great news. Did you struggle with any food choices today?
I yawned and snuck under the duvet, wondering if I could cultivate a working relationship with Natalie that still allowed me to ask some personal questions. I just wanted her input on some things. If I wanted to attract the right woman at some point, it was a woman’s opinion I needed, not my brothers’.
Considering Natalie was into women, she’d give it to me without bias too.
That was the silver lining.
Her response popped up seconds later.
My work is the problem. The day starts out great, but working from home and sitting down for much of the day makes me crave snacks. I did fairly well, but I had some popcorn after lunch.
Her work wasn’t the problem. It was boredom and restlessness, and instead of taking a walk outside, she took a walk to the cupboards.
I wrote my response to her.
You’re not the only one struggling with that. Next time you work and you find yourself restless and craving something, I want you to come down to the gym. 5-10 minutes on the treadmill will take care of your urge to do something. Many times, we mistake physical restlessness for hunger or food cravings. Instead, you have some excess energy to get rid of, or you’re plain bored. (If you don’t want to leave the apartment, you can also do laundry or clean. But it’s important to get up and move around when you have a sedentary job.)