Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
She just gaped at him. Then, to his complete shock, she grinned.
“Why are you smiling?”
“You just . . . I mean, it’s nice of you to say that.”
Ahh, she didn’t think that he was serious. He was, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Not me being nice, Goldie. What they did to you . . . they deserve everything bad that comes their way. You said that your mother still lives in Albany, right?” Was that why she’d gone there? Why would she visit that bitch?
And did she have something to do with the bruise on Caren’s forehead?
Because if she had . . .
“Yes.”
Was she not going to tell him where she’d been?
“I’ve just been to visit her, actually.” She reached up a hand to her forehead, clearly without thought then patted at her hair frantically. “Where’s my hat?”
“It slid off, Goldie.”
He grabbed it, handing it to her. She attempted to put it back on, but he grasped hold of her hand, holding it still.
“You don’t need to put it back on, I’ve already seen the bruise and the lump.”
Caren bit her lip.
“You weren’t going to tell me that you’d hurt yourself, were you?”
“It’s really not your business, Travis.”
That might have hurt if he’d had thinner skin. Luckily, he didn’t.
“You’re still not getting it, Goldie. You are my business. Because I’m making you my business. And no, it’s not just because of Lacey. It’s not simply due to my guilt. I don’t know exactly what the rest of my reasons are, but this is just the way I feel. I think you need someone to take care of you . . . even though you’d deny that. But I want to be that person. And you’re going to let me.”
She rolled her eyes.
The brat.
“I’m going to let you, am I? Just like that?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
She winced and moved her arm.
Fuck. What else hurt? What had happened to her?
Travis bit down the urge to demand that she tell him. Instead, he leaned in. “You are. I care what happens to you, Caren. Does the reason why I care really matter?”
She swallowed heavily. “It’s going to make it hard when I have to move on and I no longer have that.”
Shit. He hadn’t thought about that. About her leaving . . .
“You just got here.”
“Me living here is only temporary. So, you see, it’s better for me to just go on the way I always have. On my own.”
“I don’t like that. And while you’re here, you can have a break and let me help. Would you let Lacey help? Let her in?”
“Lacey is my friend.”
He held out his arms. “What am I? Can’t I be your friend? Or is it because I’m a man?” He threw her words back at her.
She gave a huff. “You’re smarter than you look.”
“Thank you.”
“Not sure that was a compliment.”
“Well, I happen to know that I look very smart, so I’m going to take it as one.”
13
This guy.
She wanted to tell him where he could shove his offer of friendship.
But she wouldn’t.
One, that would be rude.
And two, she really didn’t want to. She wanted his friendship desperately. Which kind of scared her. Wanting anything desperately wasn’t a smart idea.
Not when she could never have what she truly desired.
“All right,” she whispered. “We can be friends. But friends don’t dictate what other friends can and can’t do.”
“You sure about that?” he asked.
“Very sure. Friends are supportive and caring.”
He scoffed. “Not that sort of friend, Goldie.”
“Maybe just try to word things as a question once in a while.”
“I suppose I could try,” he said reluctantly.
“I’d appreciate that,” she said dryly.
“But I feel like a friend would still make demands if their friend is being stupid and doing something that puts them at risk.” He raised an eyebrow.
“Hmm. I’ll remember that if you do something I think is dangerous.”
To her surprise, he just grinned. “You do that, Goldie.”
“Do you call me Goldie because I was like Goldilocks as a kid?” she blurted out.
“What?”
“You know, coming into Lacey’s house, eating her food, and just making myself at home when I shouldn’t.”
That’s what she’d always thought when he’d first started calling her that as a child. But she’d never said anything because it helped make her feel like she was included.
“Fuck, baby, no. Is that what you’ve always thought?”
“Um, well . . .” she trailed off.
“No, it’s not original but it was because of your hair. By the end of summer it had gotten so light and golden. And, maybe a bit of it was where you lived. I thought you were rich and had everything you could desire. Fancy house, fancy clothes. I never realized what was really going on.”
She saw the regret in his face.
“It’s all right, no one really knew. Well, Lacey knew some of it but only because she guessed. One day, I was sitting outside at lunch when she came up to me. I always sat alone.”