Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 133655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“I’d wait all day too,” Drew comments. “Of course I’d wait all day. I’d—”
“Uh, guys…” I interrupt. “Why don’t we all go to the pool? I’m sure the landlord can let the repairman in when he comes.”
Ace stares at Drew for a beat before turning back to me and softening his face into a smile. It’s different from the ones I’ve seen him use over the years—maybe even a little sad around the eyes—but beautiful all the same. “That’s okay, Jules. You go have fun. I’ll see this through and make sure it’s working when you get back, okay?”
“No, Ace,” I refute. “There’s no way I’m leaving you here while I go to the pool.”
“Lia, go have fun at the pool,” he repeats. “I got this. I promise.”
“Are you sure? I feel so bad I charged over there demanding your help, and now I’m just going to leave you here to deal with it?”
“No big deal, babe.” He shrugs and winks at me. “That’s what best friends are for, you know?”
Drew frowns a little before grabbing his shirt from the kitchen island and holding out a hand. “Should we go?”
“Yeah. I guess,” I agree. “If Ace is sure?”
He nods. It still feels a little wrong to leave him here, but if I confirm that’s what he wants any more times, we’ll be dancing dangerously close to making the world’s most annoying sound from Dumb and Dumber.
“Let me just grab my purse from my room.” I pause. “Ace, you’ll call or text if you need anything, right?”
“Of course,” he says easily. “And I’ll see you tonight. When you get home. I’ll be here.”
“You can call me if you need to too,” Drew adds helpfully.
“She won’t need to because I’m right here, but thanks for the offer,” Ace replies.
“Okay,” I declare, feeling like we could be stuck in this loop of them offering to help me for hours if I don’t do something about it. I rush to my room, grab my purse and tank top and shorts off the bed, and then rush back out to the front door, scooping Drew out of the kitchen as we go. I wave enthusiastically at Ace and point to the front door behind me as we scoot through it.
Ace gives me the thumbs-up, effectively communicating that he will make sure the door gets closed if he leaves or the air gets turned back on or whatever.
I hand Drew my purse as we approach the elevator, stepping into my shorts and pulling my tank top over my head as we walk. “Thanks,” I say, taking the bag back as he holds open the elevator door for me to step inside.
“You’re welcome.”
He stares at the doors as I apply lip gloss, and we start our descent to the ground floor. This building is great but old, so it moves like molasses, and when we’re halfway down, he starts to talk.
“Ace likes you, you know.”
I scoff and laugh at the same time, and he turns to face me, grabbing me gently by the bicep to get my attention. “Julia, I’m serious.”
I laugh again, shaking my head. “Oh, I know you are and I’m sorry for laughing, but you just don’t know Ace. This always happens, people thinking we’re something that we’re not. We’ve been friends since utero. He knows everything about me, and I know everything about him. Whatever that was back there was just him protecting me.” I shrug. “He’ll probably have two girls over while we’re gone today, I’m telling you. He’s charisma in a bottle, but it doesn’t mean anything. You’ll get used to him.”
“Okay,” he agrees easily because that’s what Drew does, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me. But that’s not new. No one ever believes me.
I pat his hand and reach up to touch my lips to his cheek just before the elevator doors open to the lobby, my goal to put him at ease. “I know you don’t believe me right now, but it’s so sweet of you to pretend. I’m telling you, though, if you hang around long enough, you’ll see.”
“Okay,” he says, holding me back when I go to step off the elevator and pulling my gaze to his so he can look me in the eye. “But just so there’s no confusion…Julia, I like you. And if things keep going the way they are, I want to be more than just a friend.”
My chest buoys and my stomach drops all at once, and I smile through the feeling like it isn’t one of the strangest in the world.
Drew Bettencourt likes me.
And yet, in my mind, all I see is a vision of the kiss Ace gave me at the lake house. The best-friend kiss that didn’t feel like friends at all.
What the hell is that all about?