Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
He winked, then ran a hand through his messy hair. “Got to get to work,” he said. ‘Thanks for letting me crash in your bed.”
I lay there silently, not sure how to respond to that as he strode to the door. Without another backward glance, he opened it and left. I stared at the closed door for several minutes, not sure what had just happened or if that was as weird as I thought it was.
I hadn’t expected him to stay in here all night, sure, but he did. Then he’d just, felt me up, thanked me, and left?
When I shivered this time, it wasn’t from excitement or pleasure. The smell of him on the sheets made my stomach clench. I had to take a shower. Get his scent off me. I wasn’t handling this right. I knew that. He hadn’t come in here, declaring love. We’d just messed around. I’d done that before. I just hadn’t felt that way about someone or been so completely blissful and in the moment. That was all new to me. But clearly, it hadn’t been new to him, or he hadn’t experienced the same emotions I had.
As much as I wanted to curl up in the bed and be sad, I knew it would only make things worse. I had to get up, take a shower, and get over it.
Forge hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d given me more pleasure than I’d known was possible. But it seemed that, much like his cousin, I wasn’t the girl who would change his world. I wouldn’t be his one.
The things he’d said in the heat of the moment last night, like being addicted to my taste, were just things he probably said to every girl. In the light of day, he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
Dragging myself from the bed, I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. While waiting on the water to get hot, I glanced over my shoulder at the girl in the mirror. There had been times when I stood in front of the one in my bedroom, trying to decide what I could do to get Calvin to see me in a different light. Picked apart all my faults. I had moved past that. I wouldn’t start it up again.
“You are beautiful, Elsie. Perfect just the way you are. Never change yourself for someone else.” My mom’s words replayed in my head.
Tears stung my eyes. I could still hear her voice so clearly, but would that always be true? Would that fade in time? Would there be a day when I couldn’t remember the sound of her voice? My phone, with all my pictures and videos of my parents, was gone. Destroyed. I didn’t know if I would get to go inside my home and pack up things of theirs, mine. All the memories, videos, files might all be lost to me.
Letting out a sob, I stepped into the shower.
The kitchen was empty, but talking and laughter filtered down the hallway from the great room. I’d taken my time this morning, written Calvin a letter, and waited until everyone coming to eat breakfast would be finished. I was so unsure of how to navigate things with Forge now. We’d not had sex, but I’d never done any sexual things with a friend before. We were friends—at least, I thought we were.
God, this was awful. Why was I so awkward?
Standing in the empty room, I looked around, not really hungry, but unsure of what else to do. If I stayed in my room, then it would be noticed and questioned since I had escaped last night so hastily. Chewing my bottom lip, I stared at the fancy espresso machine and decided I could drink some coffee.
“You’re a late sleeper,” Wayon said behind me.
I winced at the sound of his voice, then plastered a smile on my face before turning around. His blond hair was damp, as if he had just taken a shower. I hadn’t realized they were staying the night here. Great. That meant Lula Mae was still here.
“Not always,” I replied. And not today. I’d been up for hours.
He smirked. “If I can sleep in, I do. Doesn’t happen often,” he told me as he walked past me and toward the espresso machine. “So, you and Forge got a thing.”
I tensed up, already shaking my head. “No, uh … no. Not at all.”
Wayon flashed me an amused grin before taking down a mug. “You realize you flush bright red when you lie.”
Crap. I wasn’t lying. But I was embarrassed.
“I’m not lying. Really. We are just friends,” I explained. Hoping that was accurate.
“Yeah, I’m calling bullshit on that,” he said with a small shake of his head. He began working the machine with ease. He seemed to have no problem figuring it out. “But I won’t pry. If it’s a secret though, neither of you are doing a good job at covering it up.”