Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
It opened and Noah spoke to Craig for a moment. When Noah returned, Craig spoke over the speaker and he sounded snappy, “What don’t you little bitches understand about nonstop?” A moment’s pause then a sigh followed. “There’s a rest stop coming up in an hour. We’ll take a short break and when I say short, I fucking mean it. Craig, out.”
Connor’s jaw was tight and when Noah came to sit back down, he frowned down at the table and spoke quietly. “Thanks, man.”
“You know I got you,” was all Noah returned. And I couldn’t help but think it was a sweet exchange.
An hour later, the bus pulled into a rest area and stopped. A soft knock sounded outside my bunk and I pulled the curtain open to find Noah standing there, peering in. He smiled carefully. “You okay in there?”
I nodded.
“You sure?”
“Yes.” Another nod. “Why?”
He moved to sit at the foot of my bed. “We haven’t seen you, is all.”
Oh, that. My brow knitted when I revealed a quiet, “I don’t want to be in the way.”
It was Noah’s turn to frown. “What? You’re not in the way. Are you—?” He smiled guardedly. “Are you hiding in here? Is that what it is?”
I sure was. “No.” The word was said too loud, too quickly.
“I think you are.” He folded his arms across his chest and peered at me, begging me to disagree.
So I didn’t. I just needed him to understand. “The guys,” I stated quietly, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose. “I just want them to like me.”
He was clearly confused. “And you think the best way to achieve that is to avoid them?”
Yes, I did.
My nod was solemn.
Noah looked at me a long while before he said, “Tell you what. I’ll make you a deal. You come out of your hidey-hole for an hour every leg of the trip, and,” he looked ashamed of himself when he said, “I won’t tell anyone that St Jude’s called the label, needing to secure a guarantor for your Nanna, because you can barely afford her care.”
I felt the blood drain from my face and my heart started beating faster.
Oh, God.
I was finding it hard to breathe and Noah must have seen this because he put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. Micah sighed the papers. It’s all good.” His eyes softened. “I just wish you would’ve told me.”
My mouth bone dry, I attempted to lick my lips and avoided his gaze. “Please don’t tell anyone.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Emmy. What you’re trying to do is admirable.”
He didn’t understand. No one did. This was my battle and I wanted to fight it alone, just as my Nanna did when Mom died.
My voice was barely there when I repeated, “Please don’t tell anyone.”
Noah’s face gentled and he let out a soft sigh. “I would never. I’m just begging you to give us a chance. Get to know us. Come out and talk to us. We’re going to be with each other every day for three months. We want to get to know you too.” He took a moment. “I know the guys look a little rough around the edges but I swear to you, you’ll never meet a more genuine set of people.”
Oh no.
I was wavering at an alarming pace.
“C’mon.” Noah grinned. “What do you say?”
Noah was a sweet guy and I was grateful for his tact. The truth was, these men scared me. They were so far from the norm that I already knew we had nothing in common. It wasn’t their fault, nor was it mine. It was just the way things were.
But I could try.
You can do it.
Yes. I would try.
“Okay.” A small smile graced my lips and finally I let out a quiet, “I’ll get to know them.”
Noah gently bumped my shoulder. “All right. Atta girl.” He held out his hand to me and I stared down at it a moment before I took it. Noah helped me out of my hidey-hole, put his hands on my shoulders and thrust me forward. “Take this opportunity, Emmy. Take it and hold onto it with both hands, you hear me? It could be life changing.”
It could be life changing.
A prophecy spoken, one neither of us would fully come to realize until both our worlds had been rocked so hard our heads would rattle.
Once off the bus, I stretched my arms up and over my head. I didn’t know where we were but I’ll admit it was nice to get out of the cramped space that was my cubby. Noah walked toward the convenience store and I followed him inside. Aisle by aisle, I took my time browsing and settled on a pack of Twizzlers, knowing I only had fifteen dollars in my wallet. That fifteen dollars had to last me until my next paycheck. I was sure I could make it stretch some, but by two weeks?