Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
The words sour on my tongue the second I form them, because Scarlet and I both know she’s not my girl a hell of a lot more than she is. I mean, shit, it wasn’t even an hour ago that I was thinking we should take a break again.
“You mean it?” she asks, blinking up at me through thick, sooty lashes.
I really don’t…
The realization smacks me across the face with the force of a two-by-four, but I’m not trying to spend the night fighting, so instead I force my lips up into a grin and nod. “You know it. Now let’s go find Ellis and order some drinks.”
We both open our doors at the same time—I used to try to open Scarlet’s for her, but after about the second or third time, she let me know she could get her own damn door—and meet in front of my truck.
“Are you actually gonna dance with me?” Scarlet asks, stepping ahead of me to get to the door.
I ball my hands into fists at my sides and let her hold it open for me. It’s not that I’m against women doing things for themselves, it’s just one of the many things my mama ingrained in me before she passed away.
Swear to God, some days, I can still hear her voice as clear as day telling me hold that door or a gentleman walks on the outside of the sidewalk to place himself between his companion and harm.
But Scarlet’s as headstrong as an ox, and I know damn well I’m better off respecting her feelings than pushing my own on her.
The second we enter the dimly lit bar Scarlet’s hips begin to sway in perfect time with the music pulsing through the speakers. I follow behind her as she weaves her way through the crowd in search of Ellis.
I’m not sure who’s playing tonight, but whoever they are, they have a hell of a following, because there are people wall to fucking wall in here.
I scan the bar and by sheer luck I spot him and his date cozied up together in a booth on the far wall. With the way he’s leaning in close and whispering in her ear, I’m half-tempted to leave them to it.
But Scarlet spots them, too, and takes off in their direction before I can suggest giving them some space.
“Well, well, well,” Scarlet chides as she approaches their table. “Isn’t this… intimate.” She’s always been a bit weird whenever Ellis dates, and maybe that should bother me, but it doesn’t.
You’re not invested enough to care…
Revelations are hitting me left and right tonight, or maybe I’m finally admitting what I’ve always known. Either way, I’m going to need a drink or two to survive the night.
Ellis straightens in the booth, wrapping a protective arm around his date in the process.
“’Sup, man?” He lifts his chin in greeting as I slide into the opposite side of the booth.
“Not a whole lot,” I say, causing Scarlet to scoff. Girl holds a grudge like no one else I’ve ever known—except for my dad, maybe—but if I start thinking about him, I’m going to start thinking about Nora, and then the night will for sure end in a fight.
Ellis’s eyes flit between us, but with a subtle shake of my head, he lets it go. “I’d like y’all to meet Callie. Cal, this is my roommate, Atlas, and his girl Scarlet.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Heard a lot about you,” I tell her while Scarlet plays on her phone, ignoring all of us.
Callie’s cheeks turn a deep shade of pink. “It’s nice to meet y’all, too.”
I nudge Scarlet with my elbow, not even trying to keep up with her mood swings. If I didn’t know better, I’d think my girlfriend had a thing for my best friend. But she can barely stand him most days. Still, no reason for her to be rude, especially when she’s the one who dragged us out here for a double date.
For a second, I worry she’s not going to put her phone away, but after she finishes typing something out, she sighs and locks the screen before sliding the slim device back into her purse.
“Sorry about that,” she says, not sounding the least bit sorry. “So, tell me, Sarah, how did y’all meet?”
“Her name’s Callie,” Ellis and I correct her in tandem, but Scarlet just smiles and murmurs another feigned apology.
“Well, it’s actually a pretty funny story.” Callie smiles up at my best friend, and I’ve got to admit, the way she doesn’t even falter a little in the face of Scarlet’s cattiness impresses me. “I was driving down the older part of Driftwood Way—you know, where it’s only a single lane of traffic?—and he was coming from the other way, so I tried moving over to make room for his beast of a truck and I got stuck in the mud!”