Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“Likely story!”
“Did you see his fucking cheekbones?” Charlie asked, throwing her hands in the air. “I deserve a fucking medal.”
“Didn’t notice his cheekbones,” Kara confessed, letting go of my hand. “But I did notice the eyes.”
“Blue as the fucking Caribbean,” Charlie said in disgust.
“Long lashes.”
“Why do guys get the good eyelashes?” Charlie spat in irritation.
They were in each other’s arms in less than a second, their words too low for me to hear.
“I knew it wouldn’t take long,” Lily said from behind my shoulder.
“Shoulda seen them last night,” I said as we watched Charlie and Kara hold each other.
“Friendship like that,” Lily said, “it’s like a marriage. You say the shittiest things and then you forgive.” She looked at me. “There’s no other choice.”
“Good to know.”
“I see you finally figured things out,” she said with a smile.
I nodded. I’d figured out more than she could imagine.
We stayed at Lily’s for a while, but eventually, I wanted Kara all to myself. We hadn’t had enough time that was just the two of us and I knew exactly where I wanted to go.
“Draco,” Kara said softly as I parked outside the playground where we’d snuck off so many times as kids.
“Feel like a swing?” I asked.
She answered me by throwing open her door and climbing out of the truck.
“It still looks the same,” she said, looking around as she stepped onto the bark chips. She pointed off to the left. “That spider web thing is new.”
“Swings are still here,” I said.
“My favorite,” she replied with a grin. She led me over to them and sat down.
“You never knew this,” I said as I gripped the chains and pulled her backward until her feet were dangling in the air. I let her go and she swung forward. “But I liked pushin’ you on these things because the seat frames your ass perfectly.”
“What?” she asked, looking at me over her shoulder as she swung back toward me.
“Like a fuckin’ juicy peach,” I confirmed, laughing at her scandalized expression. I caught her by the seat and pressed my thumbs against the cheeks of her ass. “Yum.”
I let her swing forward again.
“Pervert,” she gasped, laughing.
“Though, this time,” I said, walking around her so we were facing each other, “you’ve got a dress on.”
She pointed her toes until they barely brushed my chest, letting her skirt billow up with the wind, giving me a spectacular view.
“You’re killin’ me,” I said, grinning.
She dropped her legs and her eyes met mine.
The next time she swung toward me, I caught the chains and pushed her backward until her face was level with mine.
“You know how much I love you?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said, letting go of the swing to cup my cheek in her hand. “I’ve always known that.”
“You know you don’t have to be afraid anymore?” I asked.
“Yes,” she replied softly.
“Don’t keep shit from me anymore,” I ordered.
“I won’t.”
We stared at each other.
“You know how much I love you?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah,” I replied, the words hitting me harder than they should have. “I’ve always known that.”
“You know you don’t have to be afraid anymore?” she asked, even quieter.
I leaned my forehead against hers. I should’ve known she’d seen it. I knew she’d been watching me since I got out. The hypervigilance hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Yes,” I said, the words leaving me on a sigh.
“You won’t ever leave me again?” she asked.
“Not until they put me in the ground,” I said, meaning the words more than I’d ever meant anything in my life.
We’d get married later, after we graduated from college, and Kara had started her job as a guidance counselor at the local high school, and we’d bought a tiny house on the outskirts of town.
But the vows we said then weren’t half as binding as the ones we told each other in that park.
Epilogue
Draco
We were at the clubhouse for a barbecue to celebrate the fires being one hundred percent contained, but I also had an ulterior motive. During the weeks that had passed, I’d never been in the same place with so many other members of the club at once. During the week, the brothers were in and out constantly. If Grease and my gramps Casper were there, my dad and my grandpa Dragon weren’t. If Mack and gramps were there, Grease wasn’t. I’d been waiting impatiently and the barbecue had finally rounded them all up.
Kara was in another sundress. It was like her happiness had manifested in a new love of all things flowing and feminine. Of course, she also might’ve just loved the easy access they gave me as much as I did, because nothing else about her appearance had changed. She’d been serious about preferring not to wear makeup or jewelry and she still didn’t do any of that, but there was something noticeably different about her anyway. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She carried herself differently, smiled more easily, became animated in a way I hadn’t seen in years.