Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
But whatever hell he was about to rain down over me, Nora was worth it.
Being there for her. Holding her. Making sure she knew I’d always have her back. Totally worth it. The fact that she’d actually trusted me enough to let me into her life proved it had been the right thing—the only thing—I could have done.
Grandpa had a cigar between his fingers and a glass of lemonade at his side, his gray beard casting a shadow on his belly in the porch light. If he was smoking, it was a guarantee that Grandma was already asleep, and I couldn’t decide if it was a good sign or not.
Squaring my shoulders, I stopped at the first step, rested my hand on the wooden railing, and peered up at him. “Sorry, I’m—”
“How’s Nora?” he asked with a wicked grin.
Outstanding. Grandma had been running her mouth again. Now, not only was I in trouble for staying out late, but I was in trouble for staying out all night with a girl. Awesome.
Ignoring his question, I rambled on with a carefully crafted lie so mediocre that it had me wishing the lemonade was a beer instead. “I was at the creek and got tired from work. Then I fell asleep under the—”
“Save it, Camden. We’re all just relieved a girl actually wants to spend time with you. Give me a heads-up next time you plan on knocking boots all night. Your grandma was worried sick.”
I blinked up at him, stunned into silence.
On one hand, I was thoroughly insulted by the way they were all relieved. I mean, what the hell was that? I was thirteen, and they kept me busy with chores and stupid sports I hated with a passion. When exactly did they think I had time to find a girlfriend? Or even run a girl off trying to become her boyfriend?
But on the other hand… “Does this mean I’m not in trouble?”
“Now I didn’t say all that. Your grandma doesn’t like to worry. But you aren’t in trouble with me.”
Grandma I could handle. In addition to the dog poop, she’d make me dry dishes after dinner and play crossword puzzles with her on Sunday, but at least it wasn’t manual labor.
I grinned, and he smiled right back.
“Now, when you gonna bring this Nora girl around? You’ve been hiding her like she’s fat and ugly or something.”
He continued to smile, but mine fell and not because Nora was fat or ugly. Rather, it was because this was the first time in my entire life that I realized my grandpa wasn’t just stern, trying to raise his grandsons to become men. He was a total dick in general.
“Um, yeah,” I muttered. “She might come by tomorrow. She’s not really my girlfriend though.”
“Maybe not yet, but if you're anything like your grandpa here, she’ll be begging for more first thing in the morning.” He clucked and shot me a wink, and then he took a huge toke off his precious stogie.
Yeah. Huge fucking dick.
Keeping the thought to myself, I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded.
He snickered and then jerked his chin at the house. “Go on, boy. Get up to bed so you can be up bright and early to help your grandma with breakfast.”
I stared at him for a beat, but when I was absolutely positive this hadn’t been some kind of trick before banging the gavel and grounding me for life, I raced past him, through the house, and straight to my bedroom.
Grandma was indeed pissed when I woke up. I spent the morning whisking eggs—my only talent in the kitchen—and then washing dishes as she prepared a massive family breakfast that seemed overboard for just the three of us. But it made more sense when my aunt pulled into the driveway with my two asshole cousins in tow. I managed to avoid them for a solid hour by pretending to do my chores. Though the majority of the time I just hid behind the shed, thinking and worrying about Nora.
I had no idea what I was going to do to help her yet. Until I figured it out, all I wanted was to be there for her.
Yeah, okay, fine. That was a little selfish too.
Being with Nora was my favorite thing to do. It didn’t matter if we were laughing and talking or just sitting in silence. Wherever she was, that was exactly where I wanted to be.
When the clock hit nine, I grabbed the weed-eater and moved to the front yard, hoping like hell she’d take me up on my offer to hang out at my grandparents’ before we went to the creek together. I nearly cut my ankle off twice, squinting down the hill and hoping to catch a glimpse of her in the distance.
A huge smile split my face when she appeared, her long, brown hair catching in the breeze as she marched up the sidewalk, my note held out in front of her as she scanned the houses for the right address.