Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“That sounds great. No cameras,” I added, hating that I had to think about that everywhere I went. I couldn’t even take off my sunglasses or hat in remote, camera-free areas. Because everyone had a camera in their pockets. Everyone was filming in public now. It wasn’t worth the risk.
I knew Nave seemed sure that there would come a time when I wouldn’t have to worry about Ben anymore. To me, though, that future was hard to imagine or believe in.
We got our milkshakes (chocolate for me, peanut butter for him) and drove out to Nave’s favorite park. It featured play areas for kids, a walking path near a lake, a historical farm where you could walk around and look at all the animals, and long, winding paths through the woods.
“Want to do a short one?” Nave asked, milkshakes long gone, farm animals fawned over, and the loop already traversed. “Or are the woods not a good place?”
“It’s different now,” I admitted, adding silently: With you.
“Any point it starts to freak you out, I can piggyback you right outta there.”
He meant that, too.
And that was why he was someone a girl could trust.
“Are there any creatures in the woods here?”
“I practically lived in these woods as a kid. Don’t think I ever saw anything bigger than a rabbit. And a couple of horny squirrels once. Try not feeling embarrassed about seeing that when you’re with your parents.”
“You always smile when you talk about them.”
“They’re great parents.”
“You’re still close?”
“Definitely. I called a lot even when I was on the road.”
“What are they like?”
“My father is what you think about when you think of a great dad. Calm, tolerant, a great listener. My mom is devoted and kind and understanding of my need to blaze my own path. They’ve both been through a lot in their lives. Both struggled with addiction before I was born, so they definitely have that ‘been there, done that, so I’m not going to judge you for your mistakes’ vibe.”
“That must be so nice. My parents did too. You know, with the addiction thing. Though, I don’t know if they struggled with it. They seemed to really enjoy it. Sorry, that was… not kind.”
“But sometimes people don’t deserve kindness. Depending on how they treated you.”
“Well, it wasn’t well,” I admitted. “They were kind of what you think of when you think of, well, trash. They were forever losing jobs, starting fights, not paying bills. I think most of my summers when I was little didn’t involve air conditioning or lights. Or, you know, food.”
“Loll…”
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. We lived in my grandparents’ trailer. Which would have been fine. Except they didn’t take care of it. They actively trashed it sometimes. The walls had holes in them, letting in the hot and cold air. And the water. Which made the living room rug, where I slept, get musty and moldy. Once, I woke up and there was a rat a few inches from my head. When I screamed, it ran out through that hole.”
“That’s fucked up. No one should have to live like that. Let alone a kid.”
“I started working at fifteen. But when I had some money stashed away, I came home to find it gone. Took me ages to build it back up again. I’d been counting down the days until I could graduate and move out.”
“Understandably. Are they still alive?”
“Well, wow, actually… I have no idea. I wanted no contact with them after I finally got an apartment, and they showed up and stole a few of my new things to, I imagine, hock. Then, well, Ben.”
“I can look into that if you want.”
“No. I know that’s harsh, but no. I don’t think getting one toxic person out of my life and replacing them with another would be a great idea.”
“Yeah, I get that. And you do have a community now.”
“Kit and Ariah invited me to girls’ night with Gracie and Layna.”
“You should go. They always have a good time.”
“It’ll depend on what they do, I guess. I know they like going to karaoke and drag nights and stuff like that. But I don’t think I want to take that chance. But if they just go to someone’s house or something like that, I’d be game.”
“That’s good. I think you will like Layna and Gracie. Layna is a trip. Gracie is a sweetheart. And sometimes, once in a blue moon, they can drag Luna out of the house.”
“She doesn’t like going out?”
“She doesn’t love anything that involves putting down her books. She works in the library too.”
“I should ask her for the best books to read to the baby when it comes.”
“She would love to recommend something. You’re going to have the whole front dash lined in books within a month. And she will insist on you getting a library card.”