Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 50801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50801 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
I never thought I’d have to go toe-to-toe with a teammate for hurting my best friend.
But when Monroe gets hurt, there’s nothing I won’t do for her.
Including letting her move in with me.
We’ve been friends since we were kids, so living together should be a breeze.
Only problem?
I’ve been in love with her for years and she doesn’t have a clue.
Monroe is my dream girl in every way—smart, compassionate, adventurous. She’s the complete package, but our friendship means way too much to me to risk crossing that line.
But when I ask her to come with me on a vacation to help her escape her problems, the lines we’ve held in place for years start to fade.
Monroe isn’t a serious relationship person, and all I can see is a happily ever after with her.
I’d never pressure her, so I’m happy to take whatever pieces of herself she’s willing to give.
Soon, we discover that our chemistry is as fire as our friendship. The more we get of each other, the more we need, and now there’s definitely no going back.
And if I can’t convince her I’m fine with her terms, then I’ll lose not only my best friend, but the absolute love of my life.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER 1
PAXTON
I'm just about to settle in for the night when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I shift on the couch, groaning at the idea of Nash, Lawson, or Baylor trying to convince me to come out tonight. They’ve already tried twice.
Not only am I exhausted, I'm just so damn tired of running into Monroe and Liam everywhere we go.
As long as she's happy, it's fine.
I just don't have to subject myself to the torture of it.
I pull out my phone, my heart stuttering in my chest when I see Monroe’s name and picture pop up.
I hesitate, wondering if my friends have roped her into asking me to come out too.
Normally I’d never hesitate to answer her call, but things have been different lately. Strained.
I'd like to blame it on the fact that I don't like Liam—he's a douchebag who somehow convinced her he's a nice guy—but it's more than that.
It's always been more than that.
I swipe to answer the call, knowing damn well I’ll never ignore her.
“Hello?” I answer, clearing my throat.
Loud music blares in the background, and I press my phone harder to my ear like it’ll help me hear better.
“Paxton,” Monroe says my name on a panicked breath.
That quickly, I'm up, shoving my feet into shoes and grabbing my keys.
“Where are you?” I ask, adrenaline flooding my veins as I head out of my house, barely remembering to lock the door on my way out before I’m in my car.
She's crying.
I'm going to fucking kill him if he hurt her.
“He drove me into the city for this festival thing and he left me here,” she says, her tone drenched in tears, her breathing shallow.
“Fuck.” I grip my steering wheel so tight my fingers ache, shifting my phone to speaker and drawing up her location.
We've shared locations since we've had the ability, and I’ve never been so grateful for that as I am right now. My phone’s GPS locks on to her, and I take the route faster than is probably safe.
“I'm on my way,” I say, doing my best to keep the anger I feel out of my tone.
It's all for him, and nothing for her.
Goddamn him, he has no idea what he's just done.
“Monroe,” I say firmly. “I need you to breathe for me, okay? I'm going to stay on the phone with you the whole time. You’re not alone, do you hear me?”
“I hear you,” she says. “I'm trying. But there are so many people here, Pax.” She lets out another panicked little cry. “I don't know anyone here. I'm so sorry I had to call you—”
“Never apologize,” I cut her off. “You need me and I'm there. Always.”
That’s never changed.
I've known Monroe since we were kids, since our families are close friends.
Which is why I know that being abandoned in public places is a huge trigger for her. It causes all variations of panic attacks.
Once, when we were ten and on a vacation in Greece, Monroe got separated from us in the market. It’d been packed. One second, she was there, the next she wasn’t. It took us over two hours to find her, and by the time we got to her, she’d been so traumatized by it that it stuck with her forever.
I’ve never let her out of my sight again when we’re out together.
And this asshole just left her.
“Breathe for me, Monroe,” I say again when I hear her breaths coming in shallow gasps. “Just close your eyes and breathe. Is there a place you can get away from the crowd? A front entrance, a reception desk, anything?”
I'm on the highway now, driving twenty over the speed limit in an attempt to get to her faster.
“There's too many people,” she says, and I can hear her teeth chattering, her body going into full panic mode at being left in a strange, crowded place alone.
I’m going to fucking kill this guy.
“That's okay,” I say, taking the exit that will lead me to her. “I'm two minutes out. You don't have to move. I will find you. I promise.”
“I'm so sorry,” she says again.
My chest cracks at the apology. At the way she always apologizes anytime we've ever been in this situation. Which is a few since that first time.
“You've done nothing wrong,” I say, finding my way onto the patch of land that's working as a parking lot for the festival happening several yards away.
“I did,” she says. “It's my fault. I broke up with him and he left me here. He left me with no way to get out. Get home.”
Rage cuts into me, but I do my best to push that to the side.
I have one focus now and that's getting to her.
“I'm here,” I say, holding the phone to my ear as I pay the person at the gate so I can go through.