Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37778 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“Please don’t do that,” she says, eyes darting back and forth. “I confided in you because you’re my friend, not because I think you did something wrong. You’re not going to shut me out now, are you? I won’t be able to survive that. I’ve already lost too much.”
As much as I want to argue with her, I don’t. She’s right. All we can do is right our wrongs. The poor girl had her world crushed when Charlie and Serena died, and if we put distance between us and her, it’ll do more harm than good. We just have to have boundaries.
And me and Cole need to talk.
On cue, he bounds down the stairs, his heavy footfalls echoing in the quiet room. When his gaze sweeps over the way Savvy clings to me, his face contorts into one of anger. I shut him down with a hard glare and mouth the word, “Don’t.”
It’s then he takes in the mood. There’s a heaviness in the room and how things play out from here forward depend on how we navigate this situation.
“Saved you a spot,” Savvy says, gesturing at the other end of the couch. “You can rub my feet. They’re sore after my shift.”
Cole’s jaw muscle ticks but he nods. He sits down where instructed and pats his lap. Savvy shifts around until she’s laid out on the couch with her head on the pillow in my lap and her feet on his.
“Ready?” she asks, reaching for the remote on the table. “If I fall asleep, stop the movie. I don’t want to miss anything. We can pick it back up tomorrow.”
The movie begins to play, but I’m far from being interested in it. Her confession plays like a horror reel in my mind. Was Owen really suffering from some medical issue or was it a ploy to see how far he could take it with Savvy? I hate that I’ll never know the answer.
I’m overwhelmed by the urge to comfort her. I stroke my fingers through her hair and hope to hell we don’t do wrong by this girl.
Something tells me it won’t be that easy.
Nothing with this girl ever is.
Savvy
I wake up, momentarily confused as to where I am. When I reorient myself, recognizing the shape of Travis’s room that now belongs to me, I relax. A creaking sound draws my attention to the desk. He has a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses sitting on the end of his nose as he chicken pecks on the keyboard, glancing back and forth between the screen and a stack of papers.
Since he doesn’t know I’m awake yet, I watch him freely. Travis is rugged and handsome, but he’s a big teddy bear too. Last night proved to me that he was someone I could talk to. I could tell he was angry about what I told him, but he didn’t lose his temper like Cole may have.
I don’t remember going to bed last night. I’d been ready to watch the new movie, content on the couch with the guys, but I crashed almost immediately. They were gentle in their caresses. I’d felt safe and relaxed for the first time since my parents died.
The clock on my bedside table says it’s just after six in the morning. I have time to secretly watch Travis before I have to get up for school. Knowing Cole, he’s already out on his morning run.
Travis stifles a groan and rubs at his temple. Guilt washes over me knowing I’m invading his space.
“Need help?” I ask, voice a raspy croak. I sit up in bed, letting the blanket fall to my waist. “Looks like whatever it is may be kicking your ass.”
He grunts in agreement, barely sparing me a glance. “Not my favorite thing to do, but someone has to do it.”
“Want some coffee?”
I’m graced with a smile. “Yeah, little S. That would be great.”
Eager to help him, I slide out of bed and make a beeline to the restroom. Once I’ve done my business, brushed my teeth, and made sure my hair doesn’t look awful, I hurry downstairs, pleased when I’m greeted with the lovely smell.
God bless Cole for being an early riser.
After making our coffees, I head back upstairs and set Travis’s down on a coaster on the desk. He’s stiff when I lean down to hug him, but eventually relaxes, and hugs me back. I can’t help the shiver I feel at his touch.
I sit back down on the bed and snatch my phone up with my free hand. I’ve missed a few texts.
Cole: Good morning, Savvy. When you get this, let me know your schedule for the day and if you have rides. If not, I’ll move things around, so you’re taken care of. Hope you get some good sleep so we can actually watch the movie tonight.