Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Thankfully, she still talks to DoesMyBreathStink60.
“Are we making these for Aunt Baylor?” Charlotte asks, which makes Louis and Jennings chuckle since they know exactly who these are for.
“No,” Jennings answers before I can make up an excuse. The last thing I need is these people teasing me. “Our dear Dawson has found his Joey.”
I give him a dry look as Ashlyn whips her gaze to me, while Charlotte makes a face. “But Dawson doesn’t end up with Joey. Pacey does,” she informs us, like it wasn’t mandatory that we all watch that damn show.
Hours upon hours of my childhood I will never get back.
“Aunt Baylor should have named you Pacey. You’re more him than Dawson anyway,” Charlotte announces as Ashlyn nods.
“True, but she’ll die Team Dawson,” Louis says, and I roll my eyes.
“Why didn’t they name you Pacey?” Jennings asks my brother.
“Dad said no,” Louis and I say at the same time. “One Dawson’s Creek name was enough and gives me more reasons to envy my brother.” I hold up a finger. “Incredible hockey player, solid head on his shoulders, has a normal name, and no one calls him a fuckup.”
Louis shrugs. “We don’t call you a fuckup. We say you’re confused.”
Jennings bumps shoulders with him. “No one is confused about you, baby.”
“Which is why he is the favorite son,” I say with a sigh. “I’m the forgotten—”
“Jesus, shut up. You’re the favorite, and I had to be the best to get noticed!” Louis throws back at me, and we all laugh at that.
“Could be worse,” Charlotte tells me. “I have twin brothers who steal all the air out of the room, then a mysterious sister who everyone worries about. If I didn’t love Funko Pops, my dad would forget about me. Thankfully, I know how to match paint samples like no other, which gets the attention of my mom.”
“Never,” Ashlyn decides. “None of us is forgettable like my brother.”
“Hey,” I say, giving her a dark look. “Don’t talk about my boy Jamieson like that. No one could forget him.”
“Do you see him? He doesn’t have time for us,” Ashlyn tells us, and I can see the hurt in her eyes. Ever since they were younger, the plan was for them to run Rink & Riffs together, but when Jamieson’s songwriting took off, so did he. I think she realizes she’s allowing some emotion to show because she quickly sets me with a look, her dark brows almost touching. “But, wait. You’re interested in someone for more than their mouth?”
“Is it Ambrosia Mercer?” Charlotte asks, her face all sweet and sugary, but a bit of mischief in her eyes. “I knew you were into her. She’s a hottie.”
“So hot,” Jennings agrees. “Like a mix of Selena and Karol G.”
I make a face. I happen to think she’s hotter than both Latina queens. “Two totally different women.”
“Yes. But together, they make Ms. Ambrosia,” Jennings decides, drawing out the end of her name with a flair. He does a little salsa dance that has us all laughing. “I wonder if she’s ever had an ambrosia salad?”
“Wait. For real? These are for a girl you’re seeing?” Ashlyn asks, visibly surprised. She has that little dip between her eyes, and her nose is all scrunched up.
Louis snorts. “The only thing Dawson is seeing is her walking away. She wants nothing to do with him, but he won’t accept it.”
I give my brother a dark look. “Excuse you. We held hands the other day.”
As soon as it leaves my mouth, I know how childish I sound. Hell, I don’t need a mirror to see the hearts in my eyes.
“Wow, hand-holding. How scandalous,” Charlotte chortles.
“Are you sure it wasn’t cock-holding?” Ashlyn asks, and I roll my eyes. “What? When has he not thought with his dick?”
“Apparently now,” Jennings offers, and I cast them all dirty looks. “He is a one-woman guy now.”
“And she doesn’t want you?” Ashlyn asks with a snorty little chuckle. “She must be amazing. Smart.”
I side-eye her as I glue one piece of paper to another. The glue drips on the pad of my finger, so I unstick my fingers as I ask her, “What’s that mean?”
She gives me a come-on look. “I love you, Dawson, but you are a ho.”
“Yous a hoooooo,” Charlotte sings in her best Ludacris voice around her Reese’s.
“Ho!” Jennings and Louis sing.
Ashlyn snorts as I will myself not to do the same. They are such dorks. “She is hesitant because she’s been hurt. I just gotta get her to see I won’t do that.”
“But won’t you?” Ashlyn asks, and she doesn’t have malice in her voice. It’s just genuine concern. “I mean, you’ve never been in a relationship or even—”
“I share entirely too much with you people.”
They all beam like kids getting praise. “Um, we’re family,” Charlotte says with a shrug, now reaching for the Skittles. I have to keep loads of candy stocked around this girl. How she keeps her slim body on nothing but sugar is beyond me.