Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 133655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
I don’t know which one is scaring her, but both choices are valid, given the secrets Ace and I know.
I elbow him in the stomach, jerking my chin at Blake and the girl on the other side of the room, and he frowns before glancing back at Lexi. I know Blake’s been an absolute wreck for a couple of weeks now, and judging by the depressing nature of their avoidance, I have to assume it’s because something happened between them. Like a breakup of their secret relationship or something.
I don’t like seeing either of them this upset, and in some ways, it’s a cautionary tale against getting close with someone who’s already a huge part of your life. Seeing the person who got away on repeat for the next one million years sounds like the worst kind of torture.
“Hey, Ace, I’m gonna go,” Lexi cuts in suddenly, giving a halfhearted wave to the rest of the group. She shares a look with him I don’t understand, and he nods as though there’s an actual answer to their silent communication.
I don’t understand it.
“What’s that about?” I ask, turning under his arm and lowering my voice enough to keep the conversation between the two of us.
He leans down, speaking directly against the shell of my ear. “I’m guessing she’s upset seeing Boden exercising his popularity with the ladies.”
“No, I know that. I meant the look between the two of you.”
His eyes glaze for a brief second, and then he smiles, kissing the side of my head. “It’s nothing.”
I don’t feel like he’s telling me the whole story, but I have no option other than to accept it. Though, it’s probably just the loud, party environment.
He’ll tell me when he can. I’m sure of it.
Because Ace has never kept anything from me before, and he knows it’s important enough to me that he never will.
Saturday, Aug 30th
Ace
“Ladies and gentlemen, please stand up from your seats!” the announcer exclaims, the energy in the stadium building into a roar. “And get ready to welcome this year’s Dickson Dragons to the field!”
We all stomp and scream and hold up the middle finger when Georgia’s fans start booing, and I wrap an arm around Julia to shake her from side to side. She laughs and smiles, though the sound is muted in the noise of the crowd as people start to chant, “BBE! BBE!”
It’s the best of wordplay on BDE—Big Dick Energy—and halfway through last year, I masterminded reworking the phrase to include Blake Boden’s initials.
One by one, the Dickson Dragons players make their way out of the tunnel, escorted by cheerleaders like they’re doing a fucking wedding march. It’s tradition for the first game of the year, and for as amazing as the high of today is, it’s also fucking bittersweet. Scottie sits in a wheelchair spot at the end of the row next to Finn, thankfully watching with a giant smile on her face.
She’s so strong—stronger than the rest of us, that’s for damn sure. I’m really proud to call her a friend and impressed beyond belief that my buddy Finn was smart enough to turn his life upside down for her last year.
If life weren’t so cruel, she’d be down there with Kayla and the rest of the cheerleaders.
I grab the fabric of my navy-and-gold T-shirt and billow it in and out to get some air moving around me. I’m hot and sweaty, and with everyone standing, waiting for the captain of the Dickson cheerleaders, McKenzie, and the quarterback of the Dragons, my good buddy Blake Boden, to finish the line of players and take the field together, the air feels stagnant.
I need game action. I need movement. I need something.
It’s been a little more than a full week since Lexi sent me a cryptic message about her retirement from all things Dickson and the need to fill a very important role with someone capable of handling the pressure. I agreed to the terms of complete secrecy—I can’t know the details of literally anything and am in no way allowed to ask questions or tell anyone else Lexi even exists, let alone is texting me cryptic messages—and so far, I have been doing nothing but waiting with a metaphorical sock in my mouth.
Between that and my never-ending quest for Julia’s love, it seems like everything in my life is hovering above me in midair.
Julia reaches over and pats me on the stomach before turning back to the crowd, and instantly, I don’t feel so claustrophobic anymore. With Drew nowhere in sight and my girl smiling beside me, maybe my secret plan to make her love me, as unorganized as it’s been, is finally pulling into its destination—success.
Julia stops by my apartment every chance she gets, and when I return the favor, I’m always greeted by a smile. We spend our evenings together and our mornings together, and two times, I’ve caught her staring at my lips.