Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“Well, you snooze you lose,” I teased.
“Seriously, can we just move it to six? I’d like to be able to join you. Six I can handle.”
He seemed serious about this—not even a hint of a smile. How could I say no? I turned to face him. “Are you gonna set your alarm? Because I’m not waiting for you.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’ll do that.”
Secretly thrilled, I pretended to think it over. “Okay, then.”
“Cool.” He hopped up. “I gotta go get dressed for this shit.”
“Archie?”
“Yeah?”
“Good luck today.”
“Thanks.” He let out a long breath. “I’ll need it.”
About ten minutes after Archie left, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Ashley Carrera, from home.
“Hey, you!” I bounced on the mattress.
“How’s it going over there?” she asked.
It was so good to hear her voice; it reminded me there was an entire world outside this little bubble and the intoxicating guy I now lived with.
“Good, actually.”
“Have you run into Asshole Archie?”
I cringed. Before leaving to come here, I’d made it sound like he was the devil. I looked out the window and saw Archie getting into his parents’ Jeep. He wore a collared shirt and dress pants and looked tense as he slammed the door. My chest tightened. I felt bad for ever calling him an asshole. “Actually…he’s nothing like I had him pegged.”
“Really? Do tell.”
“I’ve just realized I never really knew him before.” I sighed. “He and I are getting along. It’s weird.”
“Like…getting along or getting along.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Nothing like that. He doesn’t see me that way. And he has this girl here he hooks up with. But he and I…talk and stuff. He’s gone running with me in the mornings. He’s pretty nice.”
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”
“I know. Me neither.”
“Is he just as hot as you remembered?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.” I sighed. “He’s hotter, unfortunately.”
I could’ve gone into detail about what I’d walked in on that first day—how his dick was, in fact, much bigger than his ego. But bringing up his body felt exploitative and unnecessary.
“The summer is long, Noelle. Anything can happen.” She laughed. “Now I’m really looking forward to my week there in August. We’re going to have a blast.”
“I’m looking forward to that, too,” I said. I’d been so stuck in my head lately that I’d practically forgotten I’d invited her to visit.
• • •
Archie strolled into the dining room fashionably late that night. It was nice to see him after he’d been out all day. While he was gone, I’d spent some of the afternoon lying out in the yard and reading.
Dinner, on the other hand, was spent listening to Archie’s father grill him about his first day at Rodney Erickson’s law practice. Apparently, after the interview, the attorney had invited Archie to stay and shadow him.
Tonight Archie had chosen the seat next to me. That didn’t go unnoticed. He also stayed through dessert for the first time ever.
As we finished eating, he leaned in and whispered, “You comin’ to the beach tonight?”
The heat of his breath against my neck gave me goose bumps. “I was thinking about it, yeah.”
His eyes fell briefly to my lips. “You should.”
“Okay. Maybe I will.” I could feel my dumb self getting excited. Why? So I could watch Bree all over him? What are you doing, Noelle?
When he’d cleaned his plate, Archie got up and left the table, and Nora went out back with the two dads, leaving my mother and me alone in the kitchen.
Mom tackled the dishes, and I stayed to help.
She smiled over at me. “You and Archie seem to be getting along.”
“Strange, right?” I took a pan from her to dry it.
Mom lowered her voice. “I know you were dreading interacting with him. It’s nice to see you enjoying yourself.”
“Yeah. I had him all wrong.”
“He’s awfully handsome, too, isn’t he?”
I looked over my shoulder. “Mom…”
“I won’t tell if you like him that way.”
My skin tingled. “Just because we’re getting along doesn’t mean I like him that way.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Although…” I added. “He’s obviously quite good-looking. And smart, regardless of what his father seems to think.”
My mother sighed. “I want to smack Archer sometimes.” She exhaled. “He’s under a lot of stress lately, and that’s making his behavior toward Archie worse.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Stress? About what?”
My mother shut off the water and spoke in a low voice. “I’m not at liberty to divulge. But things have certainly been better for their family. That’s all I can say right now.”
My stomach sank. “Mom, you can’t just hint at something serious and not elaborate.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything at all. Okay? Pretend I didn’t, please.” She turned on the water again and immersed herself in the rest of the dishes.
Dread settled in my stomach. What is going on with the Remingtons?
A few seconds later, Archer and Nora entered the kitchen, and Mom and I put on fake smiles, as if we hadn’t just been talking about them.