Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Bellamy tosses a Cheez-It into the air and catches it in her mouth. “What am I feeling right now then?”
“Hungry, I’d guess,” Boone says.
“Exacto.” Another orange square goes up and comes down with precision. She crunches it loudly. “I think Riss is feeling like she’s gonna get some of her football player boy toy. You look hot.”
I avoid Boone’s eyes and set the jewelry box on my dresser.
“Football player?” Boone asks, lifting a brow.
“I didn’t know,” I groan.
Bellamy chomps on another cracker. “She doesn’t even have to know. She just walks to the athlete dumpster and starts digging like a brain-dead raccoon.”
I glare at her.
“I don’t even want to know what that means,” Boone says, eyeing Bellamy.
“You’re right. You don’t,” I agree.
Bellamy puts the snack box to the side and sits up.
I heave out a breath. Turning back to the mirror, I pretend to be engrossed in smoothing out a nonexistent wrinkle in my dress.
“I’m going to be okay this time,” I say as much to myself as I do to them. “I have this one under control.”
“That’s probably a lie, but I’m all for you embracing your heart’s desires,” Bellamy jokes. “And I get why your heart is desiring that.”
Boone rolls his eyes. “What kind of football does he play?”
“College. Somewhere …” I say, unable to come up with the name of a university. “He’s getting some recognition from Lincoln Landry’s nonprofit. I went with him to Lincoln’s house last night.”
Boone’s eyes light up. “That’s a good sign.”
I turn to face my friends. “I think he’s a good guy. He’s nice. He’s funny. He’s—”
“Incredibly good-looking,” Bellamy adds.
Ignoring her, I continue. “He’s a little guarded, but that’s normal for some guys, I think. Right?”
“Can be,” Boone says.
I look back and forth between them. They’re both watching me, waiting on me to continue my take on Hollis. I don’t know what to say, though—mostly because I’m not sure myself.
I grab a roller of perfume and dab it on my wrists and behind my ears.
“You know what,” I begin again, “he’s only here for a few days. I didn’t know he was a football player, or I would’ve abstained from all things him. But here we are, and I’m not mad about it.”
“But you will be,” Boone points out.
“I will not.”
I look at Bellamy. She’s sitting on the edge of my bed, pursing her bright red lips. She’s sending me telepathic messages of encouragement. I feel it. When I grin at her, she laughs.
“You will be fine,” she insists. “Trust your gut.”
“I am. And it’s telling me to just remember this isn’t real. We’re just going to be faking things tonight for Mom’s benefit, and I’ll never see him again.” I look back at the mirror. “I can handle this.”
My reflection looks back at me. I look self-assured and confident, and I try to absorb as much of that as I can.
Before I can add anything to my little pep talk, the doorbell rings.
My head whips to Bellamy’s.
Boone heads toward the doorway. “I’ll get this.”
I start to object but stop because it’s pointless.
Boone’s steps fall down the hallway. The door opens. His voice mixes with Hollis’s as they exchange hellos.
My blood pressure spikes as Hollis’s presence infiltrates my house. A rush of excitement sparks through me as I stand tall and motion to myself.
Bellamy does a quick once-over and gives me a thumbs-up.
I grab my nude-colored clutch, take a deep breath, and head for the hallway.
My heart is beating so hard that I think I might pass out.
“I had a friend who went to Braxton,” Boone is saying as I make my way toward the foyer. “He played lacrosse. There was some bar there that he was always talking about that had something to do with aliens.”
I can’t see Hollis, thanks to the way Boone is standing. But as soon as I hear Hollis’s voice, a chill causes a flurry of goose bumps up my arms.
“The Truth Is Out There,” Hollis says with a laugh. “That’s our favorite place. It’s kinda crazy with all the alien bullshit, but it’s fun.”
Boone steps to the side to look out the window. As soon as Hollis is in my line of sight, I almost die.
“Holy shit,” Bellamy whispers from behind me.
Holy shit is right.
“Look at him,” I whisper back.
Hollis is in head-to-toe black—suit, pants, shirt, and long, skinny tie. His shoulders fill out the jacket and make him look wider and stronger than even before. His waist is wrapped in a black belt.
He looks polished and sophisticated with a side of rogue thanks to his hair. It’s a sight that I wasn’t ready to behold.
He looks absolutely divine.
His eyes grow wide as I grow closer. “Wow, Larissa. You’re … fucking gorgeous.”
Boone turns around. His brow is crinkled. “We can go with beautiful.”
“Beautiful, then,” Hollis says with a smile. “That works.”