lonely? They
just swim in circles all day. It’s heartbreaking.”
I sigh and my hair lifts off my forehead. “You
are the strangest person I have ever met.”
“Maybe you haven’t met enough people.”
“Maybe not.” I shrug.
Ran edges closer, hovering his shoulders over
the table. Two more precisely drawn tattoos peek out from under his shirtsleeve
as it pulls up slightly. “Well then,” he smirks, his lips curving upward. “I’m
glad to be one of the few you’ve had the honor of meeting.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Did you see that bike, Mags?”
I shake my head and settle into the leather
couch cushions as I slip off my shoes. Mikey’s back from the pool hall, yet his
clothes still hold the lingering stench of cigarettes and stale pizza. Too bad
I just finished his last load of laundry.
“Not really.”
“Ran must really like you if he was willing to
swap with me this afternoon. That bike is top of the line, Mags.” Mikey shakes
his head, still not believing the less-than-even vehicle exchange that took
place. “Like worth at least five times more than that junker of a jeep of
mine.”
I quirk my lips indifferently and give him a
shrug. “I don’t know.”
“He’s got a crazy expensive bike and he’s off the charts hot? Not fair,
Maggie, not fair.” Cora slinks down next to me, propping her arm up on the back
of the couch as she twirls her blonde hair around a slender finger. “Who is
this guy and why are you keeping him to yourself?” She snaps a piece of bright
pink gum in her mouth, chomping it loudly between her teeth. “Sounds like
perfect jealously bait for Brian.”
“I’m not interested in making Brian jealous,” I
say, pulling on the string of my hoodie. “And I’m not interested in Ran.”
“Well, you must be both blind and stupid,” Cora
asserts. “Because Ran is gorgeous, and Brian is an ass that deserves to made a
little jealous if you ask me.”
“I don’t remember asking you, Cora.”
She tucks her head onto my shoulder and wraps
her hand around mine. “That’s never stopped me from giving my opinion before.”
For only knowing Cora since our first week of
college, I’m amazed at what a fast and rock-solid friendship we’ve forged in
such a short amount of time. She’s the sister I’ve never had, and never really
knew I wanted. Cora’s the opposite of me in so many ways: overly
affectionate—to the point of making things
uncomfortable—steadfastly loyal, and she’s got a crazy good sense of
style that everyone seems to appreciate. Cora is all of the things I’m not. Including
easily infatuated.
“Ran is a hot piece of meat. What’s his story?”
“I don’t know,” I say, but it’s a complete lie.
I do know his story. He’d given me a very precise, one paragraph summary of it
over our awkward lunch date. I’m just not quite sure how his story fits into
mine. “He’s the paramedic that took me to the hospital the night of the
accident.”
Cora’s green eyes pull open. “That was two
months ago, Mags. And he’s still smitten with you?”
“First of all, the 1950’s called and they want
their word back,” I tease, pulling my hand from hers so I can resume my nervous
hoodie-drawstring-tugging. “Second, I saw him again two weeks ago when Mikey
went to the ER.”
“How many times has this hottie come to your
rescue?” she asks, twirling her gum around her finger this time rather than her
hair.
“Two times too many.”
Cora turns to face me, her eyes surveying me
head to toe. “I think the fact that he came to your house and still took you out after seeing you
dressed in that ratty sweatshirt and those faded jeans proves he’s into you,
Maggie.” Her gaze scans me once more. “Believe me, this is not you at your
best.”
I tug the hood of my sweatshirt up over my
head, almost wishing the act would drown out Cora’s incessant chatter, but no
such luck. She continues for the next hour—and the entire duration of our
car
just swim in circles all day. It’s heartbreaking.”
I sigh and my hair lifts off my forehead. “You
are the strangest person I have ever met.”
“Maybe you haven’t met enough people.”
“Maybe not.” I shrug.
Ran edges closer, hovering his shoulders over
the table. Two more precisely drawn tattoos peek out from under his shirtsleeve
as it pulls up slightly. “Well then,” he smirks, his lips curving upward. “I’m
glad to be one of the few you’ve had the honor of meeting.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Did you see that bike, Mags?”
I shake my head and settle into the leather
couch cushions as I slip off my shoes. Mikey’s back from the pool hall, yet his
clothes still hold the lingering stench of cigarettes and stale pizza. Too bad
I just finished his last load of laundry.
“Not really.”
“Ran must really like you if he was willing to
swap with me this afternoon. That bike is top of the line, Mags.” Mikey shakes
his head, still not believing the less-than-even vehicle exchange that took
place. “Like worth at least five times more than that junker of a jeep of
mine.”
I quirk my lips indifferently and give him a
shrug. “I don’t know.”
“He’s got a crazy expensive bike and he’s off the charts hot? Not fair,
Maggie, not fair.” Cora slinks down next to me, propping her arm up on the back
of the couch as she twirls her blonde hair around a slender finger. “Who is
this guy and why are you keeping him to yourself?” She snaps a piece of bright
pink gum in her mouth, chomping it loudly between her teeth. “Sounds like
perfect jealously bait for Brian.”
“I’m not interested in making Brian jealous,” I
say, pulling on the string of my hoodie. “And I’m not interested in Ran.”
“Well, you must be both blind and stupid,” Cora
asserts. “Because Ran is gorgeous, and Brian is an ass that deserves to made a
little jealous if you ask me.”
“I don’t remember asking you, Cora.”
She tucks her head onto my shoulder and wraps
her hand around mine. “That’s never stopped me from giving my opinion before.”
For only knowing Cora since our first week of
college, I’m amazed at what a fast and rock-solid friendship we’ve forged in
such a short amount of time. She’s the sister I’ve never had, and never really
knew I wanted. Cora’s the opposite of me in so many ways: overly
affectionate—to the point of making things
uncomfortable—steadfastly loyal, and she’s got a crazy good sense of
style that everyone seems to appreciate. Cora is all of the things I’m not. Including
easily infatuated.
“Ran is a hot piece of meat. What’s his story?”
“I don’t know,” I say, but it’s a complete lie.
I do know his story. He’d given me a very precise, one paragraph summary of it
over our awkward lunch date. I’m just not quite sure how his story fits into
mine. “He’s the paramedic that took me to the hospital the night of the
accident.”
Cora’s green eyes pull open. “That was two
months ago, Mags. And he’s still smitten with you?”
“First of all, the 1950’s called and they want
their word back,” I tease, pulling my hand from hers so I can resume my nervous
hoodie-drawstring-tugging. “Second, I saw him again two weeks ago when Mikey
went to the ER.”
“How many times has this hottie come to your
rescue?” she asks, twirling her gum around her finger this time rather than her
hair.
“Two times too many.”
Cora turns to face me, her eyes surveying me
head to toe. “I think the fact that he came to your house and still took you out after seeing you
dressed in that ratty sweatshirt and those faded jeans proves he’s into you,
Maggie.” Her gaze scans me once more. “Believe me, this is not you at your
best.”
I tug the hood of my sweatshirt up over my
head, almost wishing the act would drown out Cora’s incessant chatter, but no
such luck. She continues for the next hour—and the entire duration of our
car
Similar Books
