Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 92422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
It takes effort to force my gaze back to hers, where it stays fastened. There’s an intensity within her golden depths that makes me feel like I’m drowning.
It’s the strangest sensation.
One I don’t understand.
She tilts her chin to maintain eye contact. “Spoiler alert—I’m not going to sleep with you.”
That’s unfortunate.
“You sure about that?” I rasp.
She presses close enough for me to feel the softness of her breasts through the thin sweater she’s wearing. I can’t help but flex my chest, desperate for more contact.
“Yeah, I am. I will never sleep with you.” Seconds tick by as she carefully searches my gaze. “The girls that were just hanging all over you are the ones you should take home.”
The edges of my lips quirk upwards. “Ahhh…so you were watching. Good to know.”
She snorts. “My point is that they would be easy. More your speed. You should stick with that.”
“Maybe I don’t want easy,” I blurt.
The throaty chuckle that escapes from her breaks the thick tension building between us.
“Of course you do. You like the thrill of the chase.”
Her smile is like a gut punch.
When I remain silent, unsure what to say, she continues. “Please. Easy is what you’re used to.”
“Interesting. I didn’t realize we knew each other so well.”
“I don’t have to know you personally to know your type. I’ve seen it a million times before. Trust me when I say that I’m not what you’re looking for.”
Before I can fire back another response, she says, “I was just about to take off. But it was nice not meeting you.” She cocks her head. “Let’s keep it that way, shall we?”
I…
Have no words.
I’m pretty sure that my mouth is gaping wide like a smallmouth bass.
With that, she takes a step in retreat. Air rushes between us, making me miss the warmth of her smaller body pressed against mine.
It’s only when she swings away and is no longer staring at me that I find my tongue. “Never say never, firecracker.”
She throws a glance over her shoulder. Our eyes lock for a heartbeat before she walks away, leaving me alone in the dark hallway with only my chaotic thoughts for company.
3
BRITT
I strum a few chords on the acoustic guitar cradled in my arms. It’s the same one I’ve had since I was twelve years old and wrote my first song. For just a moment, memories of a simpler time press in at the edges. A decade ago, all I could dream about was making music and getting offered a record deal by a label. It’s what I spent every spare minute running toward.
Now, I’m doing everything in my power to escape from it.
A puff of air leaks from me.
It’s funny how life works.
Or maybe a better word would be ironic. Sometimes you get exactly what you asked for, but it’s a twisted version you could have never imagined.
It’s only when I realize that my thoughts have become mired in the past that I shake them away and refocus on the chords, listening to the notes as they vibrate throughout the silence of the apartment. I close my eyes and repeat the movement, allowing them to wash over me for a second time.
When the lyrics accompanying the notes appear in my mind, I snag the pencil tucked behind my ear to jot them down. Then I repeat the chords and sing the verse to see how it sounds.
“In the darkest nights, I stumbled, couldn't see the light. Lost in a maze, couldn't find what's right. But deep inside, a fire burned, refusing to fade away. A voice inside me whispered, ‘You'll find your way.’”
Pleasure rushes through me. There were times throughout the years that I wondered if I’d ever feel inspired to create more music.
It might have taken six months, but it’s finally coming back to me.
This is all I ever wanted to do.
I never asked for the other bullshit that came along with it.
The reality show.
The online haters that watch my every single move, waiting for a fuckup so they can rip it to shreds frame by frame.
So they can rip me to shreds.
That’s the hardest part and what took me the longest to wrap my brain around. As much as they love you, they hate you and want to see you fail.
Even when I tried to close myself off to the criticism, it still managed to invade my brain, contaminating it like a virus, rotting it from the inside out.
Until I started wondering where the truth really lies.
Was I just another one-hit wonder?
Were my fifteen minutes of fame long gone?
Was I now one of those celebrities famous for being famous?
I never realized how easily other people’s hatred and jealousy could be soaked up like a sponge until even the most confident individuals couldn’t help but question themselves and their talent.
If so many people held the same opinion, then it had to be true, right?