Ready or Not (The Love Game Book 4) by Elizabeth Hayley (pdf ebook reader .txt) 📕

over at me. “My mom’s been self-centered and materialistic for years, and I don’t like her nearly as much.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, I knew she wanted to take them back, even without her saying, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine, really,” I assured her. “People can have issues with their parents without them being complete fuckups. Even though Melissa was a fantastic mother to me, we definitely had our differences.”

I watched her take a large breath, and when she let it out, she seemed slightly relieved. “Really?”

“Yeah, she was pretty overprotective. I always wondered if it was because I’d already been through so much that she wanted to do everything she could to make sure I didn’t experience any more trauma.”

She hit pause on her iPad, which was between us, causing the room to sound uncomfortably silent. “That’s sweet, though.”

“It didn’t feel sweet when she told me I couldn’t go to my buddy’s lake house with him and a few other guys from the team. She told me it was because she was worried about snakes and flesh-eating bacteria.” I laughed because the memory was funny now, but at the time I’d wanted to just up and leave the Holts’ house and go anyway.

I wasn’t used to having rules or restrictions, and even though the rules at the Holts were probably for my own good, it felt suffocating then. “I don’t even know what that means, but it freaked me out enough that I didn’t put up a fight. I’m thinking she just didn’t want me drinking and doing God knows what else with four other seventeen-year-old boys. It actually doesn’t seem that strange thinking about it now.”

Taylor seemed to be listening to every word, and when I finished, she raised an eyebrow and said, “My mom just paid an obscene amount of money to ride a kangaroo later this week.”

We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us even cracking a smile even though it was clear we both wanted to erupt in laughter. The silence lasted a few more seconds before we couldn’t hold it in any longer, and we fell into hysterics.

“She’s really riding a kangaroo?”

Taylor nodded but didn’t say anything because she was still laughing. When she finally calmed down, she said, “So I guess ‘strange’ is a relative term.”

“Someone better take a video of that adventure so I can see it.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Adeline Daws never misses a photo op. A few weeks ago, she uploaded a TikTok dance. It actually wasn’t too bad.”

“I’ll definitely have to see that eventually too. I’m trying to picture Melissa or Matt doing something like that.” It occurred to me that years ago—in a time that seemed like another life entirely—they might have done something carefree and goofy like that, but now I wasn’t so sure. They’d always tried to remain positive and enjoy life, but after…

“She’s in booty shorts with the words Perfect Peach written on them.”

“Okay, so that’s probably a no to my parents doing something like that. I’m pretty sure Matt doesn’t own any booty shorts.” I was thankful that Taylor’s comment had pulled me from my memories, because the present was pretty fuckin’ good. I had to stop letting yesterday interfere with today. “Should we keep watching?” I was already reaching for the iPad but waited until she said yes before I pushed play.

Before long, we were back to the show, and as the night faded into early morning, I felt myself dozing off.

“I should probably get going.” I went to turn toward the edge of the mattress, but Taylor’s arm stopped me. Not physically, because I could’ve easily escaped if I’d wanted to. The problem was I didn’t want to. It didn’t matter that Taylor must’ve fallen asleep at some point and her movement could probably be attributed more to my shifting my weight than her desire for me to stay. But with her arm draped over me and her head on the pillow next to mine, I wasn’t going anywhere.

I did my best not to disturb her as I slid down a little so I could lie flatter until she woke up and kicked me the hell out. But for now, she was snuggled against me, her head on my shoulder and her blond hair spilling over my chest. With my free arm, I moved the iPad to the side of the bed and pulled a thin throw blanket over both of us. I’d just stay like this until Taylor woke up or moved off me.

But when an hour passed without her doing either of those things, against my better judgment, I allowed myself to fall sound asleep too.

Chapter Fifteen

T A Y L O R

Parts of my body felt so stiff they were almost sore. But I’d slept better than I ever had in this apartment. I must’ve been in one position all night, so my muscles needed to move, especially my arm and neck. I shifted my weight from my side to my back and reached above my head to stretch.

But before my hands made it more than a few inches, one of them made contact with something hard. I heard teeth crash together and then a pained groan followed by an “Aww, fuck.”

It took me a moment to register the voice had come from someone in my bed, and I jolted before realizing it was Ransom.

“If you’re mad I’m still here, you could’ve just told me. You didn’t have to punch me in the face.”

“Sorry. I’m not mad. I was stretching.” I sat up so I could face Ransom, who was holding his nose. “Oh my God, you’re bleeding. Hang on.”

I jumped up, managing to hop over Ransom without hurting him but not without touching him completely. I did some kind of maneuver that looked like a poor combination of a burpee and an awkward roll like the ones they teach you in elementary school in case your clothes catch on fire.

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