Pieces of Me by Pua Ramona (small books to read txt) 📕

“If you don’t want me, I know plenty of guys who would love to have me hanging on their arm” she snaps back at me as she stomps out of the bathroom.

See, the problem with Becca is that she knows she’s gorgeous and she knows she can have whoever she wants. But what she seems to not understand is that she isn’t the one I see myself marrying, or having kids with. Shit! My mama can’t stand her but she puts up with Becca because she loves me, and is still respectful when she’s around.

“Whatever Eli, I’m leaving. When you’re ready to make me your official girlfriend you know where to find me” she calls through from the bedroom trying to get a reaction out of me before she leaves. I care for her, but not the way she wants me to. I seriously need to get this shit figured out. The longer I keep Becca around, the more she’s going to think we’re going to be an official couple.

I forget about Becca and my mind is already back on the girl with brown eyes. I don’t know why, but just the thought of her somehow puts me at ease. And for the first time ever, I can feel my heart smile. What the hell am I thinking? I seriously need to get my ass kicked. I’m starting to sound like a damn girl.

I leave the house a few minutes early because I need to grab some coffee before I head to the job site. Reese and I used to volunteer for Hope Afloat when we were younger, so we stuck with it. We even went to college to get our degree in architecture. After we graduated, we decided to move back home and start our own construction business. So now we help where we can with Hope Afloat when they need homes building for families in need. We do pretty good now, it was slow when we first started, but business has been busy after our first job building ‘Pixies’ - a now very successful coffee/book shop that’s owned by Leila Stevens, who is also engaged to Reese (which I never saw coming.) They have been together for almost 6 years now and Reese finally proposed to her last year. I didn’t understand his feelings for Leila at first, but he once told me “You’ll know that she is your person when your heart feels empty every time she leaves, or when she’s not around, you just feel like you can’t breathe.” I hope one day I’ll know how it feels to experience that for myself, but what I do know is that I’m happy that Reese found his person and I’m glad it’s Leila.

We have known Leila since we were eight, we all hung out together growing up. She left for college and came back on a mission to own her own coffee shop and boy did she boss our asses around. She’s smart, funny, and turns into a crazy little thing when she’s pissed off, so her crazy fits Reese’s laid-back personality perfectly. They are meant to be together. I pull into my usual parking spot in front of Pixies and before I get out I get a text message from Becca.

Becca: Hey babe, sorry about this morning. Just wanted to wish ya an awesome day. Miss ya already ;)

Me: It’s fine. Have a good day yourself.

Becca: xoxo

I close my text message and hear Leila calling out to me. “Are you going to stand out there with that ugly expression on your face, or are you coming in for breakfast, asshole?”

I look at her and give her the middle finger. “It’s too early for your mouth Lei,” I say while putting my phone in my pocket.

Before we walk inside, she steps in for a hug “Morning Eli, I already have your coffee and two muffins ready for you. Oh, and Reese said he’ll meet you at the jobsite. He mentioned something about helping Luka Peterson this morning.”

Holding the door open for her so she can walk in first, I follow behind her. “He’s helping Luka? Since when were Reese and Luka friends?”

Lei looks over her shoulder and says “Eli, are you jealous? ‘Cause you’re sounding more like Reese’s fiancé then I do.” She continues to walk to her office laughing

“Shut the fuck up Lei, I’m just saying that I didn’t know Reese knew the Peterson’s like that is all.” I step inside and sit across from Lei.

“Oh yeah about that, Luka helped Reese with his car and they were having random conversations. I guess Luka mentioned that him and his brothers were working on building a bookcase for their sister who I think is back for their family reunion. Her birthday is coming up and they wanted to do something nice for her since it’s her first time coming back home since she left eight years ago. So Reese offered to help them so that it’ll be ready before her birthday” she says. “If you ask me, I think it’s awesome that they’re doing that for her. I still feel bad that she was the only one who never knew about Becca” Lei says, giving me the evil eye.

I put my hands up to defend myself and said “Woah, that’s their past and it has nothing to do with me. That’s her fault for being so blind and not paying attention to her relationship, not my fault.”

Lei sits back and shakes her head at me.“I didn’t say it was your fault first of all, and why the hell are you getting all upset about it anyways? Are you defending Becca Eli? I will never understand what you see in her and why you’re even with her, but that’s your business not mine. Becca is nothing but trouble Eli, and you know damn well you deserve someone who has more than just her looks to offer you”

I sit there thinking about what