Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

a few minutes,” Savannah said as sheopened the car door, then turned to the back seat where her sister sat. “I haveto turn in the assignment on paper all old school because the website was downagain.”

“No worries, babe.” Byron leaned in to kiss her, before she gotout of the car. “Take your time. I’m in no hurry.” She pecked him, smilingsweetly then got out of the car.

“I am not looking forward to school. Let me tell you,”Sienna groaned from the back seat. “It’s why I took this first semester off, soI could take a break from school. Studying, and writing papers and all that stuffis just not my thing.”

Byron turned around to face her, still unable to believe howidentical she and her sister were. “Well, you don’t have to go to school.There’s other things you can do in life that don’t require a higher education.”

“It’s what I keep telling my parents. My YouTube Channel.” Sheeyed him smiling widely. “It already makes money, and my followers keep growing,and advertisers keep reaching out to me. Not the other way around.”

“There you go,” he said as his phone rang over the speakers.

He winced when he hit the answer button instead of the send tovoicemail one. “Byron?” she purred before he could hit the switch-to-handset button.

He brought the phone to his ear turning around in his seat toface forward in a panic. “Can’t talk right now,” he said lowering his voice.

“Why? Is your fiancé there?”

“No, she’s not here.” He lowered his voice. “But her sister is. Ican’t talk right now.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” he whispered even lower. “I’ll call you tonightwhen she falls asleep.”

He finally got her off the phone and cleared his throat, beforeturning around. If a glare were a bat, he’d be battered and lifeless already inthe trunk of his own car. “So, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. You can make a living onthe internet. Our website makes—”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Sienna said shaking her head and pointingher finger at his phone. “Who the fuck was that?”

“What?” Byron glanced down at his phone feeling his heart wallop.“That was my friend.”

“A friend you’re fucking?”

“What? No!”

“Bullshit!” She picked up her phone and started tapping away. “Ican’t talk right now. Her sisters here. I miss you, too. Are you a fuckingidiot or what?”

“Wait, wait, wait,” he said reaching for her phone. “Who youcalling?”

“My sister!” She shoved his hand away from her, tapping away butfrowning. “Stupid call’s not going through.”

“Listen to me, listen to me!” Byron held his hands up in front ofhim. “She’s just an associate, I have. A friend from way back—”

“Does Vannah know about her?”

“I’ve mentioned her—”

“Does she know you’re still talking to her and missing her?That you wait until my sisters asleep to talk to her, asshole?” She tappedat her phone’s screen again shaking her head. “Swear to God, I knew youwere too good to be true. You lying cheating bastards are all the same.”

“Look.” He held his hand up. “Savannah just wouldn’t understand—”

“Of course she wouldn’t! How’d you feel hearing her say shemissed another dude that’s missing her, too?”

Clenching his teeth, Byron had to take in a deep breath beforeresponding because the answer to that would have him growling. “Some people . .. have friends they just talk to—”

“Get the hell out! Like you’d ever put up with my sisterhaving guy friends she kept from you that she missed. Ones she waiteduntil you were asleep to call. If you don’t tell her as soon as she’sback here, I will.”

Sitting up a little straighter and frowning, Byron took in anotherdeep breath. “Look, this isn’t your story to tell, okay? I’ll tell her whenit’s the right time and in private.”

“No.” She shook her head defiantly, sitting up in her seat, andgetting in his face with a purpose. “I’m praying she’s not gonna cry. I knowyou’re at least a whole foot taller than me, but if she cries . . .” Theenraged expression was gone suddenly. Her brows pinched just like the times Savannahhad been close to tears, and it made him feel like absolute shit. Thankfully,she recovered fast enough and glared at him. “If she cries.” She stopped tosniffle. “If she cries, I will burn your whole fucking world down—”

The door opening and Savannah cheerfully getting in cut off theconversation. “Oh, my God, it’s so hot out here.”

Byron reached for the ignition button. “Don’t you turn that on!”

Of course, Savannah immediately turned back to face her sister asByron’s heart continued to race. “What’s wrong?”

“Tell her, Byron or I will.” Byron leaned against the steeringwheel. “Tell her, asshole or I swear to you—”

“Nena!”

“No!” her incensed sister said sitting up again. “I heard him onthe phone with another girl just now, Vannah. Someone who misses him, and he saidhe missed her too. He said he couldn’t talk because your sister was in the car,but he’d call her back tonight when you were asleep!”

Savannah turned to Byron looking utterly disgusted. “Is thistrue?”

Holding her arm up, because her sister looked ready to jump overthe seat to get to him, Savannah waited for his response. “It’s not like that,”he insisted. “Your jealous sister is just trying to come between us.”

Sienna lunging at him had Savannah jumping between them. A fewhectic seconds later, even as they all tangled up trying to keep Sienna from pummelingByron, Savannah’s wheezing laughter slowed them all down.

“Stop!” Savannah screeched as she held her sister’s armsback. “It’s a prank!”

Savannah reached for the camera hidden in the small compartment underthe screen on the dash to show her. He’d jimmied it there before he’d gone backto the apartment to pick them up, and set up the whole prank’s intro in thecar.

While Savannah continued to giggle uncontrollably, Byron droppedhis head back clutching his heart. Only Savannah could talk him into doingsomething so nerve wracking.

“It was a loyalty test challenge. One I had no doubt you’dpass, Sissy.” She turned to Byron. “Oh my God,” she gasped. “Your jealoussister is trying to come between us, that was perfect!”

Sienna stared at them, looking speechless but after a few secondsof listening