Page 83 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Puulease, you know me better than that. I wouldn’t just give that stuff away for free. You write money-worthy stories in that book of yours. I’m going to make bank on it before I’ll just let any Joe Blow readit.”

“Glad to know you have my best interest at heart,” Tara saidflatly.

“Always.” Shelly smiled. “Oh, and wow, you look beautiful.” She pulled out her phone and snapped a few quick pics of Tara and then waddled over in her ridiculously high heels. She held the phone out in front of them and said, “Smile for theselfie.”

They both smiled at the camera and leaned their heads toward each other. Tara forced herself to ignore the fact that it looked like she was laying her head on Shelly’s boob because that’s where she reached her BFFF who was apparently wearing stilts for hershoes.

“There,” Shelly said as she stared down at her phone. “I just texted you those pictures so you can send some toCarol.”

Tara laughed. “She texted you to remind me, didn’tshe?”

“She knows you too well. You aren’t about to whip out your own phone and go selfie crazy. So, yes, she contacted the only one in this duo who happens to like dressing up and getting her picturetaken.”

“For your information, I did tell Carol I would send her some pictures of us in ourdresses.”

“That may be, but what you didn’t tell her, and what she already knew, was that you were lying. Now”—Shelly slipped her phone in the small little purse she carried-—“Let’s blow this popsicle stand. My feet are itching to move, and my hips are ready togroove.”

“Don’t ever say that again,” Tara warned as she grabbed her phone. She didn’t bother with a purse or money. They were just going to the school and would be coming straight home afterward so she really didn’t need anythingelse.

Tara’s phone chimed on the way. She looked at it, hoping it was Elias regardless of the fact that she’d gotten to talk to him only a little while ago. It wasTucker.

I’m alreadyinside when you gethere.

He was probably wonderingif she’d stood him up, considering the prom had started over half an hourago.

We should be therein a few minutes.She textedback.

“Tucker is already there,”Tara toldShelly.

“Did he think you’d ditchedhim?”

“He didn’t say as much. But he said he was already inside. Maybe that was his way of asking if I was still coming without reallyasking.”

Shelly nodded. “Probably.”

“Elias called me after school,” Tarasaid.

Shelly’s head whipped around as she turned into the school parking lot. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“And what did mister curious-ass-cat have tosay?”

“He’s not an asscat.”

“For now. I’m sure he’ll do something at some point that will once again make him an ass cat. There’s no reason to remove the once deserved title sohastily.”

Tara shook her head at her friend. Not that Shelly was wrong. Everyone was an ass cat at one point oranother.

“So what did he have to say?” Shelly asked again. She parked the car and cut theignition.

“Honestly, I think the whole point of the phone call was to convince me not to slow dance withTucker.”

“What?” Shelly laughed. “Dude has got it bad if he’s off on some work emergency— which, damn, that’s a long emergency, by the way—and is so concerned about you falling for another guy that he has to stop his work emergency and call you to ask you not to slow dance withhim.”

Tara nodded. “But I didn’t give him what he wanted forfree.”

“Oh my, do tell.” Shellypurred.

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