Habit, p.24
HABIT, page 24
My followers doubled within a week. I crossed two and a half million last week, and the numbers continue to grow. I partnered with a mental health hotline, recruiting volunteers and volunteering time myself. There’s something soothing about talking to someone who sounds like you, your contemporary. I wanted young voices for young people who were feeling boxed in and afraid.
When James says he’s proud, I know what he means. He’s proud of all of it—every piece of me that I’ve become. I feel the same way about him. And seeing him sign his commitment to play football for Penn today was a dream.
“I got you a little something, by the way. I thought maybe you could open it now before we meet your parents for dinner.” His mom made a special meal, and making them wait to eat is a big deal in James’s house.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he says, but I can tell by the way he’s holding his hands out that he wants it.
I hop down from his lap and move to my desk drawer to pull out the envelope and the box. I hold them both to my chest and bunch my lips.
“Hmm, I think maybe this one first,” I say, handing him the envelope that is his actual gift.
He gives me a sideways glance, suspicious, and probably for good reason. We’ve always been playful with one another, quick to tease, and each of us giving as good as we get. It’s unlike any relationship I’ve ever had—family, friend or romantic. I think it’s the same for him.
“Okay, but if something pops out at me,” he warns.
I hold my breath as he tears open the yellow manila envelope. He reaches in, sitting back and holding the envelope away from his body as if something might truly leap out at him. Eventually, he slides the paper out and begins to read. I can tell by the way his eyes widen that he’s gotten to the meat.
“Morgan?”
“I know,” I say, a proud smile resting on my lips.
“I can’t,” he says, clearly not handing the lease document back to me. He can. He will. He must.
“It was mostly Braden getting it done. It’s his building project. But that storefront is there for you when you’re ready. And the lease is locked. You’ll be grandfathered in at the current rate—forever.”
“Morgan,” he croaks. His eyes are glassy, and he reaches his hand out, calling me to him. I fall into his lap and hug him tight as he continues to look at the lease over my shoulder. I brought the idea to Braden, and he loved it. My brother is into mixed-use developments, and he talked my father into making a division of the business just for him. He revitalizes old properties then fills them with things that the community needs. This particular project is near the docks where James took me to watch the cranes move items from train to boat. It felt like kismet.
“Thank you,” he says, pulling back and kissing me. His body is trembling, and I don’t want him falling apart on me now—not before dinner. I change the subject with present number two.
“You have one more gift,” I announce, pushing up from his lap.
“Oh, God,” he jokes. I smile to myself because this time, he should probably be prepared.
“Now, this one is going to make the lease seem like nothing. I can almost guarantee that this will be the most favorite, best present you have ever been given.”
I hand the garment box to him with a flourish, as if he’s won a prize on a game show. Again, he leans back, timid, and unsure what I’m up to. I cross my heart.
“Nothing will leap out. I swear.” I bite my thumbnail in anticipation as he pulls the lid away.
It falls to the floor as his head falls back and he howls with laughter. In the box, in all of its now framed glory, is the motivational poster to end all motivational posters.
“Don’t wait for opportunity. Create it,” I say, reading those incredibly corny yet powerful words to him out loud.
“I love it,” he says.
I take it from the box and hold it up, imagining it on a wall.
“I feel like this definitely needs to be in Delgado’s one day,” I say, squinting an eye.
“Oh, it will be,” James says. I turn to check his expression, and he holds his mouth in a serious line for a few seconds before continuing. “In the bathroom!”
I set the poster on my desk and leap at him, letting him catch me as I straddle his lap and kiss my way up his neck and jaw until I’m suckling his fat bottom lip. I will never get tired of kissing him. But I did promise my viewers a live, and we are due for dinner soon.
“Gah!” I push back.
He tilts his head and puts on pouty lips because I broke our kiss.
“I promised we’d do a quick live. It won’t take long. And then we can go to dinner, I swear. I need to keep people’s attention, though. Especially if I want to make this work.”
I get up from his lap and snap my phone back into the tripod and flip on the light, returning to his lap and swinging my arms around his neck. I hold the remote in my right palm, then look James in the eyes.
“Tell me when you’re ready,” I say.
“One minute. I want to look at you first, all on my own,” he says. I blush in an instant, but I let him look, his gaze taking time on every inch of my face. I start to giggle, and when I move to tuck my face against his chest, he lifts my chin with the tip of his finger until our eyes meet again.
“I’m done. Just wanted to remind you of something,” he says.
My eyes haze.
“And what is that?” I question.
His focus dips to my mouth and his tongue peeks from his lips before he bites the tip and smiles, his gaze popping back up.
“The only attention I want you to need is mine,” he says.
My mouth spreads into a wide smile and I give him the only answer left.
“It is.”
And then we both smile for the camera, and there’s nothing fake about it.
THE END
If you enjoyed this series, you might also like:
The Varsity Series
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Begin Your Binge with Varsity Heartbreaker
Lucas Fuller is a lot of things.
He’s the boy next door.
He’s the first crush I ever had.
He was my first kiss.
He’s also the only person who has ever broken my heart.
For two years, I’ve wondered what happened to the us I used to know.
We were best friends, and then suddenly…we weren’t.
I tried to run away from it. I even changed schools just to make the hurt disappear.
But no matter how hard I tried to not think about Lucas, I just couldn’t stay away from the high school quarterback with perfect blue eyes and so many secrets.
I’m back. We’re seniors now. We’ve grown—all of us. And Lucas Fuller might be different, but I’m different too.
This is my time to take risks, to experience life and to fall in love for real.
I want Lucas Fuller to be a part of my story, but I know for that to happen, I need to know the truth about our past.
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Acknowledgments
As Morgan would say, real talk.
Life got pretty messy for me as I was finishing this book. I struggle with some always inconvenient yet ever persistent anxiety on an average day, but as I was making my way through James and Morgan’s story, my family got some not so great news about a loved one. It tilted the world a little—some days a lot—and I had to rely on my support system more than I want to. That statement right there says a lot, too. Not wanting to rely on the support system. I’ll get back to that.
I’m normally pretty disciplined. I’m a goal-setter down to the grocery shopping list. I love checking off to-dos and meeting my own expectations. Sometimes, I aim a hair too high, but that’s alright. It’s cool when I hit the milestones. Other times, I aim way too high. I’m good at the whole nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic thing. But when the everyday plans get thrown out the window without my permission, mental short-circuiting ensues.
I definitely had to rewire my brain as I finished Habit.
I had to lean on my team. I had to say no to things I may normally be compelled to say yes to. I had to delete the desire to be lazy sometimes in the morning and commit to an early day, one without distractions . . . sound like anyone you know? James, LOL.
But as I dove into Morgan and James every day, every night, most mornings, I found a kinship unlike I’ve ever had with my characters. I think we taught each other a lot in the end. Like, when you have great friends on your team that are begging to help you, it’s okay to say yes. And when you’re struggling, it’s okay to tell them. And when you’re honest about why you are the way you are, people are awfully damn forgiving. (For the most part.)
So if you are a longtime reader and have missed me on social media as of late, I promise I’m around. And I’ll be around more often when my head and heart have the mental space to multitask. If you’re new, welcome to the club. We talk about our issues here, and nobody judges. Hope that’s cool with you. And if you are feeling any of the things I describe above, or are feeling unusual stress, depression, hopelessness or more, reach out to someone. There are people in our lives who want us to lean on them when we need to, and it feels amazing to be loved like that.
With all of that said, thank you so very much for spending time at Welles. I hope you have enjoyed this series, and I hope Morgan and James made you swoon in the best possible way. I’ve had the idea for this series floating around my head for years. I loved the idea of a friendship nucleus, of a group of young people held together by the lessons of one person who touched their lives. We may never meet Anika in these stories, but she is in every single character.
I have so many people to thank, but Brenda and Autumn, you were my Anika—my angels. And I’m so thankful to have you in my corner. I promise to lean on you when I need to. Mom, Tim, Carter, Jen, Rebecca—thank you for all things big and small. They matter.
Readers - you are the reason I get to live my dream. I love hearing your reactions, reading your reviews, seeing your graphics and posts. It’s all I need. If you enjoyed this book, please feel free to drop a review or do any of those bookish things we all enjoy so much. It’s good publicity, yes. But also, it makes my ever-loving day.
The boys of Welles gave me a much-needed reboot of the soul. I’ve come through brimming with inspiration, and I cannot wait to tell you about what’s next.
About the Author
Ginger Scott is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon-bestselling author from Peoria, Arizona. She has also been nominated for the Goodreads Choice and RWA Rita Awards. She is the author of several young and new adult romances, including bestsellers Cry Baby, The Hard Count, A Boy Like You, This Is Falling and Wild Reckless.
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger's other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son swing for the fences or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).
FIND GINGER ONLINE: www.littlemisswrite.com
Also By Ginger Scott
The Boys of Welles
Loner
Rebel
Habit
The Fuel Series
Shift
Wreck
Burn
The Varsity Series
Varsity Heartbreaker
Varsity Tiebreaker
Varsity Rule breaker
Varsity Captain
The Waiting Series
Waiting on the Sidelines
Going Long
The Hail Mary
Like Us Duet
A Boy Like You
A Girl Like Me
The Falling Series
This Is Falling
You And Everything After
The Girl I Was Before
In Your Dreams
The Harper Boys
Wild Reckless
Wicked Restless
Standalone Reads
Candy Colored Sky
Cowboy Villain Damsel Duel
Drummer Girl
BRED
Cry Baby
The Hard Count
Memphis
Hold My Breath
Blindness
How We Deal With Gravity
Scott, Ginger, HABIT
