Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 176012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 880(@200wpm)___ 704(@250wpm)___ 587(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 880(@200wpm)___ 704(@250wpm)___ 587(@300wpm)
I glance back and spot Hunter approaching behind her. Scowling.
“His body feels like he was made in the most elite factory,” she says, completely unaware her boyfriend is right behind her.
He reaches around and gently grabs the front of her neck, hauling her back into his chest.
Tilting her head back, she looks up at him, her eyes widening. “Well, I wasn’t trying to feel—” she stutters as he twists her around and backs her into the wall. “…feel him up. I just hugged him, and it was hard not to notice.”
“Notice what?”
She presses her lips together because she’s about to smile. “How. Hard. His. Body. Was.”
Her voice is filled with mischief and laughter, and Hunter bites her bottom lip. I suppress the gripe rising up at the sight of my niece and nephew. No, they’re not blood-related—their fathers are stepbrothers—but it’s still an adjustment. I grew up with us all being family, and I haven’t been around much the last twenty or so months that they’ve been together to get used to seeing them maul each other.
She breathes out, blushing up at him. “I forgot what I was going to say next.”
I leave them to it, climbing the blow-up rock wall with Aro. We descend the little slide and start making our way through the maze of columns.
“Dylan’s just trying to help you get what you want,” she says behind me. “She means well.”
“I know.”
I know that’s what they think. They all mean well.
“But you are unhappy he’s leaving,” Aro says matter-of-factly.
“I’m unhappy my younger family members, including you, for all intents and purposes”—I throw her a look—“see me as pitiful and unhappy because I’m not in love.”
“Are you happy?”
“That’s not the point!” I scold. “It’s invasive!”
I didn’t mean to yell, but I want to put them all in their place once and for all. I’m not a failure just because I won’t play games to seduce my childhood crush on his last night in town.
Even though I am trying to avoid thinking about what I would do if he was sticking around. At least for another night.
I should’ve stayed with my pizza back at the oven. I was just angry. Didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of having all of my attention as if he mattered. When we clearly don’t matter to him.
“You’re right,” Aro says softly. “But family is like that, I’m learning.” A smile touches her eyes. “They’re the only people who ever get to see your true colors. But that also means you see their no-filter, advice-when-you-didn’t-ask-for-it, beautifully suffocating colors too.”
Yeah.
I close my mouth, remembering that her parents weren’t there for her. Not many people were, and she obviously prefers her new life full of interfering parents and people to count on. Am I out of line? It’s hard to think clearly now.
I climb the next ladder, and she follows.
“If you did want Lucas,” she broaches. “Where would you take him?”
“Aro…”
“Come on.” She sounds playful. “I know you haven’t thought about it at all, but where would you do it?”
I reach the top and look to my right, seeing him in his white shirt that fits him perfectly. It’s not hard to see what’s underneath. He stands on the patio, but his head is turned toward the bounce house.
I draw in a breath, murmuring, “His place, I guess.”
“He’s selling his place.”
True.
My mind whirls, thinking about how it would happen.
Uncontrollable. That’s the word that springs to mind. He wouldn’t be able to control himself, and neither of us could stop.
“His car,” I say quietly.
She smiles. “Ah,” she sighs, looking lost in a memory. “I took Hawke’s virginity in a car.”
An unwanted picture of the two of them in some cramped back seat, sweat making their skin stick to cracked leather, floats through my head. “Ugh…” I grunt. Seems so uncomfortable, and I’m not even talking about the car so much. This family overshares.
We leap down, bouncing out of balance and crashing to our stomachs. I laugh for the first time.
She turns on her side, and we continue to rock with the motion others make in the obstacle course. “You need a place of your own,” she says. “Maybe it’s time we help you with that.”
Hawke’s words from a couple days ago drift through my head. We’ll tell her when she’s ready to use it.
They were talking about their hideout. That’s what Aro’s referring to. A place where I can screw around like they do.
“I might have a place.” I sit up, the wall we just leapt from swaying and jerking with someone else ascending from the other side. “I put in an offer on a house today.”
She shoots up. “What?”
“Don’t tell anyone.” I lower my voice, but I can’t keep the joy off my face. “I don’t want to deal with my brothers until there’s no turning back.”