Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“I’m not blaming the club for this,” I whisper.
“You’re blaming my dad,” he says into my hair, “you’re not lettin’ me tell you otherwise.”
“I just want someone to be on my side.”
“I am on your side.”
“No,” I whisper, stepping back. “You’re not. You’re on his side.”
He looks pained, like nothing he can ever say will change my mind. Maybe he’s right, maybe it won’t, maybe I’m too far gone. I’m finding it hard to let go. I’m finding it frustrating that he’s not hearing me. I know he cares about me. I know he cares about King, and I understand that.
But he won’t listen to me at all.
Not even a single part of him will consider that maybe King had something to do with this, that maybe someone wanted revenge.
He fully believes that King is certain it wasn’t to do with him, and I wish he would just step back and see it how I see it.
Who else could it be?
Who else would want to hurt my mother?
None of it makes any sense.
“Why are you doing this to me, Briella?” he murmurs, his voice low. “Why are you tryin’ to make me choose?”
“I’m not making you choose,” I say, shaking my head sadly. “I’m just wanted you to see ...”
“I do see. I see clearly. You’re the one holding your hand over your eyes.”
I exhale angrily and shake my head. “This is pointless. Everything right now is pointless. I don’t even know why I’m here anymore.”
I turn and walk toward the street near King’s house and start heading down the sidewalk to flag down a cab.
Alarick calls out to me, but I don’t stop.
What’s the point?
Nothing makes sense anymore, and I’m tired.
I’m so damned tired.
I just want to be done with all of this.
“IT’S OKAY,” I SOOTHE, rubbing Magnolia’s head until she stops crying.
It’s hard for her, being only seventeen and losing your mom makes things so difficult to cope. She moved out of King’s house right away and there wasn’t a great deal he could do to stop her. I know she loves King, I know she sees him as a father and is probably far more forgiving than I am, but mostly, she couldn’t be in that house anymore.
Where our mother took her last breath.
So, she got out of there and is renting a room off a friend of ours. Much to my horror, she pulled out of school and got a job at a local café. It’s her final year, but she said she just can’t take it anymore. She wants to work, save some money, and do something with her life. She promised to study and go forward.
I can’t stop her.
Not really.
“It’s just so hard sometimes,” she says to me, leaning back. “I mean, I’ve got such good friends and I’ve got you, and my boss is amazing, but sometimes I just want to ...”
“Talk to her?” I finish for her.
She nods, sniffling. “Yeah, tell her about my day. Tell her about the boy that asked me out. Tell her anything. I just want one more moment with her.”
I bite my tongue to stop my own tears flowing forth. It has been so hard, for both of us, but I’ve been trying to keep a brave face for Mags, trying to be someone she can rely on.
“What would you think about moving out of this town? Starting somewhere new? I mean, we don’t have to be here. Mom left us some money; I want to use it to start fresh.”
Magnolia stares at me then wipes her eyes, “What about Flick, you two are ... like epic love story and all of that?”
“No,” I say softly. “No we’re not. He isn’t on my side and I can’t breathe anymore in this town. I feel so broken, I just need to be done with all of this.”
“Where would we go?” she asks, pursing her lips.
“We could go anywhere, anywhere in the world.”
“I’d be happy with California.” She giggles.
I laugh, the first time I’ve made that sound in months. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”
“Are you really serious about this?” she asks me, studying my face.
“Yes,” I say calmly. “Yes I am. I’ve already made my mind up, I just want you to come with me. I want you there. I want us together.”
“Yes.” She claps. “Yes, I want to go. I want to start again.”
“Really?”
She nods frantically. “Yes.”
“Then let’s do it. Let’s get out of here.”
“You’re definitely sure this is what you want? Alarick, he’s like totally in love with you ...”
The thought of leaving Alarick breaks my heart, it breaks it into a thousand tiny pieces. Because I’m in love with him, I’ve been in love with him since the day we moved in with his family. I’ll love him until the day I die, but our love is toxic. It is unbalanced and dangerous. It’s only going to get us hurt. This is the best thing, even if it feels like every one of my insides clams up at the very thought of leaving him.