Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
I’m halfway down the drive when I remember Colby. I can’t leave the fucking kid alone. I slam the car into reverse and back up the drive, dust kicking up the entire way. I leave the car running and the door open as I leap up the front stairs.
“Colby!” I shout. Where is that kid? “Colby!”
“Yeah?” A small head pops out of the library. What do those two people like so much about that room? That’s a mystery I’ll have to solve later.
“Come on. We’re going to get your sister.”
I turn on my heel but realize he’s not following me. I spin around and bark, “Let’s go.”
“Uh, what happened to your face?” the kid asks.
In my rush to get to Summer, I forgot about my face. “None of your damn business. Move it.”
My sharp tone prods him into gear. He runs to catch up. He has to jog to match my long strides, but that doesn’t stop his mouth from moving. “You look like a Marvel villain,” he informs me.
It’s not that he’s wrong, it’s just that I don’t wanna hear it. I send a searing glare in his direction.
“You don’t have to say everything that comes into your head.”
“You don’t like that? I think it would be awesome to look like a Marvel villain. The superheroes are boring.”
“I’m not gonna kick you out because you insulted me.” I hold the door open for him and push him inside. “Buckle up.”
“Summer makes me sit in a booster. It’s because I’m short. I don’t really like being short. Do you think villains are short? If I had a superpower, I would make myself taller. Like you. What would you do if you had a superpower?”
Make you shut up?
“I don’t have a booster and I don’t have a super power. Just put the seatbelt on. We aren't going to get in an accident.”
“I don’t want to sit in a booster anyway. Summer makes me do that because my dad died in a car accident and I didn’t get hurt because I was in a car seat. At least that’s what the doctor says. I kind of think Summer wants me to sit in a little seat 'til I’m 40. Like your age.”
I grind the back of my teeth together. “I’m not forty. Or old.”
“Yeah, I guess I thought you would be older because you live in the castle, and you like all the dark stuff. Like I thought your eyes were bad and that’s why you don’t like light. But it’s because of your face, right? You don’t want anyone seeing your face? You should wear a mask. Batman has a cool mask. Masks are cool. By the way, where are we going?”
I haven’t heard more than two peeps out of this kid since he moved in, but now he can’t stop talking. “We’re going to get your sister. Where is she, anyway?”
He shrugs. “Dinner with Eden. I went and played with Eden’s sister’s kids. She has five of them.”
Did Summer lie to her brother about her dinner date or was Tina wrong?
“What about Colten?” I ask roughly.
“What about him?”
“He’s not at dinner with Summer?”
“Why would he be?”
“I’m asking you.”
“I already told you. She’s at dinner with Eden.” Colby’s voice goes from confusion to annoyance in a hot second.
I guess we’ll know soon enough. Colby falls silent as we speed into town. Len’s is packed. I pull into the parking lot and spot Summer right away. “You’re half right,” I grunt.
There’s a woman sitting across from Summer, but there’s another person at their table and it’s got to be this asshole Colten. He says something that causes Summer to laugh and duck her head in a cute movement. I want to rip the steering wheel off and beat Colten’s head in. Wonder how many nights that would get me in Chief Dane’s jail cell. How could she be on her knees ready to hoover my cock one night and be flirting with this chud the next?
I open the car door.
“Where are you going?” Colby asks.
I’d forgotten he was here. “To get your sister.”
14
Summer
I give Eden another kick under the table. Colten keeps moving closer and closer to me. I can feel the heat of his body against mine. I’m trying to be nice. He sat down next to me when he came back after the call. He’s always been so nice to me that I didn’t want to be rude, so I moved over into the booth to make room for him.
I freeze when I feel his hand come down on my thigh. “I know you have to get back home to meet up with Colby, but I was thinking maybe—”
“And I was thinking you need to get your fucking hand off her thigh.” My head jerks up at the deep familiar voice. There standing next to the table is Kale. He’s here. Holy crap. And he doesn't look too happy about it.