Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 108165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
I hum. “There are no universities around here, but … maybe I could teach high school music.”
“You’d be overqualified, but I’m sure they’d be lucky to have you.”
Staying … I can’t imagine that.
After the jam jars are filled, Eloise tends to her flowerbeds, and I take a trip to Rhodale and pick up the envelope with a thousand dollars. Then, as luck would have it, Molly’s Tesla is parked at the school. The baseball team has practice. I turn on an audiobook and wait.
Forty minutes later, Colin leaves the field and nods toward his truck. Molly steps out of her car, straightening her denim miniskirt and one-shoulder tank top. Glancing around, she bolts to his truck and hops into the passenger seat. He tosses his bag in the bed, and the tires skid out of the gravel seconds later.
Keeping a safe distance, I follow his truck out of town to a wooded area by the river. When they turn off the main road, I keep driving and make a U-turn after I can no longer see his truck. I trek a good quarter mile down the gravel road before seeing Colin’s truck.
Over the next hour, I camp behind a tree like a skilled hunter, only my weapon of choice is my camera and my prey is the two fuck-ups banging in the grass, smoking weed, and for the grand finale, Molly snorts a fine line of white powder off Colin’s abs.
“Come on, baby.” She reclines and taps the vile until powder falls right between her breasts.
“Can’t. If I get caught, I could lose my scholarship.”
“My dad won’t let that happen.”
Archer is everyone’s hero.
“Your dad doesn’t know about us.” He traces the outline of white powder on her chest.
“Maybe he should.”
Colin’s hand stills. “Are you serious?”
Molly bites her lip and nods.
“What about Steven?”
“He’s gone.”
“But his aunt’s still in town. Doesn’t that freak you the fuck out? Like … what the hell is she doing?” Colin asks.
“She’s a psycho bitch. I should get a restraining order against her. She’s stalking me.”
Colin rolls to his side. “I wonder why? Maybe she’s dealing with PTSD or something.”
I don’t think Colin’s an accomplice of Molly’s. An asshole of a friend to Steven? Yes. But I’m not getting the vibe that he knows about the letter or that he’s screwing an arsonist.
“I just wish she’d go home. It’s bad enough that there’s a freaking memorial for him at the school that I have to see every time I pull into the parking lot. But how am I supposed to move on when she’s everywhere?”
My hand shakes as I hold the phone, taking video. The little bitch makes me livid. I can only see red when I’m around her.
When I have ample sex and drug footage, I return to my car and call it a day.
As I pull into the driveway, my mom calls me. I send it to voicemail. She’s wondering why I’m not home. It’s a valid question. I just don’t have a good answer yet. Slinging my purse over my shoulder and clutching my phone in my hand like the world would end if I lost it, I fly up the front porch steps and inhale the mouthwatering smell of something on the grill. I think Eloise mentioned steaks.
“We’re out back,” she calls as soon as the creaking screen door snaps shut behind me.
We’re.
Jack’s here. My tummy does a little flip, but I don’t know why. I’m not fourteen. I saw him naked the other day. And sure, I’ve replayed in slow motion a few hundred times the moment he dropped his towel to the floor, but it’s only because he has so many tattoos.
And a nice cock.
And thick, defined thighs.
And an ass that makes me want to…
I shake my head, trying to erase those salacious thoughts.
“Hi.” I smile at Eloise and try my best to give Jack nothing more than a two-second glance—an afterthought—before helping myself to a glass of lemonade.
After thinking about naked Jack, it takes several long gulps before I feel my body cool again.
“You seem cheery,” Eloise says, eyeing me suspiciously.
Jack glances over his shoulder, giving me a once-over as well.
“I uh … got a massage today.”
“I’ve never had one. I don’t know how I feel about a stranger touching my naked body.”
Jack grins to himself at Eloise’s comment.
“I used to get one every week. When I had a job.” I sit next to Eloise.
“It would seem Francesca doesn’t mind strangers touching her naked body.” Jack flips the steaks.
“Oh, dear.” Eloise hides her grin behind her cupped hand.
Jack keeps a straight face. I don’t sense any humor in his not-so-casual observation.
“Human touch can be very therapeutic. And yes, sometimes it can be sensual.” I wink at Eloise.
“And sometimes it can be inappropriate,” Mr. Observant adds.
I frown at Jack, but he doesn’t look at me.