Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I don’t need to look at Cooper to know that the idiot is actually pouting.
“First of all,” I say, ignoring the fact that I’m still wearing Sparrow’s suit jacket. “How could I when you didn’t even know where I was?”
He grabs the keys out of his pocket, and I snatch them from the palm of his hand. “Second, it’s irrelevant.”
“Well, good…” His arm hooks with mine as he leads us to the Jeep. “Because my sister is getting married, and I totally need you there for moral support.”
“You have moral support from your girlfriend!” I unlock the car and slide into the driver’s seat. “Remember her?”
“Nope.” He slams the passenger door closed once he’s inside, turning to face me as I put the car in reverse. “She dumped me. Like for real this time.”
I believe him. I love my best friend, but he is a lot to deal with, which is not to say that those people who are a lot to deal with don’t deserve love, because they do, but love isn’t a one size fits all, and unfortunately, until you find the right fit for your glove, everything else up to that point is going to be uncomfortable.
I drive us out of the parking lot and onto the road. “I can’t keep defending your poor choices, Coop.”
He chuckles, looking out the window. Anything to distract him from facing me. “I know. But you love me anyway.”
“I do love you, but I still hate cheaters.”
Silence. Every time I bring up Cooper’s compulsive cheating, it always ends like this or us fighting. I promised I wouldn’t judge him, but I made that promise when I was four years old, and he told me he wanted three wives who all didn’t know each other existed. Shit is different now. Now, people are getting hurt.
“I’m just saying, have you thought about an open relationship?” I ask, looking between him and the road.
I can’t believe I’ve been the person basically kidnapped and held hostage on a damn island for twenty-four hours. But this is good. Deflection without him knowing.
“Hey, how did The Game go? Sucks, huh. No one ever fucking wins. What is with that?”
The words slip from my tongue but go right back down my throat. Seems he’s also good at deflection. Figures. Birds of a feather and all that.
“Yeah…I didn’t make it.”
“Did your map take you home too? So weird. They make us all meet in that house, all to what? Send us home. It’s fucked.”
So that’s what was supposed to happen.
“Yeah, bizarre!” I pull down our street, grinning at Cooper when his laughter dies, and he shuffles up his chair.
“Holy shit.”
Bright red and blue lights flash from the cop cars parked on the side of the street. My stomach twists and turns, but there are a hundred houses down this street—it could be anyone. The chance of it being Cooper or me is slim. Maybe it’s Whisper Manor.
“Wait—Shi…” His voice dies out, and the closer I get to my house, the more police cars I see. As soon as the EMT van outside my house comes into view, my bones seize, and my gut drops to the ground. Something isn’t right.
I slam on the brakes in the middle of the road and tear off my seat belt before shoving open the driver’s door. Colors blur around me, someone grabs me by the arm, but I see nothing. Nothing but the white front door I grew up walking in and out of.
Officers step outside, blocking my view, but I shove away from whomever is holding me back. One officer catches me in his arms, standing me upright, and then it happens. My world crumbles around me when a gurney is wheeled out with a black bag on top of it.
“No!” I scream so loud my throat burns.
Shoving away from the officer, I reach for the bag and pull the zipper down. There has to be a mistake. No way. Maybe it’s Mom’s cleaner or friend—she would be fine. This would never happen to me.
My stomach swishes like a washing machine as my hand flies to my mouth. My mother’s face is pale, her skin beige. Purple welts around her eyes sink in, and her lips are gray. She looks nothing like she did the last time I saw her, and even now, I feel the memories of her slowly fading away.
“Shi!” I can hear Cooper’s voice, but I don’t want to.
Commotion blows up behind me, but my legs won’t move. Cemented to the ground, my body starts to shake as I slowly fall.
“Hey!” I feel arms curl around my back. “Fuck off!” They shuffle me into a hard chest before he softens his voice into the crook of my neck. “Hey…come on.”
“Look, I understand who you are, but you can’t go in there. It’s a crime scene.”