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)
“Let’s go swim?”
I shake my head, unable to hide my laugh. “Fine, but are you going to tell me whose mansion we’re partying at?” I wiggle my brows while shuffling out of my dress until I’m standing in nothing but my bikini.
The weather is hot and humid, the swell of the waves thick and domineering. Damn. I really wish I brought my board now. Sneaking it past Cooper would have proved difficult, though. He would never allow me to bring it to a party, especially one of this caliber. Whosever mansion it is that sits behind us. Lights line the pathway toward a little gate that stays open and leads up to the backyard, where there is a pool, and a DJ is set up on the patio playing music. It is obvious that there are a lot more people here than usual. We can party, but there are always dungy backyard keggers.
I shove my dress away, kicking it to the corner and watching as Cooper slowly closes the distance between us. The sweet smell of burning marijuana fills my nostrils and I smile, turning my head to where a group of people are seated. I like weed. More than I like alcohol, but I’m tired of all the vaping. I like it old school. I like the sound of blunt papers crackling when I inhale, and the smell of freshly burned grass.
“Whose house is this?” I hook my arm in his, ready to make my way to the water when he turns over his shoulder, his smile falling. Whosever house this is, it is directly beside Whisper Manor—or—I pale when I squint my eyes.
It is fucking Whisper Manor!
“Who bought it?” I gape at Cooper.
“Honestly, you probably don’t want to know.”
I turn over my shoulder to follow his line of sight when my stomach falls to my feet and heat rushes through my veins. Someone is calling out to me, but I hear nothing. See nothing but him. My lip curls up, my fists clenching.
“Now, now…” Cooper rushes forward, his arm hooking around my waist to hold me there. “Look at me.” When I don’t spin around to face him, he forces me back around, his finger beneath my chin to bring my eyes up to his. “He isn’t worth it.”
“Oh, but he is…” I step to the side of Cooper; a direct path leading me to my nemesis.
Dion Quinn. Girls surround him and other guys are behind him like a loyal pack of wolves. Loyal only because they don’t know that their leader is a complete fucking asshole. That’s not true…most of them do know. They just don’t care.
Cooper’s hand is on my shoulder, stopping me before I can take another step. My eyes fly up to his, narrowing when he doesn’t move. “Baby girl, you and I both know I have your back, but this will not help.”
“What? I just want to say something.”
Cooper’s arm hooks into mine as he directs me back toward the water. Waves crash against the white sand, and I dip my toes in when we’re close enough, my shoulders sagging as relief washes through me at the first touch of the ocean.
“He—”
“—will definitely not remember, Shi. You won’t have to worry about that at all.”
Even though I know Cooper’s words are supposed to be reassurance for me, they do nothing to calm my erratic heart beating in my chest. Or the way my blood pressure rose to unnatural levels at the first sight of Dion fucking Quinn. I should have known. Of course it’s the rock star who owns Whisper Manor and is throwing this party. No one else our age could, and as much as he’s the most famous musician of our generation, the fact that he’s back in Hades Hollow should be the question I’m asking. Not why he bought that haunted shell of a house.
“I’m surprised there are no paparazzi,” I snicker, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply as I shift my way through the soft curling currents.
Dion Quinn is a Hades Hollow native. He was born and raised in this town, just like I was. As small as Hades Hollow is, having a big-timer come up from the sand dunes of our beach town has only made it smaller. Our parents all know each other and then some. Cooper is probably right. There’s no way he would remember or even care why I’m still pissed with him. He was plucked out of high school soon after the incident. Practically raised by flashing lights and screaming girls. Bet his ego is even bigger than I remember.
I curl my hands forward and dive straight over an incoming wave. The water rushes through my ears, and for a brief moment, I forget that I’m at a house party or that the only person whom I’ve ever hated is sitting a few feet away.