Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
What the hell? Who is this woman?
My jaw drops and my eyes widen, but before I can speak, a shadow falls across my face.
“Everything okay over here, Raney?” a voice twangs in a thick Southern accent.
The wench—Raney, apparently, a name that still doesn’t ring any bells for me—grins up at a man the size of a small mountain, the one currently providing shade for her, myself, and the still-yowling-and-thrashing cat. “Yep, it’s all good, Blinky. Standing my ground, like I always do. You know me, baby. I don’t let nobody push me around.” Her gaze slides back to my face, cooling several degrees as she adds, “Especially uppity little girls who like to tattle to teacher.”
The words send a lightning bolt of comprehension through my head.
Raney is Geranium aka “Raney” Gerard. Growing up, she was two grades above me and should have had better things to do than tease a little kid. But she always made time in her busy “sneaking cigarettes behind the gym” schedule to make fun of the homemade bib overall outfits my mom made me.
And my pigtails and my pink backpack with the unicorn decals and the hint of a lisp I couldn’t kick until fifth grade and several years of speech therapy.
Back then, Raney was a good foot taller than I was and nearing the danger zone on the childhood obesity scale. She was massive, mean, and terrifying to my much smaller self. Gathering the courage to tell my mom about her bullying and let Mom book a meeting with the school counselor was one of the scariest decisions I’d made up to that point in my short life. I knew Raney would be livid with me and she’d probably get in trouble, but I truly didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.
I just wanted to be able to walk the halls without someone calling me names, making fun of my clothes, or throwing spitballs into my hair.
When she was sent to the alternative school for troubled kids, I couldn’t believe it. I’d never imagined that justice would be so swift and complete, but I’d be lying if I said I was sorry. The rest of my school career was infinitely more peaceful without Raney in the picture.
Eventually, I moved on with my life and didn’t think much about my childhood bully. On the rare occasions when Geranium crossed my mind, I assumed she’d probably left town, since I hadn’t seen or heard anything about her in close to a decade.
But apparently, she’s still here in Bad Dog and dating a man named Blinky whose blunt features bloom with recognition as he asks, “Is this the one? The girl who got you kicked out of normie school?”
Raney smirks harder, like she’s enjoying the punchline to a deliciously wicked joke—a joke that’s definitely on me, though I don’t understand how just yet. “Yep. This is her. Little Miss Perfect, Starling Baxter. But you ain’t so perfect now, are you?”
I frown. “I was never perfect, Raney. I was just a kid. So were you and everything that happened between us happened a long time ago. So why don’t we forget about the—”
“Anna is one of my best friends,” she cuts in. “We do nails together in your rich bitch college town. She told me all about your boyfriend, Tyson. How you couldn’t keep him satisfied so she had to do the job for you.” She glances up at Blinky, laughing as she adds, “Tyson said this one was a real cold fish in the sack. Called her Ice Princess.” Her gaze shifts back to me, her eyes narrowing meanly as my stomach begins a prolonged, shame-filled free fall.
How could Tyson have done this? Not only cheated on me, but said such terrible things? Untrue things!
I wasn’t a cold fish.
Was I?
“Looks like you chose the perfect costume, princess,” Raney continues. “How’s it feel to know you’ll never keep a man ‘cause you’re such a stuck-up, clueless little virgin?”
“Hate to break this up, but we have to go,” Christian says from so close behind me, I flinch a little as he speaks. I was so consumed by the black hole in my stomach, I didn’t hear him cross the gravel. “Nora’s safe and the jousting starts in a few minutes. I know you didn’t want to miss it, babe.”
I turn to find him staring down at me like I’m the sun, the moon, and at least a handful of stars.
Before my “what the heck” expression can fully form, he takes my hand and leans his face close to mine, making my entire body tingle as he adds in a softer voice, “The sooner we film Matty’s ride, the sooner we can get out of here. I can’t wait to have you all to myself.” He shifts his gaze to Raney and her man. “Have a great day at the fair. Oh, and your cat chewed through his leash and made a run for it. Good luck with that.”