Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
I drummed my fingers along the wheel and watched River stub out his smoke. Shay nodded curtly to whatever my brother told him, and even a blind person would be able to tell that the boy was royally ticked off.
It was bittersweet to be sorry but not remorseful. The last thing I wanted was to hurt Shay, but I didn’t regret anything that’d led us to here. I couldn’t.
He rolled his eyes at something River said. My brother’s smirk followed, so maybe not everything was lost. There was a glimmer of hope. Then Riv nodded at the truck, and I read the “come on” on his lips.
They both aimed for the back seat.
As soon as River opened the door, I had my eye on them in the rearview.
Shay jumped in first and didn’t say a word.
It was okay. I’d expected this.
“Hey.” River grunted as he got in and closed the door. “We shared your burger. It was great.”
All right. Good for them.
“We going back to the house?” I asked.
River glanced over at Shay.
“Yes,” Shay muttered.
Thank fuck. As the relief washed over me, I pulled away from the curb and did my best to contain the shit-eating grin that threatened to split my face. Too soon. He was still upset.
“Shay has requested some space today,” River told me. “Because of the circumstances, our intentions, and because he sees the role he’s played in all this, he’s agreed not to go anywhere and base any decisions on anger. But we won’t bother him today—we’ll let him process things.”
I nodded, and something loosened in my chest. He was staying. “Of course.”
“Wait,” Shay said abruptly. “I wanna buy smokes.”
“I already did that—begrudgingly,” I replied. “I picked up some tees, sweats, and briefs in your size too, in hopes you’d either stay or want to keep some clothes at our place. And those potato chips you like. And, uh, a whole bucket of lollipops.”
I’d spent more time choosing lollipops than the clothes. But he’d admitted to replacing smokes with lollipops, so obviously that was my priority.
River directed a smirk out the window.
“Okay,” Shay responded, frustrated, “but I’m paying for it.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes. I. Am,” he gritted out.
“Reese,” River warned.
“I didn’t save the receipts!” I defended. “But fine, if you wanna pay…fine. Everything was a buck.”
“I swear to Christ,” Shay growled.
“And ninety-nine cents,” I coughed. “Plus tax.”
I felt for him. I could be a menace, and I didn’t see that stopping. He slumped back with a frustrated snarl and palmed his face.
Ten
Shay Acton
What the hell were they doing out there?
With an annoyed huff, I left the single bed and walked toward the window. Reese and River’s bed called to me, but I wasn’t going there. Not tonight. I had to take a stand, dammit. They’d fucking played me.
I peered out the window and folded my arms over my chest. Night owls was putting it mildly. It was two in the morning, and the music blaring out from the main house was loud. River and Reese weren’t alone. A dozen or so people had come and gone over the day, and those who’d arrived shortly after we’d had dinner were here to stay the night. River had mentioned a sub named Tate, whom I’d met briefly before. He was at munches sometimes and knew Cam pretty well.
That redheaded Domme, Penelope, was out there too. I could hear her laughter. She’d arrived after I’d said I was going to bed around ten.
Two other people I didn’t know were in the pool.
I wondered if the twins had told Penelope that the secrecy was over and if she’d driven down here because of it. All the founders had played their part in this. They’d known the gist of River and Reese’s plan to lure me here to Mclean. Penelope had even sent her ex-girlfriend Isela to convince me.
The betrayal stung as I returned to the subbie bed and sat down on the edge of it, but at some point, I had to swallow my pride and admit I wasn’t as angry as I’d portrayed. I was, for the most part, uncomfortable and bewildered. For one, I didn’t understand why these strangers cared so much. River and Reese may not be strangers anymore, but they had been when they’d made the decision to try to help me. For two, I didn’t know how to handle that aforementioned display of care and concern.
Which made me wonder if I’d punished myself enough these past two years, since I clearly didn’t accept help very well. Or see the help coming. The entire concept had become so strange to me. Because since the night I lost my parents and sister, I’d existed to be there for my brothers.
It was ultimately why I was still out here with River and Reese. I’d alienated myself and was sick and tired of it, and I wanted them to tell me enough was enough. Yet, I kept punishing myself—even right now, by being up here in the bedroom rather than out there with the two men who’d made me feel more alive than anyone else in two years.