Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Don’t do that. Do not let me off the hook like that. I can’t handle it.”
I opened my eyes to look at her perfect face. Her heart-shaped mouth with the beauty mark right above the corner of her lip, the slightly upturned nose, and those aquamarine-colored eyes. It was painful sometimes to see just how beautiful she was.
“I’m not letting you off the hook. It’s just the facts. No reason to get worked up over it.”
“You are upset. It’s all over your face. I fucking hate myself,” I said, reaching out and pulling her to me in a hug.
She smelled so good. This was what I’d needed last night. Why had I drunk so much?
“We can celebrate tonight. Have our tradition with me sober and right here with you all damn day.”
That was what we needed. What I needed. I wasn’t going to feel right without it.
“I can’t,” she said against my chest.
I pulled back and looked down at her. “Why not? You’ve already got all the stuff. We don’t need to waste it. Besides, I want my cupcake, and I need to blow out my candle and make a wish.”
She let out a soft laugh. “We can do that this morning. And I packaged up all the snacks and put them in a bag for you to take.”
“No!” I said, shaking my head.
I wasn’t fucking taking anything. We were eating them right here on this damn sofa. She was going to curl up next to me as we watched movies.
“We’re having our movie night.”
Genesis sighed and stepped back from me. “I’m leaving, Kye. I’m going to take the summer semester at school.”
My world felt like it had just stopped spinning. Panic sank its claws into me.
“What? You’re leaving me because I messed up last night? I’m sorry! I swear to God, I will make it up to you all summer. I’m yours. We will have movie nights every night. I won’t get drunk or go to the strip club. Just you and me.”
Genesis put her hand on my chest, and I reached up and covered it with both of mine. She had to stay. All I got of her anymore was the summers. I could convince her.
“It’s not about last night. I registered for it back in April. I was going to tell you, but you’ve been busy, and we haven’t seen much of each other since I got here three weeks ago. You’re immersed in your life here, and I get that. This was something I’d been considering since last summer. I left most of my things at my apartment back in Savannah. I thought I’d get a chance to talk to you about it, but you canceled on me last week, and I’m not complaining. Just pointing it out. You had to handle an issue with the underworld and all. Anyway, I planned on discussing it with you last night. But …” She gave me that sad smile again. “I start my job tonight. I have to leave in an hour if I’m going to get there in time.”
She was leaving me. The only light I had in my world was really walking out that door. And it was my fault. She’d been here for three weeks, and we had barely had time together. I’d been busy, but even when I could have made time for her, I hadn’t. As much as I hated it, she had a life in Savannah. One with friends and a job. Here, I was the only thing she had, and the deeper I got into the workings of the family, the less time I had to be with her. I wanted her happy more than I wanted my next breath. Even if it meant letting her leave me.
“I’m gonna miss you so fucking much,” I told her. The thick emotion in my voice was impossible to mask.
She turned her hand over and clasped mine in hers. “I’ll miss you too. But life is changing for both of us. You’ll always be my best friend. That won’t ever change. Even if we aren’t in the same city.”
I pulled her back to me and wrapped my arms around her.
Genesis Stoll had been the best thing in my life since the day she’d walked into my backyard and ruined my eighth birthday party. Every good memory I had, she was in it. When life got dark, she was the thing I reached for to keep me sane. I was selfish with her. I always had been. This time, I wasn’t going to be. I loved her too much to hold her back.
Two
Genesis—Twenty Years Old
June 17
The music was pumping through the speakers so loud that it was hard to hear Quinn, my roommate and backup best friend—or at least, that was what she called herself. I leaned closer to her, moving the tray in my hand over so I didn’t spill the shrimp cocktails I was serving.