Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Cupboards opened then closed then Connor guffawed. “What? You think she’s just chillin’ out in the fridge?”
“I don’t know,” Lee sounded engrossed. “She’s small. She could be anywhere. Like when you lose your gerbil. You damn well know it’s not in the freezer but you’re still gonna check.”
Hell let out a bark of laughter.
“What’s he cackling at?” Lee questioned.
Noah covered for us. “He’s watching something on his phone.”
From beside him, I threw my hand over Hell’s mouth and whisper-hissed, “You’re giving us away!”
“Goddammit,” Lee murmured, then shouted, “Emmy!”
Hell’s body shook and when he nipped my palm, I accidentally smacked his face. My whispering turned frantic. “Oh God. I’m so sorry.” He kept laughing and I immediately smoothed the place I hit. “I didn’t mean to.”
When we heard Lee coming down the hall, we both stilled. He knocked on the bathroom door. “Emmy?” Obviously, I didn’t answer, and Lee thumped on the outside of Hell’s cubby. “You seen Emmy?”
Hell looked right into my eyes and uttered a tickled, “What, you think she’s in here with me or some shit?”
“Fuck!”
At his heated response, Hell and I both made faces of amused surprise. Lee was getting pissed. I suddenly didn’t want to come out. Maybe Hell would let me bunk in his cubby for the rest of the tour. He could bring me bits of food so I didn’t starve. Lee would never find me.
Ping.
Uh oh.
Another moment passed then my cell phone chimed in my pocket for a second time. Hell and I both looked down at it, and Lee laughed out loud. “Oh, ho, ho. I got you now.” My phone repeatedly chimed loudly and I could hear Lee opening up every bunk. “You’re in here somewhere, kid, and God help you when I find ya.”
Ping.
In a moment of panic, I dropped the game console and scrambled to retrieve my cell but the second I grabbed it, Hell hissed, “Don’t take it out, cover it!”
Ping.
Lee climbed into the cubby beside us and let out a singsong, “Someone’s in trouble.”
Ping.
It was too late. The phone was out of my pocket and in my hand when…
Ping.
That was loud.
Really loud.
And Lee heard it. “You’re fucking dead, Hell!”
Hell figuratively threw me under the bus when he let out a bout of laughter. I tried to cover his mouth but he pulled away from me and I smacked at his back.
That was when the curtain opened and Lee peered in, his murderous eyes beaming in on me.
“Uh,” I stated weakly with a smile. “Someone’s in here?”
Lee reached in and pulled me out in one swift move. I squeaked and then I was being lifted. He held me bridal style, walking me back down the aisle.
How ironic.
“Lee,” I tried to reason with him. “I admit it was childish but I didn’t even know about that stupid game until you showed it to me and now I’m addicted. So, really—” I was evidently no good at reasoning. “—this is your fault.”
He walked me to the sofa and dumped me unceremoniously. I landed on my stomach with an oomph and my hair fell over my face.
He sounded like a father who was severely disappointed in his daughter. “What do you have to say for yourself, kid?”
Using my fingers, I parted my hair and peeked up at him. I bit my lip and muttered a quiet, “I have a problem?”
His nose bunched in annoyance and he waved me off, walking away with his Nintendo Switch. I turned to my left and Noah sat by me, grinning. “Hi.”
I smiled in return. “Hi.”
“I’m bored.” From the table, Connor strummed out a pretty tune on his guitar. “Hey, Emmy, wanna fuc—”
He didn’t even need to say it this time. “No.”
“Ah, you’re no fun,” murmured Connor.
Noah chuckled to himself, and I felt so at home it hurt.
Chapter Nine
Leap of Faith.
Emmy
New York was different than what I imagined it would be. It certainly was a concrete jungle. The guys had a show last night and another tonight. Madison Square Garden was the venue and it never got old, seeing old fans but new faces, singing along to Left Turn’s songs.
The guys were spending the afternoon doing promo at a local radio station. Although it was normally interviews and the same ten questions being asked in different ways, today was different. Left Turn were doing acoustic covers of some of their songs.
It was early and I sat on the sofa in the penthouse suite with Hell sitting between my legs. I was braiding his hair in the new style he liked. Two days ago, he’s shaved the sides of his hair down to the scalp, leaving the top long. I called this look Modern Viking.
Lee sat on the sofa opposite us painting his nails black while Noah lay next to me in his boxers, watching the news, his head resting against my thigh. Every now and then, Noah would reach under my thigh, wrapping a strong arm around it, using me as a pillow.