Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 777(@200wpm)___ 622(@250wpm)___ 518(@300wpm)
I crack a smile. “Yeah, and I don’t think I have the temperament to escape a kidnapping unscathed. If she comes for me, it was nice knowing you.”
“I’ll plant some flowers in the garden in your honor,” she promises.
I shake my head, but then I catch Hannah’s gaze drifting to my mouth and jaw in a weird way, and I realize this is a lipstick party. “There’s lipstick all over my face, isn’t there?”
Hannah nods. “You look like a Smurf.”
“Great.” I walk over to her old dresser and cringe at the blue smeared along my jawline and down my neck. My lips have turned from yellow to green.
So much evidence of Landon’s mauling.
Hannah follows me, inspecting the damage. “They’re novelty lipsticks so they’re not exactly high-quality. It smeared everywhere.”
“I cannot go home like this. I need some makeup remover.”
“I can grab you some.”
“Landon is supposed to be going home after the party. Mom will wait up for me, but once I’m home, she’ll go to bed. If he doesn’t come home until later…”
I need to put a deadbolt on my door.
… Or not go home.
I turn around, looking at the lonely bed on the other side of the room.
When Hannah slept in here, the room was full of her stuff, but since her stepmom unceremoniously kicked her out of it last year and sold most of Hannah’s stuff, it’s barren now. Just a big, fancy bed in the middle of a huge, empty room.
The bedding is still on it, though.
I look back at Hannah. “Do you think Jackie would freak if I stayed over tonight?”
“There’s not really room on my twin bed in the attic,” she says, also glancing at her old bed. Her gaze is more haunted than mine, though. I suppose it must be odd to look at the place that used to be hers and not be allowed to occupy it anymore.
“I hate that woman,” I state.
I don’t have to say who. Hannah knows, and she nods sadly. She doesn’t allow that feeling to linger, though. I can practically see her shove it away, and her face transforms with a mischievous, dimpled smile. “You know what? She’s not here tonight because of the party. We can totally sneak in here if you want to. We’ll just have to be quiet so Anae doesn’t hear us.”
Would I rather dodge Anae tonight, or Landon?
Anae is probably safer in this particular instance.
“Let’s do it. Can I just stay in here now? I don’t really want to go back to the party.”
Hannah nods. “I’ll grab you some makeup remover, a phone charger, and some snacks. Do you need me to bring up anything else?”
I shake my head. “I think I’m good. Thanks, Hannah.”
“Of course.” She pulls the door closed on her way out, but looks back at me before shutting it completely. “Lock this door in case he finds his way back up here. I’ll knock when I need you to open it.”
___
Once Hannah clears the last guest from the house, I go downstairs to help her clean up the mess from the party.
I can see she’s exhausted, so I tell her, “Why don’t you go take a shower? Let me finish up down here. That way you can get to bed sooner.”
Hannah shakes her head, sweeping up spiced jackfruit someone carelessly dropped out of their taco earlier. “It’s okay. Not like I’ll be able to fall asleep, anyway.”
I start to ask why, but when I turn, she’s heading for the kitchen.
Finally, every surface is sparkling and we’re able to head upstairs. Anae has been asleep for hours, so Hannah and I shower in separate bathrooms so we can get to bed sooner.
When I make it back to her old bedroom and climb beneath the covers, Hannah is still in her old bathroom. She comes out after brushing her teeth with her hair loosely braided and a few blonde tendrils hanging loose around her face. She’s wearing a pale blue tank top and a pair of white sleep shorts. She flashes me a smile as she hops on the bed and slides her legs beneath the blanket.
“This bed is so much more comfortable than mine,” she states.
“I mean, it is your bed.”
“Not anymore,” she singsongs rather lightly as she pumps some lotion into her palm, then offers some to me.
I take a pump, my gaze locked on her face. “Did Jackie ever tell you why she was evicting you?”
Hannah shakes her head as she rubs the lotion into her skin. “She didn’t need to. I don’t want to talk about that.” Her gaze drifts to my jawline, no longer smeared with cheap blue lipstick, but her mind obviously replaying when it was. “I do want to talk about what happened between you and Landon earlier.”
“And I want you to finish telling me about Dare. You didn’t get to before the stupid party started.”