Total pages in book: 195
Estimated words: 185573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 928(@200wpm)___ 742(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 928(@200wpm)___ 742(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
I dip my head as guilt settles over me. I never realized how much pain she was carrying, and I feel like a dick for the things I said to her when we first met. She hid it well, but she’s barely holding it together right now. It makes me wonder what else she’s stuffed down beneath the veil of perfection she wears like a shield.
“That really sucks,” I tell her. “Are things getting any better back home?”
She looks up at me, and something like dread flickers in her eyes before she forces a watery smile.
“Before I left, we got a lifeline in the form of a deal with my boyfriend and his family. They own a bunch of properties, and since they’re in the middle of a transitional phase, they were in the position to offer us more contracts than my parents could ever dream of. It’s a lucrative relationship, and there was no way we could turn it down with the current circumstances. But it comes with strings.”
“What kind of strings?” I ask.
“It’s complicated.” She squeezes her hands together and shrinks in on herself. “But the point is that my relationship has now become critical to the well-being of my family. If it falls apart, they can lose the contracts, and my dad won’t be able to afford his treatments. That burden is on my shoulders now. My parents are scared I’m going to mess it up, and honestly, I am, too. There’s so much pressure on me to keep him happy. To make sure everything goes smoothly. And there’s already been talk of an impending marriage. It’s just… a lot.”
“You’re not even out of high school yet.” My pulse slows to a dull thump as I process what she just said. “You can’t seriously plan to go through with that. Tell them to find another way.”
“It’s easy to say that.” She swipes at the moisture leaking from her eyes. “But what would you do, Madden? Would you let your mom die?”
Her words feel like a punch in the gut. My mom has done a lot of fucked-up things in my life. She’s ignored Stefan’s psychotic behavior, and she’s not winning any parent-of-the-year awards. But no way in hell would I let her die. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite, but it doesn’t feel the same as Bianca’s situation. Because this isn’t theoretical. It’s her reality, and these decisions have permanent consequences. What she’s describing is trading her life for some contracts, and if her father truly loved her, I can’t imagine he'd ask her to do that just so he can have an undetermined amount of time left.
“I’m sorry your father is sick,” I say, “but there has to be another alternative. Your parents can’t seriously expect you to sacrifice yourself as a trophy for some rich prick to parade around on his arm. You deserve so much more than that.”
“It’s not that simple.” She sucks in a breath and presses her fingers to her temples. “You can’t understand, and I can’t explain it.”
“Do you even like him?” I question, not certain I want to hear her answer.
“He’s a likable guy.” She laughs, but it feels sarcastic. “Everyone loves him. He’s charming, handsome, funny. The total package. That’s what people keep telling me.” She pauses for a moment, almost as if she regrets what she just said, and I can see her mask slipping back into place. “That didn’t come out the way I meant it. It’s not like this is happening against my will. I agreed to date him in the beginning, but then these expectations got tossed in. Now it’s all been laid out for me. I want the choice to be mine, and I guess I just need some time to feel like it is.”
“So make it yours,” I say, frustration icing over my voice.
“Madden.” She reaches out and touches my hand again, and somehow, it defuses my anger. “I told you this because it’s not going to change. My situation is what it is, and I wanted to be honest with you. What I really need right now is a friend. Can you be that for me? Can you just not put any pressure or expectations on me and let us be who we are while we’re here and we have this time together?”
Her words cut deep because I can tell by the conviction in her voice she means it. She won’t stand up to her family or her rich prick boyfriend. Eventually, she’ll return to them and become their sacrificial lamb. Because she’s a good girl, and we both know she’s too good for the likes of me.
There isn’t a future for us. That’s what she’s trying to tell me. She doesn’t know I figured that out the first moment I saw her.