Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
All to make sure Bailey isn’t in attendance. By Saturday night, I think I’m out of the woods. There’s only one party left, by a guy named Donnie. A total dudebro who thinks acting like a dick would somehow make his bigger.
Donnie is a fan, so I’m not worried about crashing his party.
Or, you know, burning it to the ground if need be.
What I am concerned about when I slip out of my car, parked in front of Donnie’s house, is Thalia.
She skipped school the entire week and wouldn’t answer my messages or open the door for me. Something’s up with her, and if I wasn’t so pissed, I’d be worried.
Donnie’s parents are both architects, which means his house has twenty-foot ceilings, a handcrafted fireplace, and a swim spa the size of an Olympic pool.
As soon as I walk through the door, people clamor to congratulate me on another football win. “Hotel” by Montell Fish plays through the surround system coming from the ceilings, floors, and fuck-knows where else.
I spot Austin doing a keg stand—still fully committed to being a waste of environmental resources—and Grim leaning against the glass doors overlooking the pool, holding a red Solo cup and talking to Mac and Antonio.
I’ve been meaning to tell him I spoke to Coach about the captainship, that I’ll be stepping down soon, but between Bailey and Thalia, didn’t get the time.
Birdie hangs on my arm like we’re friends or something, pressing her lipsticked mouth to my cheek. “Ohmygod, Lev! You made it.”
“Superb observation skills, Birdie. Is Thalia around?”
Someone bows their head and slips a beer bottle into my hand silently as I stride deeper into the room full of people dancing, talking, and making out.
“No.” She makes a sad pouty face. “She’s really under the weather.”
And I will be under house arrest for breaking and entering if she continues dodging me.
I shake her off me. “Let me know if you hear from her.”
Waltzing straight to Grim, I butt into his conversation with the guys. “Seen Bailey?”
Grim turns to give me an ice-cold look.
“Hi, Grim, how are you doing? I’m doing good, thanks. How are you, Lev? Yeah. It is indeed a fine evening,” he sarcastically plays out the conversation we should have had were I not on edge and if we weren’t in the fucking twenty-first century.
“You sound like a Rosetta Stone tutorial for learning English.” I take a swig of my beer. “Where is she?”
“On my dick.” Antonio points his hand to his groin, in case anyone had any doubts as to its whereabouts. I impale him with a deadly gaze. He laughs into his beer. “Damn, Cole. Look at your face. Someone have any anal bleach? I know an asshole in need of lightening up.”
Shouldering past these idiots, I descend the stairs to the pool.
Some people are playing water volleyball, others are making out on sun loungers, and I’m immediately relieved when I can’t spot Bailey anywhere in the water.
Then my relief turns into rage when I do spot her in the corner, perched on the same lounger as Austin, laughing and smiling and existing in full color, her new, sexy persona on full display.
What. The. Fuck.
She is wearing a see-through fishnet minidress with a tiny black bikini underneath.
Guess she is pissing into cups and coming up clean every single time.
I hate the dysfunctional, drug-addict version of her, but I can’t deny she turns me on.
There’s something dangerous, wicked, and unhinged about her, and help me God, I want to tame her so that she’s bad only for me.
Austin is beyond eye-fucking her.
I’m there to see the foreplay, the oral, and the spooning afterwards. The whole damned show.
He snakes his arm around her, placing his palm on the small of her back as he dips to yell into her ear through the music.
I can’t figure out what he says, but he fishes something out of his pocket. A wad of tissue with what appears to be pills in it.
Bailey sees them and I swear her eyes look like a slot machine jackpot sign.
Ding ding ding.
He uses his knuckles to gently push her hair away from her face, murmuring into her ear, and she nods and stands up.
My pulse is through the roof as she tosses her head back, her sunshine hair running free down her back and tan shoulders.
There’s not a trace of shame or embarrassment as her muscular, lean thighs clasp Austin’s knee and she begins moving seductively, throwing her arms in the air and giving him a lap dance.
At first, I’m too stunned to realize what’s happening. My dick applauds her courage, stiffening in my pants, while my brain is plotting to cut Austin scrotum to groin and sell his inner organs to the highest bidder.
Once I digest what’s happening, I force myself to stay still, knowing damn well I could really, genuinely, literally kill the prick.