Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
And this is Austin. He's harmless. Or he used to be—I don't know him very well anymore.
I can't remember the last time I got together with people and didn't analyze the shit out of everything they said and did. I don't have to think about it anymore. It just happens whether I want it to or not. What are the chances of him trying to get close to her? What are the chances of her being into it?
Brian raises his beer to me. “Hey, have you seen Becky?”
It's like a needle scratching a record, bringing everything else in my head to a stop. All eyes turn to me, even Tatum’s, once she notices the change in the air.
“No,” I mutter, shrugging. “Should I have?”
Dex barks out a laugh while Andrew whistles. “That's pretty cold.”
Tatum arches an eyebrow but remains silent, sipping her beer instead. “I don't know what to tell you,” I offer with a dry chuckle. “We haven't run into each other.” Dex opens his mouth like he's going to say something but closes it when I give him a look that can't be misinterpreted. No Becky talk. Jesus, it's like every aspect of my past is coming back to haunt me all at once.
“They were pretty serious,” Austin tells Tatum. She only nods, and when she raises the bottle to her lips again, I notice them twitching like she's trying to hide her glee. Terrific. Like I need her to have more ammunition to use against me. I think it's about time we get out of here.
Of all times for Austin to decide to make his move, he does so by snaking an arm around her waist again and pulling her in before leaning in closer. Laughing as he does. As if that’s going to change the fact that he's going to kiss her, or try to. He closes in and her eyes widen at the last second. I can almost hear the breath catching in her throat.
And that's what does it. What makes everything around me go red. I drop the water bottle on my march around the fire, then take her by the arm and pull her away from him. She's wide-eyed, confused, sputtering. “It's time to go,” I growl, glaring at Austin in a way that can’t be misinterpreted.
“Wait... what...?” Her questions add to the general confusion, but I can barely hear them over the roaring in my head. The fucker is lucky I'm in control of my temper, or else I'd knock his ass flat.
“Why are you doing this? What is wrong? I had it under control!” Her feeble attempts at freeing herself mean nothing. I don't let go until we reach the bike, where I jam the helmet over her blonde curls before doing the same for myself.
“We're going home. That was a bad fucking idea.”
“You can't just do this.”
“Yes, I fucking well can. Or did you wanna go back there for that fucking slimeball to paw you? Is that what you want?”
“You don't have the first clue what I want!”
“Are you sure? Now come on, unless you feel like spending the night sleeping in the woods with those assholes.” She chews her lip, her eyes darting back and forth between the bike and the campsite. Nobody followed us—I'm sure they know better. They'd better hope they do, anyway.
Once I start the engine, she knows she has no choice but to climb on behind me. “This is bullshit. You're not my father, damn it!”
“No, but I'm his proxy while we're here.” All I hear is her derisive laughter in my ear as we pull away, winding down the trail leading to the road.
“His proxy? Is that what you’re calling it? Man, you've got some big opinions of yourself, don't you?”
I need to get to the road so I can pick up speed and drown her the fuck out between the engine and the wind. This is why there’s no getting along with her. She doesn’t care if she walks straight into a shitty situation, so long as she calls the shots. She’s taught me the meaning of cutting off your nose to spite your face. I’m surprised hers is still intact.
“You can't tell me what to do!” she screams, and her voice drills into my skull. “Aren't you embarrassed? You made a fucking fool of yourself back there in front of your friends. And you made a fool of me!”
Fuck this. I'm not going to spend the entire ride home being scolded. I pull over to the side of the road where the sun's angle makes the trees cast shadows over us. “Get the fuck off,” I snap while removing my helmet and tossing it onto the shoulder of the road in impotent rage. “I'm not yelling over my shoulder.”
For once, she does as she's told without arguing. “You can't do things like that!” she shouts, pulling off her helmet before stomping her foot. “That was humiliating!”