Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
She barely trusts you already floats through my head, and my chest twinges.
I pull off on the side of the road, my chest heaving, and I hadn’t even realized how tightly I’ve been holding myself today with the stress of Dane, sneaking into Liam’s bedroom, getting Dad home, taking my brother to his first session this afternoon, watching my father run around and call three lawyers and get them over to the house.
Just turn around and go back.
I throw my head back against the headrest and let out a roar as I shake the wheel. I can’t. I can’t betray my own brother. Because no matter how confused Dane is, I know, I know, I know he had nothing to do with what Liam did, and she’ll understand that.
Composing myself, I pull back onto the road, and a few minutes later, I turn into Chance’s driveway and get out.
I knock, and he opens the door. “You look like shit,” is his greeting. Then, his shoulders slump. “Look, about today, if you really care about her then—”
“We need to talk.”
He shrugs his shoulders, a resigned look on his face. “You and Ava, I heard you loud and clear—”
“Dane knows what happened that night. I need you. I really need you for the shit that’s about to go down.”
Chance starts, his eyes widening as he searches my face. He opens the door fully. “Come in. We can talk upstairs.”
20
After I leave Knox, I walk into the dorm, and the security guard, an older man in a uniform, checks my ID. “Miss Harris?”
“The one and only. My room is 312.”
“Someone dropped off something for you,” he says then turns and grabs a vase of flowers on the desk behind him.
I gawk.
He sets them on the counter. Creamy white roses and fernlike greenery hang over the sides of the container. These aren’t just regular roses; they’re fully bloomed and lush, the velvety petals begging to be touched.
A little smile comes from him. “There’s a card.”
Staring down at the blooms, I take them and head to the elevator, wondering who they’re from. Knox?
I could take the stairs, but my legs ache. I really need better shoes when I work. Someday. When I get enough money tucked away, I’ll buy some things for myself. Maybe some of those twinkle lights for my room.
Fingering the folded note, I exit the elevator and head to my door, but I’m too curious to wait until I get inside to read the card. I open it.
Ava,
I didn’t plan on sending these, but when I saw them, they looked like they belonged in your hands. This time last year, we were together. You were the best thing I ever held, and I MESSED UP. I own it. I’m guilty of hurting you with my words, guilty of leaving you alone at a party when I should have taken care of you. I’m sorry over and over a million times. It’s okay if you never forgive me, just know I will never forget you, the first girl I ever loved.
Chance
I flip the card against my finger.
“Oh, those are gorgeous.”
It’s Camilla, coming down the hall with a load of laundry in her hands, wearing Star Wars pajama pants and a Camden shirt.
See? We should be friends.
I attempt a smile. “Yeah, they’re pretty. Um, sorry about hitting you with the water balloon last night. I was aiming for those rabid freshman girls.”
She smiles shyly. “Ah, don’t worry about it. Did Knox send those?”
Ugh. No. “Chance.”
She makes a murmuring noise. “I heard about his big apology in class.”
“Word travels fast.”
“It is high school and we thrive on gossip, and you being back is the craziest thing to happen since I’ve been here. You going to forgive him?”
An unforgiving heart is like rat poison to the one who holds it. One of the nuns told me that once and it’s always stuck with me, mostly when I think about my mom. Forgiving Chance? I glance back down at the flowers. I don’t think…what do I think? It definitely wasn’t Chance’s voice I heard when the person hit me in the back of the head, no, not his…
I let out a sigh. Everything is so muddled right now.
Her next words catch me by surprise. “I’ve always believed you.”
I don’t have to ask what she means.
Her face scrunches up. “I hung out with the Sharks freshman year. I’d just moved here from California, and no one warned me what dicks they can be.”
I’m instantly at attention. “You dated one of them?”
She stares down at her laundry, toying with the edges of the basket. “Ha. You could say that.”
Goose bumps rise on my arms at her quiet tone. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She starts, frowning. “God, no. Don’t mind me.” She pauses. “How’s Astley?”
I tell her she’s fine as far as I know, then, “It wasn’t Knox, was it?”