Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Ben clamps his mouth on my shoulder and bites at my flesh, causing another moan to fall from my lips. My sex spasms as he grunts, the warmth of his orgasm filling me.
“Shit,” he wheezes, his heart pounding against my chest. “Babe. . .” he breathes heavily, “that shit. . . was a total game changer.”
I attempt a lame chuckle, but I’m not sure I’m breathing yet. “How. . . so. . .?”
“Because things were said. And you can’t go back from that. Ever.” He nips at my bottom lip. Pulling me off the wall, he walks us down the hallway.
“Where are we going then?” I ask, the thrill of his response creating a buzz inside me.
“First, my bed. Then, the shower. Then, we’re gonna devour those tacos. Then, we’re making plans. Plans we’re not breaking. I’m not ever letting you go. I know a girl who has cuffs if I need them.”
My battery suddenly recharged, a full-on laugh bursts from my lips. “Any chance she has a red ball-gag and a whip? Heard those are a real crowd pleaser. Who would want to leave after a fun night like that?”
“Jesus, you’re right. We are going to kill each other.”
The way this night has panned out, I’m not sure either of us will make it out alive.
Chapter 34
Ben
“What the fuck? What happened?” I walk up to Hannah in tears. Makayla’s hiding her face. “Duckling, what happened?”
“Ben, leave it be. Not now,” Hannah begs. Normally, I would walk away, but the desperation in Hannah’s voice has my skin crawling.
“Not a chance. What did you two do now?” I know they did something even without an explanation. They’re too innocent to do anything bad. But then why does Hannah look on the verge of freaking out? Makayla still won’t turn my way. She never backs down from a fight.
“What’s the deal? Having a bad hair day? Not even Hannah can look?” The words burn like acid in my mouth.
“Just leave, Ben!” Hannah cries. She pushes at my chest, but I don’t move a muscle.
Kipley steps between us. “Han, chill. What’s up? You’re both acting strange. Do I have to tell Mom—”
“It’s not her. She didn’t do anything.”
Finally, she speaks. Her hands drop from her face, and I prepare for her comeback. It’s then I see the mark along her mouth. Something inside me snaps, and I storm up to her. “What the fuck is that? Who did this?”
“No one.”
I grab at her arm, and she flinches. Instantly, I drop my hand. “Hey, I’m not going to—”
“Going to what? Say something horrible? Tell me I’m ugly? Looks like you win this one because I am.” She drops her hand, exposing her busted lip and swollen cheek.
“Jesus, who did—?”
“Stop the act! Stop acting like the hero. This? This is no different than what you do. Whether it’s words or someone’s fist, it all hurts the same.”
“Makayla—”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare call me that name. You don’t deserve to.”
I don’t get another word out. Hannah wraps her in her arms and hurries her into the house before Kip’s parents get home.
It feels like I’m floating on clouds. I sigh as Makayla wraps her leg around my waist, her head resting on my chest. I should try to close my eyes. Get some sleep. But I can’t stop thinking about Jenny and what she said to me. She knew exactly what she was doing when she fed me that bullshit. She set me up.
“Mak?”
“Yeah?” Her voice is groggy with sleep.
“I want you to stay away from Jenny.”
“Ben. Not this again—”
“I’m serious. Something’s off with her. I think she deliberately said all that shit to me, knowing how I would react. She wanted this to happen.”
She sits up. “Wait—she was the one who told you those things? She said I was leaving?”
“She told me you were getting back together with your ex. Shit about flowers, late-night calls. He wants you back, and you don’t want to throw away a three-year marriage—”
“Yeah, I told her that, but not in that context. The flowers were sent to my classroom. I don’t even know how he knows where I work. The hang-ups. . . I assumed they were him. Ben, I never said I was getting back with him. It was the opposite.”
My blood boils. I fell right into her trap. “She’s not getting away with this—”
“Honestly, I’m just as shocked. I thought we had a good talk the other day. I didn’t realize she was still holding ill feelings. I guess she’s still really hurt.”
I sit up as well. “Hurt about what? I never led her on. I barely even spoke to her.”
“Maybe she saw it otherwise. I may have. . . instigated the situation. I don’t know—”
“Yeah. . . well, because of the shit she pulled, I came home like a raging asshole. I couldn’t stop hearing her words in my head. Thinking you were leaving. That this wasn’t real for you. The way I treated you was so fucking wrong.”