Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
“Where?” Kai asks briskly.
“To study,” I respond.
“I wasn’t finished yet,” he says.
I throw him a warning glare. “I am. Don’t follow us.”
When I walk off with her, I half expected him to hunt me down and make me stop, but he doesn’t. He just stays between the roses and lets the flakes fall onto his body, as though he intends to remain there as a watchful guardian, never swaying from his post, never tempted to go anywhere else but exactly where I left him.
Waiting.
For me.
And with every step I take through the crackling snow I can feel the ice that had frozen my heart crack with it.
Nathan
Later that day
“Up!” Rory squeals when I lift her up from the ground and onto the stump. “Down!”
I grasp her and hold her like an airplane, zooming her through the air, and she squeals again with delight.
“Up!”
I put her back on the stump, ready for another takeoff, when someone behind me clears their throat.
“Reliving your childhood?” Crystal muses, making me turn my head.
“Oh, hey, didn’t see you there,” I reply. I turn to Ro and say, “Go play by yourself a little.”
“Okay, but only if you promise to take me for another ride after,” Ro bargains.
I roll my eyes and hold out my hand. “Deal.”
With a gleeful smile on her face she shakes my hand before running off towards the nearest slide.
“You’ve got a handful with her,” Crystal murmurs.
“Yeah, she’s gonna be a wild one when she’s grown, that’s for sure,” I reply.
“Cute.”
I sit down on the bench and take a much needed breath. “Got a study break?”
“Yeah, but not because I wanted one.” She laughs awkwardly. “I wanted to ask you something but I don’t know how.”
“What?”
“You and Lana … you’re a thing now?”
My pupils dilate and a blush creeps onto my cheeks. “Uh … who told you that?”
“Well, she kinda gave it away.” She snorts. “And then also because Milo was basically worshipping her in front of us and spilled the beans.”
I slam my hand against my face and rub my eyes. “Oh God.”
She giggles. “I just thought maybe you wanted to know she told us.”
“Who else knows?”
“Her friends. Irina and Brooke.”
I groan out loud, and it only makes her giggle more.
“That wasn’t even the most awkward part. I actually caught her kissing Kai in the rose garden.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? So you know they’re a thing too?”
I shrug. “We’re a mess. I’m not gonna lie.”
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “But I thought you were into … boys?”
“I am. I never said I wasn’t. Lana just makes us crazy.”
“Ahhh …” She rubs her lips together. “That explains it.”
“What?”
“Well, Kai almost looked like he wanted to kill me for intervening,” she says, chuckling, but it’s not an amused chuckle at all. More like she’s surprised she’s still alive after crossing his path, and I don’t blame her at all.
“Sorry about that. He’s very protective of her.”
I feel the same way, but I trust Crystal.
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“Are you upset I didn’t tell you?” I ask her, curious what she thinks.
“No,” she replies, smiling. “It’s just that, of all the people you could’ve gone for, Lana Rivera is the one?”
Now I’m smiling too. “Yeah … Fate is funny, isn’t it?”
“You know Felix is going to kill you three if he finds out, right?” she says. “He’s been trying to find a reason to start up the feud again according to Penelope.”
I smirk, sliding my tongue along my teeth as my blood begins to curdle. “Oh I’m ready.”
“I love being friends, but don’t involve me in this madness, okay?” she asks.
“Don’t worry.” I wink. “I won’t put you in danger.”
“Good. Because I don’t intend to stop being friends with Penelope and the Skull & Serpent guys either, just so you know.”
“I know. I don’t expect you to,” I reply.
She gets off the bench. “Speaking of which, they’re probably wondering where I am. We’ve agreed to have a little get-together with everyone at Fi’s Cups and Cakes.” She licks her lips. “And I am not passing up on the opportunity to eat more cupcakes.”
“Nathan! Airplanes!” Ro calls from the other end of the playground.
“And that’s my cue,” I muse.
Crystal walks off. “See you around!”
“Have fun at your little get-together,” I reply as I walk toward my sister. “And if you get the chance, throw one in Felix’s face for me, will you?”
She laughs. “One day I’m gonna get you to do it yourself!”
“Not in a million years!” I retort, on my way to Ro.
She winks. “In a million and one, then.”
KAI
That night
Even though it’s the middle of the night, plenty of Phantoms are still awake, playing games together, talking with each other, fucking in their rooms with their girlfriends or boyfriends. The place comes alive during the night.
But it all feels so empty when I don’t have her.