Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
She hums softly. “Probably. I never feel that way around Remy.” She taps my chest. “Well, unless he thinks I’m hinting at my feelings for you.”
Fucking hell, that twists me up inside. That she feels that way at all. That she wants to risk telling her brother. She might be braver than I am. I haven’t made much of an attempt to approach that topic with Remy. Not yet. “Do you? I mean, have you told him?”
“No, but he’s pretty good at reading me.” She lifts an eyebrow. “Have you?”
“No. I don’t have enough to offer you yet. And he damn well knows that.”
“Offer me?” She nuzzles her nose against my neck and drags her lips across my jawline. “You’re everything to me. All I want is you.”
I trace my finger over the curve of her cheek. “You mean that? ’Cause when we tell your brother, he’s gonna have some opinions.”
She snaps her head up so quick, she slams into my chin hard enough to make my teeth clack. “Why? He loves you. You’re like a brother to him.” Her eyes widen, and she rubs her fingers over my jaw. “Oops. Sorry about that.”
“I’m fine. At least I didn’t bite off my tongue.” I work my jaw from side to side. “Anyway, I might be like a brother to him, but you’re his actual sister. He doesn’t want you tied down here.” Not to someone like me.
She snorts and wriggles away then stares at me head-on. “Remy might need to readjust his expectations. My grades are good but they’re not great. Not enough to earn me any meaningful scholarships for college. And since the situation with my dad is so weird, I can’t ask him to fill out any paperwork. Remy’s never been my official guardian or anything. I’m not emancipated. I’m basically in limbo.”
Shit. Why hadn’t any of that stuff occurred to me? “Any school would be stupid to pass on you.”
“That’s sweet but the competition is tough.”
“I’ll make sure you can go.” I cock my head. “You still want to do the audiology thing?”
Her eyes shine and she lets out a soft gasp. “You remember that?”
“Sure. It was a big deal when your Grandpa Kip got his hearing aids. You always said you wanted to do the same thing for other people.”
She snuggles up to me again. “Yes, that’s still what I want to do.” She squeezes me tight for a second. “Anyway, my brother doesn’t have permission to weigh in on my love life.”
Love. My heart thumps. What I feel for Molly goes way beyond love. “He’s never said it, but I think he worries…with my mom…”
She tips her head back and frowns. “You don’t touch drugs.”
I should’ve known she’d catch on to exactly what I was trying to say. “True. But still…”
“Our dad’s an alcoholic,” Molly says. “A nasty, violent one who treated our mom like shit even when she was sick. So Remy better keep his judgmental thoughts to himself.”
I snort. That’s not how her brother operates. “The fights—”
“Remy’s a fighter. His ring name is literally Ruthless,” she points out. “For such a smart guy, he’s got some weak arguments.”
Laughter rumbles out of me. “He’s never said any of that to me specifically.”
“Oh, I seeee,” she says in a teasing tone. “You’re the one making up all the excuses for why we shouldn’t be together?”
“No, just anticipating the discussion I’ll have with him when the time’s right.”
“Ugh, you’re not really planning some creepy ‘can I have permission to date your sister’ speech are you? That’s so gross.”
“Permission? No. But I can’t disrespect him by saying nothing at all, Molly. You said it yourself—he’s like a brother to me.” I swallow hard. “Vapor, Eraser, Remy…you—our little circle’s the only family I’ve got.”
“It’s the only family any of us have,” she says quietly.
“True.” Remy’s dad kicked him out when we were in high school, but his grandparents took him in at least. Now they’re gone. I had my mom, but I often wonder if growing up on the street might’ve been less damaging.
“I’d never want to come between you guys,” Molly says quietly.
“I won’t let that happen. That’s why I want to do things right.” It’s dangerous getting carried away right now, but I kiss her forehead anyway. “I want to give us a good life.”
“Mmm.” She sighs. “We can make a good life together, Griff. That’s what I want.”
I like the sound of that way too much.
“No one comes between us. You and me,” she murmurs, “against the world.”
“You got it,” I whisper.
Her breathing deepens and I peer down at her serene face. Everything in me wants to stay right where I am. To hold Molly all night long. But that’d be asking for trouble.
Soon.
But not tonight.
Carefully, I pull my arm out from underneath her and shift myself off the couch. I can’t leave her downstairs by herself. And if Remy comes home in the morning to find us sleeping on the couch together, lose his shit won’t begin to cover his reaction.