Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 72669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
My phone chose that moment to come back to life, and I walked around the edge of the bed, all the while glaring at the woman.
“Hello, asshole,” I said into my phone, knowing exactly who it’d be without reading the screen to confirm it.
“What are you doing?” He asked. “Did you hang up on me?”
I laughed.
“Oh, no. I didn’t hang up on you. But would you have told me that there was a woman in your bed if my phone hadn’t died?” I asked sweetly, a bitter taste in my mouth.
“I told you my ex-wife was there for the night,” he said. “And not to scare her.”
I pursed my lips.
He might have said that.
I hadn’t heard it all, though.
“How convenient,” I hissed, narrowing my eyes at the woman that was now smiling.
Now that I was able to see past her nakedness, I realized who it was.
Knowing who the fuck it was didn’t make the hurt any better. In fact, it only intensified.
“She’s getting married tomorrow,” he sighed. “And I would’ve told you, but it was last minute. By the time I knew, you had already told me goodnight.”
I growled in frustration.
Then, for good measure, I hung up on him for real.
Then, I left.
I couldn’t stay here.
I didn’t think I could ever stay in that bed again, either.
The more I thought about it, the more upset I got.
Then I was in the garage and starting up the stupid truck before Aaron filled the door.
He didn’t look bad, per se, but he sure as hell didn’t look good, either.
The burns he’d sustained were located on one side of his body only, meaning he looked bad on only one side.
His left side was completely…fucked up.
There was no other word for it.
It was all raw, rough skin.
Parts of his body were more healed than the others, and even the healed parts didn’t look as good as his unmarred skin did.
He came up to my window as I sat in the truck fuming.
“You know he’s just going to come get you in the morning, right?” He probed, a slight laugh lilting his voice.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“What are you doing out of the hospital?” I asked, changing the subject.
I didn’t want to talk about Booth right then.
Possibly not anytime soon, either.
“Got out this afternoon,” he explained. “And I couldn’t go home.”
No, I didn’t guess he could.
“How’d you get home?” I asked.
“Cab,” he answered, making my lips thin.
“Why didn’t you call your parents?” I continued.
He sighed.
“I didn’t want to,” he snapped.
I held my hands up and reached for the ignition.
Aaron stopped me by placing his hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve never seen him this happy in the last ten years,” he told me softly.
I sighed and looked at my hands that were now clenched tightly together in my lap.
“Your brother scares the shit out of me,” I said. “He has the power to break my heart like no one else on this earth.”
Aaron ran his hand over my hair, messing it up and making the bun slip slightly to the side.
I smiled and looked up at him, my eyes staying pinned on his gaze.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Aaron,” I said. “You scared the shit out of me.”
He smirked grimly at me.
“Not really sure you would call this okay,” he shrugged. “But I’m glad I didn’t get dead, either.”
I reached my arm out the window and punched him in the good shoulder.
“Go to bed,” I said. “I’m going home.”
I looked up as the woman, now thankfully dressed, came out of the garage.
She had a fingernail in between her teeth as she stared at the two of us.
I narrowed my eyes and started up the truck.
I didn’t care why Booth and the woman broke up.
She had what I didn’t, and I couldn’t ever like her, even if she was nice like Booth said.
She would forever represent a part of my life that I could never get back. A part where I cried myself to sleep every night. A simple slice of my existence that would’ve been forever better had he been there with me.
And she was pretty to boot, so no, I didn’t fucking like her. And probably never would.
“Peace out, bitch,” I said to Aaron and put it into reverse.
The woman flinched and watched with wide eyes as I backed the truck out and closed the garage after me.
I did notice, though, that Aaron smiled at me as I went.
It wasn’t enough.
I was still pissed.
So what did I do?
I got piss roaring drunk, that’s what.
Pulling into the only gas station that I knew would serve me beer this late in the night, I walked in with a purpose.
The bells jingled as I pulled the door open.
“What are you doing up this early, girl?” The man, my dad’s best friend, wondered.
“Hi, Carlos,” I beamed. “I’m out of beer.”
Carlos’ eyes narrowed.