Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“You can call your parents…” He sounded slightly panicked now.
“Banner, my parents aren’t millionaires. And neither are yours,” she reminded him. “Though, I could move back home.”
That was an immediate no.
“Absolutely not,” Banner disagreed.
“Just because they’re not around, doesn’t mean that they won’t love you,” Ari murmured quietly, bringing everyone’s attention to her.
CHAPTER 3
Until your unsolvable murder do us part.
-decorative plate
CARISTONIA
All eyes came to me, most of them questioning how I would know such a thing.
“What?” Banner asked.
“Just because they’re not around, doesn’t mean that they won’t love you,” I repeated.
“What do you mean?” Banner wondered.
“Well.” I shrugged. “My mom and I have a great relationship. But, saying that, she didn’t live with us. She hated the circus. She hated the constant moving and seeing my dad with other ladies. But my dad loved us and wanted us with him, and my mom decided that her happiness was more important than staying in the circus and a legal battle. She chose to find a more permanent home in the Florida Keys and left us behind. But that didn’t mean that she loved us, or we loved her, any less. When stuff happened that was bad, like my first break-up, she was the first person I called. And if she could, she’d fly to me, and we’d spend the weekend together. But she was always my constant.” She gestured toward the water park at her back. “My family is great. Most of the time. I could talk to them about anything. But she’s always there anytime I need her, and I know it. Whether she’s physically there or not, she’s always my first call.”
Banner placed his hand to his heart. “That took the edge off of thinkin’ she’d love someone more than me.”
“Trust me when I say, you know who your family is.” I stood up and started gathering my things.
I was still so freakin’ mad that I couldn’t see straight. If my sister were over here right now, I’d rear back and punch her right in the mouth.
“Where are you going?” Briley asked curiously.
“I’m leaving,” I said. “I have the next month off. And I’m really not supposed to leave for a couple days. I was going to sneak out early anyway and leave yesterday, but then my sister begged me to come here. And so I came. But I’m not staying here after she almost killed me.”
Maybe if I got out of here before they all came back, I wouldn’t want to murder them.
Titus raised his brows. “She almost killed you?”
I allowed my eyes to fall onto the football player and, in turn, his daughter.
Titus was a big dude. He looked even bigger sitting next to his tiny daughter.
The two of them together, though? They were cute as hell.
He had on a black t-shirt and swim trunks that matched his daughter’s swimsuit. His daughter, Annabelle, was playing on her tablet at his side, but periodically glancing up to check out her surroundings. Titus had his bulky arm wrapped around her, and Annabelle was using his arm as a rest for her head.
“My sister knows that I don’t do heights, and I don’t do drops on slides. She told me that the last one I was on was a normal slide, which is the only reason I did the height.” I paused. “And heights literally scare the absolute bejesus out of me, and now I want to kill her. If I don’t leave now, I might very well do it.” I looked at the two little girls. “Sorry.”
Titus grinned. “They’ve grown up the football life. They actually travel with us twenty-four-seven, three-sixty-five. Other than the month that’s about to come up that they’re spending with his mom and dad”—he pointed to Banner—“they’ve never spent any time apart from us. And let’s just say, we didn’t shelter them at all. It was rather impossible to.”
Slone started gathering his own things. “We might as well all get out of here. Y’all said y’all were going to leave anyway at noon.” Slone jerked his chin toward Banner. “And we’ve been outed and I have no doubts that all those sneakily brought in phones will start making an appearance soon.”
“I already packed up our shit. This place is for the birds,” Titus grumbled. “You ready, Freddy?”
Annabelle looked up at him. “Only if you carry me. I’m exhausted.”
“You went on three slides,” he countered as he picked her up like she was a doll and tucked her underneath his arm.
Annabelle, obviously used to this, continued to watch her silent tablet.
My eyes went to Banner who started tucking his kid into the car seat.
Seconds later, we were heading out, not bothering to leave any of my family a note.
Maybe they’d think I was dead and not try to contact me.
Then again, that would be too easy.
My sister would try to resurrect me just to have someone to torture for the rest of her life.