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)
He snorted. “And why would they think that?”
“Well, to be truthful, I think he was protecting me vocally, trying to explain away my absolute freak out as I went down the waterslide, and people just jumped to conclusions,” I explained. “Then he allowed them to think whatever they wanted because they kept looking at his daughter, and he would rather have the focus more on me I assume than his child.”
“Understandable,” he said. “Okay. Let me know where you wind up going tomorrow. If you don’t, I’ll start to look for you, and that won’t be as fun of a vacation for you.”
I knew he’d look for me, too. Possibly show up.
And I certainly didn’t want that.
“I’ll send you locations as I get to them. Then let you know when I leave.” I paused. “Love you, Keene.”
And I did.
He may be an annoying, overprotective big brother, but he was still my family.
Still one of my best friends.
“Love you, too, sis,” he said before hanging up.
“See you found your room.”
I whirled around to find Slone leaning against the door, staring at me.
I allowed the curtains to drop back into place and turned fully to him.
“Perry showed me,” I murmured quietly. “I see you won your foot race.”
Slone grinned wickedly. “If I want it bad enough, I can win anything.”
With that cryptic comment, he turned around and left, closing the door softly behind him.
My heart was racing when the latch clicked into place.
I licked my dry lips as a thought occurred to me.
Why did that sound like a promise? Like it was geared toward me?
CHAPTER 6
I’m just WTF-ing my way through life.
-Caristonia to Slone
ARI
“Do you think that she’s having one of those episodes?”
A whisper of a movement and then, “What episodes?”
Annabelle and Briley.
“Never mind,” Briley murmured. “Should we try to wake her up? Daddy said to knock and tell her that breakfast was ready through the door, but I got all worried about her after what she said last night.”
That was sweet.
And, sadly, I was having one of those episodes.
Though, this one wasn’t that bad.
At least, not for them to witness.
I was awake, but my body was still fully paralyzed.
Though it was normal, and something I experienced almost every single time I was woken from sleep by something that wasn’t natural, I still abhorred it with every fiber of my being.
There was nothing quite like wanting to move and not being able to.
Slowly, that feeling of helplessness started drifting away, allowing me the ability to blink open my eyes and turn my head.
What I saw were two curious little girls staring at me from only a foot away.
“You’re alive,” Annabelle said quietly.
I’d heard her talk all of two times. Once to say goodnight to her father, and once at the water park the day before.
Both of those times were barely above a whisper.
Apparently, that was a trend coming from her.
“I’m alive,” I murmured quietly. “What kind of breakfast are they having?”
Annabelle wrinkled her nose as Briley blurted, “Daddy and Uncle Titus like to eat healthy. And since Aunt Perry is trying to lose weight, and Uncle Banner is a go with the flow kind of guy, we’re having bacon and turkey sausage. Can you believe that?”
No.
I was not eating any type of turkey sausage on vacation.
“What would you like to eat instead?” I wondered, reaching for my phone and rolling so that I was on my side in the bed, hand fisted at my head.
“Why?” Briley narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to order us something?”
“If Uber Eats delivers it, I’m gonna order it,” I confirmed. “I’m feeling something like donuts or bagels. What about y’all?”
“Donuts!” both of them cried. “Bagels are boring.”
I was already smiling at that. “Bagels aren’t boring if you find the right kind. You could get cinnamon swirl crunch with icing. Or Fruity Pebbles one with sweet cream cheese. The possibilities are endless when it comes to bagels.”
“Oh,” Briley frowned. “Can we get both?”
“What kind of question is that?” I teased. “Of course we can.”
The next two minutes were spent looking through which bagels and donuts we should order.
In the end, we got multiple breakfast sandwiches, lots of donuts, and more than enough bagels to hold us over until next week, let alone the end of the morning.
I just hoped that the private plane they were using to fly us to Benton, Louisiana allowed us to bring food onboard, because we’d have plenty.
Once we ordered I said, “Y’all head out there. I’m gonna catch a shower. If the food gets here before I’m out, don’t eat all the donuts!”
The girls giggled and left, leaving me alone thinking about which bagel I was going to start with first.
When I was finished with my shower and my hair was wet and hanging along my shirt, soaking it, I headed outside just in time to hear the doorbell ring.