Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“I need you to take me home. I have to get back to the hospital.”
“Your sister doesn’t want you there.” He says the words I already know. Atlas reaches for his cell and checks it, then looks up to me. “She’s already left the hospital.”
My mouth falls open in shock.
No way.
There’s no way.
The doorbell rings, and he walks out, and I follow him.
“I need you to take me home,” I ask him again.
Atlas walks to the front door, and when he opens it, my sister is on the other side. She doesn’t see me at first and steps forward, throwing her arms around his shoulders right where my nail marks are, and she hangs on for dear life. His hands stay at his sides as she grasps onto him.
“You didn’t come. You didn’t come,” she cries.
Atlas reaches for her hands and peels them away from his body. Lucy looks up and sees me behind him. Her eyes narrow as she reaches up and smacks his chest hard.
“You picked her over me?” she screeches.
“There was no picking, Lucy. It was never you,” he says, which only makes her madder as she looks at me.
“You stole him.”
I can’t deal with this, not today.
I need to see that baby and make sure he’s okay, because clearly, Lucy does not care.
“Where is the baby, Lucy?”
She smiles. “Who cares?”
I find my things on a small table near the door and reach for them, then I see the car keys and grab them too.
“I don’t want you, Lucy. I can’t tell you another hundred times. If you keep this up, I’m going to have you committed,” Atlas says to her.
Maybe he should. She needs help that I have never been able to give to her.
“You can’t, you aren’t family.”
“I’m sure you know I have connections that can circumvent me not being family.”
“You wouldn’t,” she challenges.
“Go back to the hospital, and stop thinking with your pussy for once,” I say, pushing past both of them.
Atlas calls my name, but I don’t answer him, instead I go straight to his car and get in the driver’s side. He rushes after me and bangs on the window, I roll it down as he stands there.
“You’re stealing cars now, Theadora?”
“Only from those who deserve it.”
“I didn’t ask her to come here,” he says.
I grip the wheel.
This car cost a lot of money, and if I crash it, I will never be able to afford to get it fixed.
Maybe I should get out.
Nope.
Nope, not happening.
“And I didn’t ask you to leave.”
“Some part of you will always blame me, so maybe it’s best I do. I don’t want to be with someone like that, Atlas. I don’t want to be forever blamed for something that was out of my control.” I start the car and look to him. He’s staring, but he’s not looking at me. It’s like he wants to say something, but it’s not leaving his mouth. “I will bring your car back later,” I tell him.
Atlas pushes off the car and stands there with no shirt on. His neck is strained as his eyes lock on mine. That broad chest is full of ink and his arms are placed by his sides. With both his nose rings inserted, all I want to do is to lean in and kiss them.
“Atlas…” Words fail me because as I go to say something else, I look behind him to see Lucy standing there with a gun in her hand, pointed directly at his back. Before I can warn him, she pulls the trigger. Blood coats my face as Atlas’s eyes widen in shock and disbelief, and my breath leaves me as I scream.
I watch helplessly as Atlas falls to the ground, clutching his stomach, and behind him is a smiling Lucy who raises her gun even higher to aim it at me.
“He loves you, do you even know that?” she asks.
My screaming stops and everything around me sharpens into clear focus.
“All I wanted in this world was for him to want me. Not you. I could have been happy.” She’s said this before when she stole my last boyfriend—that she did it because it would make her happy. I let it go that time. But no, not this time.
“Lucy, you’ve shot him,” I say, shaking my head. “You shot him,” I screech.
“He deserved it.” She starts to back away and then says, “Goodbye, sister. Take care of my baby. You always did want my things.” She laughs. “Now you can have my spawn, too. I’ll be seeing you around, Thea.” She turns and runs.
I manage to open the door and crawl over to Atlas, my hands move to his stomach, trying to cover the wound and stop the bleeding. His hands are clenched at his sides, and his eyes are shut tight, and I can tell he’s trying to breathe through the pain.