Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
The friend who has been quiet so far, kneels onto the floor beside her, attempting to help her up. Carly is livid, trying to get up quickly, but her heel gets caught on her dress, and her foot slips back. She is so angry that her face is bright red, and it looks like she’s about to explode. Figuratively and literally, and as entertaining as that might be, I’m not sticking around to see it.
Storming out of the bathroom, I almost trip but catch myself at the last second and speed walk the rest of the way back to the main hall.
As soon as I enter, I spot Carter, and as soon as he spots me, he heads in my direction.
Great. Just great.
Spinning around, I try to get away, but he catches up with me in a few strides. Wrapping his strong hands around my wrists, he pulls me back and into his chest.
“Please, just wait,” Carter pleads, an urgency in his tone that has me further on edge. “I need to talk to you. You’re in danger.”
Twisting around to face him, I scowl, “What are you talking about?”
Carter looks panicked, and I almost feel sorry for dragging him into all of this. “Your father... I overheard him talking to one of his friends, Malcolm, I think is his name. They were talking about marrying you, marrying you off… to him.”
Suddenly it feels like my lunch is going to make a reappearance. Bile rises up my throat at the thought of me married to that guy. A man my father’s age. I had already figured out he planned to marry me off, but of all the people, I can’t believe it’s to that slimy old man.
“You aren’t telling me something I didn’t already know, and not that it matters, but it won’t happen,” I answer through clenched teeth.
“You knew about this? Jesus Christ, Daisy. Why didn’t you tell me?” Carter is seething, his grasp on my wrists growing tighter, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s his words that stir a fire inside of me, worthy of sparking a forest fire.
“Why would I tell you anything? You’ve never cared about me or my problems.”
Lowering his head in shame, he whispers, “I know, but I’m trying to fix that now.”
“You can’t fix it…” I try to walk away, but trying to escape a man like Carter, is like trying to punch a brick wall and win.
“There’s more,” he continues, “your father says he has ways of making you compliant. What the hell does that mean? Is he hurting you, Daisy?”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I wish myself out of this situation. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to confess any of this to him. I don’t want him to know that the reason I was crazy and out of my mind for so many years was because of my father.
“Please…” My voice cracks, giving away my emotions. “Just let me go. You can’t help me. No one can.”
Carter shakes his head, his eyes pleading, “Yes, I can, if you just tell me what’s going on, if you let me in.”
Everything inside me comes to a head, and I snap. “And why would I want your help now?” I almost growl at him. “Where were you years ago when I needed you, and you didn’t give a shit? You just gawked and watched as everyone hurt me.” I force air into my lungs and try to calm myself down, but I’m so close to imploding it’s not even funny. “I don’t want or need your help, Carter. I’ve been taking care of myself my whole life, and I’m going to do just fine without you.”
He doesn’t even blink at my response, “I know, I fucked up, but I’m not going to give up this time. I’m here to stay.”
“Why would I ever let myself count on someone like you? I hate you,” I lie, choking on the word. I can see the pain my words have caused him written all over his face, but I act like it doesn’t bother me because you can’t be hurt if you pretend that you don’t care.
His perfect lip—that I want to kiss—curls in anger, “You didn’t seem like you hated me earlier. In fact, you seemed to like me when you were in my room, my cock inside of you.”
Forcing myself to roll my eyes, I sneer, “It was an act. I was pretending to like you.”
Carter’s expression fills with disbelief, “What could you possibly have to gain by pretending to like me?”
“I’m not on birth control,” I blurt out, watching his eyes go wide.
“You-you wanted me to get you pregnant?”
“No, I’m already pregnant,” I admit, and he finally lets go of me. “I wanted you to think the baby was yours. But obviously, I couldn’t go through with it.”