Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
I look to Scarlett. “Was that awful?”
She is smiling at me, big and beautiful. “That was the most incredible sound I’ve ever heard. You should laugh more, Amalie. It knocks the breath out of people. Oh, and don’t look now, but Mal is coming over.”
My cheeks burn hotter and I hesitantly turn to see Mal striding over, looking at me like he wants to scoop me up and carry me away. My tummy flips at the thought, and heat pools between my legs, making me squirm. God. This is embarrassing. I’m lusting over him. Like a young, immature girl. I swallow the thick lump in my throat and tip my head back to look up at him when he reaches me.
He squats down, handing me a drink.
He leans in close, and god, his breath smells like beer, and him, and I want to kiss him. The urge is so strong. The desire too much. I wonder, for a brief second, what his mouth would taste like. Would his lips be soft? Would he kiss roughly? Or gently?
I feel like everyone’s eyes are on us. Mal is so intense. He has no shame. He goes for what he wants, and he makes no apology for it. He doesn’t care if there are a hundred people around or none. He knows who he is. He knows what he wants. And that’s all that matters to him. I know this, because what he does next knocks the air clean out of my lungs.
And I’m certain, dead certain, I’ll never fully get it back again.
His hand curls around to the back of my neck, tangling into my hair and bringing me closer. I can still see his lips, but for a moment, I just look into his eyes and forget how to breathe. I should pull back, but I can’t. I know everyone is watching, and yet I don’t care. I wait for him to say something to me, but that isn’t what he’s going to do.
God.
No.
He does better.
He brings my face up to his, and he captures my mouth. The kiss isn’t deep, or long, or intense. But it speaks more words and expresses more feeling than anything else ever could. His lips are soft, just like I thought, and he tastes incredible. He holds them against mine, our mouths locked together, for just a few moments and then he pulls back.
“Tell me what I gotta do to make you mine, Amalie. Because hear me now, I will fuckin’ make you mine. Just so I can hear that laugh every single day for the rest of my fuckin’ life. Understand me?”
I stare at him, eyes wide.
“Do you understand me?”
I nod, frantically, even though I know I shouldn’t.
God. What am I doing?
-6-
THEN – AMALIE
He’s awake.
He’s. Awake.
Dazed, I slide out of bed and pull a coat on. I’m not really supposed to be moving around; I recently had surgery on my ears and my head is all wrapped up. I’m tired and slow, even though my surgery was yesterday. I’m supposed to be resting. But he’s awake. He’s awake. I repeat the words over and over in my head, thanking anyone who is listening for letting him make it through.
I walk out of the room and straight down the halls to the elevator, pressing the button and stepping in. I’m mostly free to move throughout the ward, but I’m fairly certain I’m not supposed to be going up to a different area. All the same, I need to see him. His mother told my mother that he was awake and responding well and that he was allowed visitors.
Nobody said anything about me.
So, I’m taking myself up there.
When I reach his floor, I step out and walk down the halls. The nurses up here are used to seeing me now, I visit him every day, but he’s been out for over a week. They said sometimes with injuries like that, it’s the body’s way of healing itself, protecting itself.
I make it to his room and take a deep, shaky breath, then I step inside. His mother is standing by his bed, and the moment I walk in, she turns and looks at me. The scorn on her face makes me want to shrink into myself, but he deserves me to be here and nothing she can say or do will change that. I avoid her gaze and look to him.
And my breath catches.
He hasn’t got the bandages on his face or neck, and for the first time, I see the extent of his damage. His skin is red and welting, peeling off in places, parts of his hair have been burned off. He’s almost unrecognizable. His features are unscathed, but is skin is badly damaged. I can’t make myself look away, and I’m sure he can see the horror in my face.