Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 53529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“I know, but Morris nabbed me, and by the time I got back, you were already gone.” There is way more to the story, of course. “River, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“You mean how you cheated on me?”
“I didn’t cheat, Riv. I was trying to keep my promise and not martyr myself to get you back.”
“So you went clubbing with celebrities, partied all night, and hooked up with that reporter woman, Luna? Kyle showed me everything. Looked pretty fucking pleased with himself, too.”
“I had to make him believe I didn’t care about you so he’d stop using you as bait.”
“You did a pretty good job of convincing the world.” She looks away.
“I’m sorry, River. I really am.”
“So you’re saying all those late-night selfies and reels you posted with Luna at her place were staged? You weren’t really drunk and having fun?”
I didn’t know Luna posted everything. “I’m not going to lie. I had fun. But you were never far from my thoughts, Riv.”
“Swear to me. Swear on your life that nothing happened between you two, that she means nothing to you.”
I should ask the same of her about Sam, but honestly, I’m almost afraid to. I don’t want to hear the truth.
“I swear,” I say. “She means nothing romantically. But River, that’s not what I need to talk to you about. When we had sex, the reason you got so crazy wasn’t stress. It was the chemicals in my semen.”
She makes a sour face. “Ew. Really?”
“I didn’t know.”
“So is that why I felt like my head would explode if I didn’t get you back in bed?”
I nod.
“Am I going to change now?” She looks terrified.
“I don’t think so. There was only enough in my semen to make you addicted and aggressive and a little stronger.”
“So, like the crap Morris was selling to all those students?”
“I think, but I’m not sure.”
She presses a hand to her chest and starts panting. “What am I going to do? Can I detox like you did?”
“Morris was working on a cure for you, but he died.”
“Died?” Her brown eyes go all wide.
“He finally figured out how I was transformed, but the crazy asshole took the drug, and his heart crapped out. He took too much, I think.”
She hangs her head. “Oh no. Oh no. I’m going to die.”
“Well, not if you and I, you know, keep having sex. It would be like giving you the drug, so to speak.” The only problem is that I’m not sure it’s a solution. Not after seeing her with Sam. Does she love him? I can’t understand how she’d drop me so quickly. It doesn’t make sense.
“But how come I stopped needing you after a few days?” River asks.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“It was like a switch was thrown, and I just stopped wanting you.”
“I don’t know.” Did the effect wear off on its own?
“So what should I do? I mean, my heart could stop, or I could be fine.”
“I wish I knew, River. I tried to get Morris to make some more of his street formula, but he couldn’t get a hold of the ingredients. All I have is a vial of the final formula that made me.”
“Maybe I should take some.”
“River, no. It’s not safe. Morris died from it.”
“But then my only options are to wait and see if I die or keep having sex with you for the rest of my life—always wondering if I’m days or hours away from dying. It’ll make me completely dependent on you.”
“Would that be such a bad thing?” We love each other, right? Or are we over?
“Yes, Huff. It would.”
“Because of Sam.” It’s the obvious reason.
“I’m not going to lie. He’s become special to me, but this has nothing to do with him. The issue is I can’t trust you. After everything I saw, everything you’ve done.”
“River, I never betrayed you.”
“I was being held hostage while you were out rubbing elbows with movie stars, like Ivor and Kady. And let’s not forget all the lies. You made me think you were dead instead of trusting me. It broke me. Then you told me to take a hike because you were going to kill yourself. And then you promised to fight for us and stay by my side, but you didn’t. You went off to save the world and left me behind.” She sighs. “You’ve hurt me too many times.”
She knows why I did all those things, but I can’t ignore the fact her heart’s been broken over and over again. After a while, people just stop caring about why they were hurt. They just want the pain to stop. I know. I’ve been there.
The question is, will she give us another chance? Because I’m willing to stick things out like she asked. I don’t want to lose her, even if it means giving up everything else.