Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Demon’s Curse is her go-to for everything. She loves them, just like every other soul on the planet, and I really can’t fault her for it. They’re that good, fucking excellent actually. But I love her for trying to downplay her obsession while she's around me.
Not entirely recovered, I let the call ring out and wait a few moments to feel somewhat human again. I’m not always thrown off course when their music smacks me in the face, but every now and then, I’m caught off guard, and on a day like today, my fragile little heart simply can’t take it.
“You know,” she muses as I finally pull back out onto the road. “You really shouldn’t leave Axel hanging like that. He worries about you. You should definitely call him back.”
I give her a blank stare, knowing there are so many things on the tip of her tongue. “Really? That’s what you want to say right now?”
Her eyes all but bulge out of her head. “Hell no,” she blurts. “That song, ‘Hypothetically Yours’ is about you, but you know that, right? Like that’s insane! I wish I had some sex god who wrote songs like that about me. So fucking dreamy. And to think he was only eighteen when he wrote it.”
Madds lets out a heavy sigh and melts back into her seat. “Okay,” she says after a moment. “I think I got it out of my system.”
I eye her warily. I’ve been fooled by that one before, only to end up listening to her Demon’s Curse word vomit for three hours straight. “You sure?” I ask, arching a brow.
“Positive.”
I nod in relief and focus on the road. ‘Hypothetically Yours’ is strictly a song I don’t talk about because it’s so much more than just a song. It’s my whole heart in words—words forged out of a soul-crushing, intense kind of love that only comes around once every few lifetimes. I’ve never told her about the day he wrote it, never even whispered a word about it because, while the song is out there for the world to scream at the top of their lungs, the story behind it belongs exclusively to me and Ezra.
“So, you’re really just going to leave your brother hanging like that?” Madds asks a moment later. “You know how Axel worries.”
I side-eye her again, knowing she’s right, but like I said, I specifically go out of my way to avoid Axel while in her presence. I cringe, weighing up my options. “Can you be cool?”
Her mouth pops open, feigning offense. “Say what?! Me? Of course I can.”
“Really? Because last time you admitted to stealing clothes out of his suitcase and sleeping in them for three weeks straight after he visited me.”
“Can you blame me? It’s Axel freaking Stone.”
“No, it’s not. It’s my brother.”
“Yeah, who is also Axel Stone.”
I groan and press his name on my car screen before I get a chance to regret it. The call barely gets a chance to ring a whole time when Axel’s deep tone rumbles through my car speakers. “Sup turd.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I’m twenty-two. You can’t call me that anymore.”
“You’re my sister. I’ll be calling you a turd until the day I die.”
I roll my eyes and can’t help but notice the way Madds practically shakes with excitement beside me. “Just so you know, you’re on speakerphone so don’t say anything incriminating.”
“Let me guess,” he says, instantly turning on the rockstar charm. “Madds?”
Her eyes light up like Christmas morning. “How’d you know?” she gushes, her cheeks turning beet red.
“I can always tell when there’s a beautiful woman around,” he says, making me want to gag. “Call it a gift.”
“Oh my god! You’re so funny,” she says. “How’s the tour going? Wait. Where are you? Australia?”
“Nah. Australia is up next. We just wrapped our last show in Singapore.”
“Wait, like . . . just now?” she asks, getting all ditzy.
“Few hours ago.”
My brows furrow, and I glance down at the time. It’s already late afternoon here, so that must mean . . . “Shit, Axel. What time is it over there?” I demand. “Your shows always end around midnight, and if it’s been a few hours . . . Why aren’t you back in your hotel room sleeping?”
An amused laugh sounds through the car speakers. “I’ll give you one guess.”
My face falls, realizing he’s been spending his night indulging in the rockstar lifestyle. Alcohol, drugs, and easy women. And if that’s how he spent his night, then I can guarantee that He Who Shall Not Be Named Out Loud has too. Wonderful.
“Gross,” I mutter, hoping we can get this call back on track. “Why are you calling me so late then? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s sweet,” he says. “I was just checking up on you. You said you were getting your exam results back today. How’d that go?”