Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 64640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Are you ignoring me, Trouble?”
“I told you I never want to see you again. I’m pretty sure I didn’t stutter when I said it.” I pull away from him, and his hand drops from my hip while I take a moment to drink him in. He’s dressed in black jeans and a button-up black shirt. A nice, shiny watch glints on his wrist.
Zuko is handsome, but just because someone is good-looking and can make you come, it doesn’t mean you should give them everything.
Respect is earned.
Not given.
“What can I do to change your mind?”
I shake my head and turn to leave. Just as I feel he is about to follow me, I swing around and hold up my hand. “Listen…is it that hard for you to comprehend?” I almost scream at him.
Jeff walks by and halts when he catches us arguing. He steps over, and I take a step back, putting more room between Zuko and myself.
Zuko stares at me as Jeff speaks. “Is there a problem?” I’m not sure if he’s asking Zuko or me.
“Was it the bag that pushed it over the edge?” Zuko asks with absolutely no shame and no fricking filter, like I want the world to know what happened between us. “Because if I remember correctly, your mind may have hated it, but your body certainly did not.”
Fuck him. I spin and head straight to the bar, leaving him standing there with Jeff. I glance over my shoulder and note that Jeff is talking to Zuko. Zuko half-ass pays attention before his gaze finds me again. I glare at him for a beat, and then I turn my back on him.
“So, the old man is doing all the ordering, and the rest aren’t doing a thing. Zuko has asked me twice when his regular server will be back,” Louise says, coming up next to me.
“Tell him to suffocate himself,” I grumble, then add, “Those exact words. Trust me.”
“Um…”
I grab her arm and squeeze. “Those exact words. Tell him they’re from me.”
She gives me a baffled look as her brows pinch together and her lips thin but heads back to Zuko’s table, where he is now sitting with his brothers and two other people I can’t make out from here. Louise leans down and speaks to him. It’s hard to tell what exactly he says or does back, but his eyes find mine straight away. And when they do, a shiver breaks free over my body.
Quickly looking away, I accidentally run into someone in my haste to get away. Before I can apologize, I feel something sharp stab me in the belly, which is an odd sensation. I look up, only to see Sarah standing there, a hoodie covering her head and a knife in her damn hand.
She leans in close as she whispers in my ear, “Payback is a bitch.” I go to reach for her hoodie to pull her back, but a sharp pain runs through me allowing Sarah to get away. Placing my hand over my stomach where it hurts, I feel a warm wet sensation. When I lift my hand away from the wound my fingers are sticky with my own blood.
Fuck, that hurts.
Bending over and falling down clutching my stomach, I try to think of the best way to get off this fucking floor with no one hurting me even more. I have a high pain tolerance.
But this…
This hurts like a bitch.
“He didn’t say anything back to me, but he did look at me like he wanted to kill me,” Louise chirps when she reaches my side. She doesn’t notice that something’s wrong.
I’m still bent over, not able to move.
“What’s the deal with the bag? When I said that, his eyes went wide for a second,” she rambles. “Alaska, can you hear me?” I can, but I can’t say anything back. Her hand lands gently on my back. “Do you have period pains? Is it that time of the month?” She rubs my back as I grip the bar’s edge and hold on for dear life. “Fuck, Alaska, there is blood on the floor.” Her hand leaves my back, and she moves in front of me, then drops down into a crouch so she can see me better.
“Oh my gosh you’re bleeding?”
I groan and squeeze my eyes shut.
Talking hurts.
I don’t want to talk.
“Alaska… Why is there blood coming from your hand?” Her hand lifts to touch mine on my stomach, but I basically growl at her. “Did you cut yourself?”
No, I absolutely did not.
But again, the words don’t leave my mouth.
“I’ll be back.” And then she’s gone, and I wonder once more how the hell I am going to move without hurting myself more. And how did I let that bitch stab me? How?
Small specs of light dance around my eyes and nausea washes over me.