Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Now, though, as I trail my fingertips across her silken, milky-white skin, I shake my head, wondering at the twists and turns life takes. Harlow murmurs, and it sounds like she’s starting to wake up. A slow smile tugs the corners of my mouth as I contemplate starting the morning off the right way by fucking her in the shower. As my mind descends from the fog of fantasy and back into the reality beneath the light of day, I instantly realize something isn’t right. As if I’m picking up on a strange vibration in the air, or maybe the hint of a scent that doesn’t belong, I suddenly realize we’re not alone in the bedroom.
My eyes wide and my pulse racing, I sit up in bed. And when I see him leaning against the doorway of my bedroom, arms folded over his chest, a furious scowl on his face, my heart stops dead in my chest. I quickly work some moisture into my mouth and swallow hard. As if sensing my sudden tension, Harlow sits up, drawing in a sharp breath as she covers her bare chest with the sheet. She cuts her eyes to me, and I can see the fear in them.
“Jesus Christ, Micah,” I say quickly, trying to regain control of myself. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“You gave me a key a while back,” he says.
“Yeah. I know. But why are you here?”
“I just came by to check in on you,” he replies. “I heard you got out of the hospital.”
Micah’s voice is strangely calm. Almost detached. But his cheeks are flushed, and his eyes are hard with rage, and I can see it’s a Herculean effort for him to keep his anger in check. A tremor passes through his body, and I can see the first cracks in the dam of his resolve starting to form. He’s not going to be able to hold back his fury much longer. I know I need to divert or somehow blunt it to keep it from exploding all over us. Moving quickly, I slip out of the bed and pull on a pair of boxers, then turn and step closer to my son.
“Listen,” I say. “Can we talk another time—”
“What the fuck is going on here?” he asks in a harsh whisper.
“Micah—”
“Were you fucking her when we were dating?”
“No. It’s not like that.”
Micah turns to Harlow, his lips curling back in a sneer. “Is that it? You were fucking him behind my back?”
She shakes her head, her eyes wide with fear. “Micah, we didn’t—”
“Right. So, it’s just a coincidence—”
“It is!” Harlow cried. “I hadn’t even seen your father until he was brought into the ER a few weeks ago. It was just—”
“Shut the fuck up. You’re a fucking liar.”
“She’s not lying, Micah,” I tell him firmly.
“Yeah. Right,” he growls. “Fucking bitch.”
“Watch your mouth, Micah.”
“Or what? What are you going to do about it?”
“You really don’t want to find out.”
Micah shakes his head. His face is red and his features are twisted with fury as he looks from me to Harlow, then back again.
“I don’t fucking believe you,” he spits. “How can you do this to me?”
“I’m not doing anything to you, Micah,” I tell him, my voice hard. “You and Harlow haven’t even been together for a while. This isn’t about you.”
“You’re a piece of shit,” he says, his eyes narrowing to slits. “What kind of father steals his own son’s girlfriend?”
“I’m not your girlfriend, Micah,” Harlow says. “I haven’t been for a long time.”
“I didn’t ask you. Just shut your slut mouth.”
Anger surges inside of me and I step forward, my hands balled into fists at my side. “I told you. Watch your mouth. I will not tolerate you speaking to Harlow that way.”
Micah rounds on me, but instead of speaking, he throws a fist that catches me flush on the left side of my head. It surprises me more than it hurts, but the sharp crack of his fist meeting my face pulls a shocked and scared yelp from Harlow. My vision turns red and every cell in my body hums with an angry energy. Before I realize what I’m doing, I grab Micah’s shirt with both hands and slam him into the wall behind him so hard it drives the breath out of him.
“Hunter, don’t—” Harlow calls.
Micah’s eyes are wide, and there is genuine fear on his face as he stares back at me, seemingly shocked that I’d put my hands on him. I’m not about to let him speak about Harlow like that. Just when I think my point has been made, the fear melts away from Micah’s face and is replaced by an expression of pure hatred and disgust.
“You can have the whore,” he growls. “I was done with her anyway.”
I know that he’s lashing out. I know that he’s just trying to get under my skin and say something he thinks will hurt me. Well, he’s gotten under my skin all right. His words don’t hurt me. No. They enrage me.