Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27826 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27826 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. There I am, a husky girl with a metal spoon lodged in her mouth and too many extra pounds to work off. My hair hangs like a damp towel over my shoulders, and my complexion is pasty pale, without even the slightest hint of a tan. I suppose my eyes are okay, being a nice chocolate brown, but most people can’t see my eyes from behind my thick glasses.
“Man, I wish I had my own place,” I mumble, taking refuge in my room. I kick a pile of clothes angrily, and a shirt flies through the air, landing all but three inches from where it originally was. Disgusted, I shake my head and move to the bed. The springs moan under my weight as I toe off my shoes.
“Here’s to another day,” I say, setting the ice cream down to unload my backpack. My shoulders burn from the pressure of the heavy tomes, but it’s a small price to pay for going to school. After all, I have big dreams. I want to get out of Mesa and have a life. Hopefully, as far from Angela as possible.
But right now, the moaning sounds are driving me insane. I close my eyes and lay back on the bed. The pint of ice cream rests against my thigh as I envision Hunter in my room. Hunter’s muscles roll as he runs his fingers through his deep black hair, and he flashes that charming smile, making me shiver.
Suddenly, my eyes pop open as I shoot up.
“I can’t do this. It’s too pathetic. I can’t be that girl.” Irritation rocks me even as my panties moisten. “That’s my sister’s boyfriend. I shouldn’t be thinking about Hunter and Angela doing … doing ...”
Once again, I find myself slipping into fantasy. Hunter is here with me, by me, running his fingers over my bare thigh and inching his fingertips up my leg. His icy blue eyes smolder with desire as he plays with the hem of my shorts.
“Hunter,” I mumble incoherently. Then, I jerk when something ice-cold touches my leg. Hunter? But no, it’s just the wet condensation from the ice cream container dripping down my thigh.
“Damn it, I really need to get a grip,” I say, rising to my feet. I snatch the pint off the bed and swallow one last spoonful out before cramming the lid back on.
Melted ice cream will just be one more thing for Angela to gripe about. Savoring that last bite, I move swiftly to my bedroom door and open it. Carefully, I pop my head out and scan the room. With no sign of Angela or Hunter, I tiptoe back into the kitchen to return the ice cream to the freezer.
The sounds coming from the locked door are now muted. The hushed sound of voices greets my ears instead of the heavy-duty banging and clanging going on before. My eyes linger on the door. Does Hunter snuggle after sex? Or is he one of those guys who pushes the girl to the side? My heart flutters as I envision being snug in the nook of his arm, looking up at his handsome face as he drifts to sleep.
Then, a sharp click causes me to jump and startles me from my daydream. The last thing I want is to be caught lingering in the living room as he walks out. Nor do I want to catch a glimpse of my sister. Not after dreaming about her hunky boyfriend.
Bolting to my room, I shut my door just as I hear the other one opening. A piece of me wants to peek through the crack of my door to catch a glimpse of Hunter before he leaves, but I would never hear the end of it if I were caught.
“See you later then,” Angela says in her sing-song voice. He must have pounded her thoroughly for her to use that tone. The front door shuts, and Angela’s voice completely changes.
“I know you’re home, Catherine,” Angela snaps. Her voice is sharp, even though we have a door between us.
“Angela?” I call out, trying to sound surprised. “Is that you?”
The door snicks as it opens.
“Don’t play coy,” she frowns.
Quickly, I snatch my headphones from my backpack, and they’re on my ears before she steps into the room. With my heart thumping, I try to look as innocent as possible. My sister’s eyes narrow as she crosses her arms over her chest. She’s a beautiful ice queen with her rigidly narrow frame and frozen blue eyes.
“Listening to music?”
“It’s the only way to drown you out sometimes,” I say innocently.
“And what song is playing, may I ask?”
“It’s Pandora, so it changes,” I say as she reaches for the headphones. “Are you in here to bug me? Because I have a lot of work.”