Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Without the reminder, there’s just the bad.
The part that came after.
The one filled with heartache and heartbreak.
“Nothing will ever be the same,” I whisper.
“No, it won’t. But it doesn’t have to be like this either. We can find happiness again, Fallyn. You deserve that. You can’t live in the shadow of his death forever. What kind of life is that?”
I rip my gaze away and stare out the picture window to the street beyond. Darkness has fallen, and the streetlights now illuminate the shadows.
“It’s difficult when my parents refuse to move forward.” I pause for a moment before adding, “My father is obsessed with destroying your family.”
His normally strong shoulders slump under the heaviness of my words. “I’m sorry. I wish like hell that we’d never gone out that night.”
Even though I don’t want to, I slip my hand free from his, severing the physical connection before the bond can grow any stronger.
I force myself to say in an icy tone, “Nothing you say or do will change the past.”
The misery that floods his expression is like a knife to the heart. “You’re right. There’s no way to bring him back to us.”
Chapter 18
Fallyn
It’s been a couple of days since my conversation with Wolf. His words continue to buzz around at the back of my brain. And nothing makes it stop. Every time I talk with my parents, it’s on the tip of my tongue to bring it up, but I keep biting back the questions.
What I’m most afraid of is that he’s telling the truth. I’m terrified that they’ve been lying to me all these years, and I’m nowhere near ready to go there. Our family has been put through the wringer. It’s doubtful we could take much more before splintering apart. I’m not sure there would be a way to repair that kind of damage.
Confirmation of what he said would also change the way I feel about him. And I’m nowhere near ready for that, either.
Somehow, my life has become even more complicated.
When I left for work ten minutes ago, I’d hoped he wouldn’t be waiting outside. What I need is space to work through my thoughts and feelings. I can’t do that when he’s around. He clouds them, turning everything hazy.
It wasn’t a surprise to find him waiting at the curb. Now that he’s forced himself back into my life, he continues to press in at the edges, refusing to give me the time I need.
On the drive to Slap Shotz, he asked a few questions to break up the silence, and I reluctantly responded.
Relief spirals through me when he swings into the back lot. The moment he shifts into neutral, my fingers wrap around the handle to pop open the door. Just as I’m about to slide from the Mustang, Wolf’s palm settles on my thigh. Even though his grip isn’t tight, his fingers burn a hole through the denim, scorching the flesh beneath. I glance at it before forcing my gaze to his.
“I’ll be back after the game.”
I search his eyes, shocked by the intensity that brews like an impending storm within the green depths. It’s as if all hell will break loose any second. I’m reluctant to admit that it’s been building between us ever since he pulled me onto his lap after our first driving lesson. I get the feeling that he’s trying to do the right thing and control himself but it’s growing more difficult with the passing of each day.
The need for distance thrums through me as I shove open the door.
His fingers tighten around my thigh, halting my escape. “Aren’t you going to wish me luck?”
“You don’t need luck,” I force myself to say in a voice that doesn’t betray how unnerved I am by his presence. “You have talent.”
Ever since he was a kid, Wolf’s natural ability on the ice stood out and got him noticed by both coaches and scouts.
His gaze continues to burn into mine. That alone is enough to have my breath hitching. When he sucks the corner of his lip into his mouth, my attention drops to the movement, and it’s like a punch of desire straight to my core.
“I need to go,” I whisper.
With that, I slip from the vehicle. As the frigid air hits my lungs, I inhale a big breath, hoping it’ll be enough to clear my thoughts. My brain feels foggy, and that has everything to do with the guy in the car who continues to watch my every move. I don’t have to glance at him to know that his eyes are pinned to me.
I can feel the heat of them.
With my purse clutched against my chest, I take a hasty step in retreat. “Good luck.”
He cocks his head, eyes glinting. “Thought I didn’t need it.”
I take another step. It’s the only thing capable of settling my racing heart. With the hungry look that fills his eyes, he reminds me of an animal on the prowl. “You don’t, but I’m sending all my good vibes your way.”