Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 113837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
“Fuck…” His fingers flinched into my hips before he dragged me down on top of him.
“I really, really hate you,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Like fucking really.”
I huffed a laugh. “I really hate you too.”
* * *
I lounged on Bellamy’s bed, wearing one of his shirts. A box of half-eaten pizza sat open in front of us, and I felt a million miles away from my actual life. I’d take Bellamy’s small bedroom over my dad’s colossal house any day. I wanted to stay in this bed eating greasy pizza forever.
“I wonder how much fun your asshole dad’s having cleaning that house up.”
“He’ll pay someone to clean it.” Actually, that was a lie. “Or he’ll make me pay for it. He can add it to my tab.”
He slid his fingers over my thigh. “You can stay here if you want. Fuck him off real good.”
“What about your mom?”
“She won’t care. Already texted her.”
My heart fluttered pathetically. What was it about this boy? He had nothing, and yet, he kept giving me everything. “Thanks. He’ll probably be leaving for work again tomorrow. He’s never there.”
“You could still stay…” His lips pressed to my neck. “I’ll make it worth your while, baby girl. Promise.”
And within a matter of moments, the pizza was on the floor and he had me undressed and pinned beneath him.
A door banged. Followed by Arlo shouting for Bellamy. Bellamy shot out of bed, butt naked, tripping over his shoes on his way to the door to lock it. The handle rattled.
“Bubba? Why do you got the door locked?”
“I’m studying.” Bellamy cocked a brow at me.
I stood up, throwing on clothes. “Is your mom here?” I whispered over the continuous rattling of the handle.
“I guess.”
“Oh my god.” His mom was here, and he was naked, and I was in his room probably looking like we just went ten rounds--because we had.
I threw his shirt at him. “Put clothes on.”
With a half roll of his eyes, he tossed his shirt back at me, then grabbed his jeans. “Calm down.”
The handle stopped shaking. “Momma. Bubba’s got a girl in his room! I hear her.”
“Shit.” I went to the window, trying to unfasten the latch, but it was rusted shut.
“What in the hell are you doing?”
“I don’t want your mom to find me in here,” I whispered, turning to look at him. “I look like a hoochy!”
“You’re my girlfriend. Not a hoochy. Jesus Christ.”
Girlfriend. Nora said it, he’d even half said it, but this was the first time he’d said it like that. Just casually. I’d avoided discussing it, happy in my little denial because I was going to college, and I did not need to be getting into a relationship. But I wanted it now. I really did.
Then he went to his door and unlocked it. Arlo immediately opened it. His gaze drifted from me to Bellamy to the bed. “Where are your books?”
“It was...mental math,” I said.
Arlo frowned, then dragged me to the hall. “You need to meet Momma.”
At those words, I grew nervous. What if she didn’t like me?
Bellamy took my hand from Arlo, continuing to lead me toward the kitchen.
A dark-haired woman moved around the dated, yellow cabinets. A kaleidoscope of bruises covered her face, and I swallowed around a sudden lump in my throat. I couldn’t help but pity her.
When her gaze shifted to Bellamy and then me, a smile spread over her lips.
“You must be Drew.” She opened one of the cabinets. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Carol.”
“Hi. Nice to meet you too.”
“Thank you for looking after Arlo last week. It was very kind of you.” Her gaze dropped, but not before I saw the trace of shame in her eyes.
“It’s no problem.”
“I told her you have a castle,” Arlo said, skipping around an old dog asleep on the kitchen rug.
As if sensing her discomfort, Bellamy leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You okay, Mom?”
It was sweet, completely at odds with everything he projected.
She nodded. Then rummaged through the cabinet, pulling out boxes. “Did work go okay today?”
Bellamy glanced away from me. “Yeah. It was fine.”
I was pretty sure she wasn’t asking her son how business was pushing dope.
“Where’s Pop’s at?”
“He dropped us off and went to the bingo hall…”
Bellamy helped his mom fix some sandwiches. After we ate, she left to take Arlo to the library and we went back to Bellamy’s room.
I fell back on the bed, wondering if maybe his mom did know he dealt weed. She didn’t have a problem with me being locked in his room, maybe it didn’t bother her. “Does your mom know what you do for money?”
“Hell no.” He flopped onto the mattress beside me, grabbing a football from the floor and tossing it in the air.
“So she thinks you have a job?”
“She thinks me and the guys mow lawns.” Another toss of the ball. “For Barrington...because no one in Dayton could afford that shit.”