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)
“I don’t know.” He swiped a hand through his hair. “We’ll have to get a tarp and cover it up. Someone will absolutely try to steal it.”
I walked toward him. “Well, you would know...”
This boy was a car thief, a drug dealer, a criminal, and though I said he was no knight, and I was no princess, it sure as hell felt like he was saving me.
He grabbed onto my hips, pulling me in for a kiss. “Think he’s gotten the, ‘you’re not in school’ text from Barrington yet?”
“I’m almost disappointed I didn’t get to make a show of leaving. You know I like some theatrics.” I could picture my father’s face when he realized I wasn’t coming back.
I didn’t think for a second he’d been upset at losing his daughter, just angry that he couldn’t control me.
“I think we should just skip school and fuck, since no one’s home. What do you think?”
I thought it was a great idea.
I’d just broken a nail on his headboard when the muffled noise of a car door closing came through the single pane, bedroom window.
Bellamy leaned over his headboard to peek through the plastic blinds. “The fucking balls on this asshole...”
“Who is it?”
He rolled off the bed, pulling on jeans before storming into the hall. “Your dad.”
Of course, he was here. The man had barely given a crap about me, but now, when I decided to pick a poor guy...now he suddenly wanted to try and parent me.
“Bellamy, do not punch him!” I called after him, hurrying to get dressed.
I pulled my shirt over my head on my way into the hall just as the lock to the front door clicked.
“You need to get the fuck off my porch.” The pure restraint was evident in Bellamy’s tone.
“I will do no such thing. I’m here for my daughter.”
The silence seemed to stretch on for minutes, but it could have only been a matter of seconds before I made it into the tiny living room.
Bellamy stood, arms crossed. Jeans not fastened. My nail marks fresh on his bare chest. My soul died a little bit at that moment.
“She’s not leaving.” His back muscles bunched and tensed. I knew one wrong word from my dad, and Bellamy may very well knock him out.
My father’s gaze skirted over me like I was no better than one of those hookers up by the pawn shops in Dayton, and I shouldn’t have cared, but it cut me to the core. “Drucella…”
“I’m not coming.” I held my breath, my pulse going haywire as Bellamy’s fingers threaded through mine. “I’m eighteen. I’m moving out.”
My father’s face turned every shade of red, then purple. “That’s how you want to be? Fine.” He smoothed a hand down his pressed dress shirt. “If you want to play poverty-stricken house, by all means. Play.”
His gaze swung back to Bellamy and he paused, like he was about to say something. “The least you can do is wear a condom. Let’s not make her momentary lapse in judgement a lifetime of punishment.”
When I glanced at Bellamy he looked like he was ready to blow. “Get the hell.” He took an unsteady breath. “Off my porch.”
My dad gave me one, last disapproving look before he turned and stormed down the drive to his car.
44
Bellamy
The next day after school, Drew went with me to pick Arlo up from the bus stop, then go meet the guys at Waffle Hut.
Arlo shot inside, hurling himself into the booth, then patting the plastic seat. “Miss Drew, you sit next to me.”
Hendrix’s head lifted on a glare, tracking Drew as we made our way across the restaurant. She sat beside Arlo and I sat next to her.
“Don’t, dude.” Wolf shook his head at Hendrix. “Just don’t.”
Hendrix twisted the straw paper in his hand, then dropped it to the table. “You disgust me, Bell.”
“Jesus Christ, man. Shut up.” Not that I expected Hendrix to be excited about me moving Drew in. I threw an arm around Drew’s shoulders and Hendrix sank back in the seat with a snarl.
“It’s bullshit, Wolf.” He snatched up a menu. “And you know it.”
Drew flipped him off. “You need me to buy you a tiara over there, drama queen?”
One of his eyes twitched before he looked at me. “And you chose to live with that…”
“Miss Drew’s living with us?” Arlo clapped his hands. “Yay!”
“No, Arlo.” Hendrix leaned across the table with a stern glare. “It’s not yay. She’s a succubus and she’s just sunk her claws into your brother, and is dragging him down to an estrogen-riddled hell.”
“Estrogen?”
“Don’t listen to Hendrix, Peehead.” Drew patted Arlo’s head. “He’s just salty because no girls like him for more than one night.”
This would never end.
“Hendrix. Shut up. Drew, shut up.” I grabbed a menu. “Arlo, yes, she’s staying for a while.”
Wolf chuckled, opening his menu and hiding his face behind it while humming the tune to “Another One Bites the Dust”.