Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I narrow my eyes at Buck. “You cook? Other than putting melon on skewers?”
“I never told you that?”
“Nope. I guess we had other things to talk about in the trenches.”
“Come up around seven thirty.” Aspen shoves a stray lock of short hair behind her ear. “You know what? Come up around six. We’ll have a glass of wine, talk.”
“About what?”
“About how you and Buck screwed up my honeymoon.” Her expression is stern, but then she laughs.
She’s kidding.
Aspen is an amazing woman, and Buck is a lucky man.
Then something occurs to me. Like a lightbulb going off in my head.
“You mind if I bring a guest?”
“No. My lasagna is always enough to feed an army. Or the two of us.” Buck laughs.
“I’m serious. What if I invited Kelly?”
Aspen drops her jaw. “Seriously?”
“She’s a mess,” I say. “She’s not my idea of a good time either, but it’s kind of what I’m paid to do. Make sure she’s taken care of. I don’t know, Aspen. Maybe you can get through to her.”
“I don’t even know her,” Aspen says. “We didn’t talk on the island. None of us did. Katelyn and I only got to know each other once we got here to New York.”
“You said you and Katelyn used to watch TV while you were on the island.”
“We did. That doesn’t mean we talked. Katelyn and I and Onyx—I think her real name is Serena—used to watch old reruns in the common room. But we were rarely joined by any of the others.”
“So you’re saying you’d rather I not invite her?” I ask.
“I’m not saying that,” Aspen says. “I feel for Kelly. I truly do. But she’s…different. I mean. can you imagine? Being envious of the other girls when they were chosen instead of her? None of us wished any ill upon the other while we were there, but when we weren’t chosen? It felt like a reprieve. There was no reason to get envious. There was plenty of reason to feel sorry for those who were chosen.”
“My wife speaks the truth.” Buck moves behind her and touches her shoulders.
“I know. But someone has to get through to this woman.”
“She has Macy for that,” Aspen says. “Your job is to make sure she’s protected from Brindley or whoever’s threatening her.”
“Do you really think it’s Brindley?” I ask.
“I don’t know Brindley or Kelly,” Aspen says. “From what I remember about Brindley, she seemed like a normal woman. She wasn’t there for very long. Only a couple of months until we were rescued.”
“Maybe I should talk to Brindley,” I say.
“Maybe,” Buck agrees. “But Aspen should go with you.”
I point to my friend. “Why don’t you come with me?”
“Because two big guys like us talking to a woman who was subjected to abuse and torture at the hands of other big men like us is not the best idea.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I should’ve thought of that.” Buck’s muscles are nearly as big as mine. Of course he’d say his are bigger.
“It’s okay that you didn’t,” Aspen says. “You and Buck are such great guys, and you would never even think of hurting a woman. I’m sure it’s difficult for you to understand that others live for that kind of shit.”
“You’re right.” I let out a sigh. “All right, Aspen. Maybe we can talk to Brindley tomorrow. In the meantime… About Kelly and tonight?”
“Fine,” Aspen says. “Invite her. My guess is she won’t come anyway.”
“She may not, but I’ve got to try.”
“Good enough. We’ll see you at six.”
“Which apartment number on the eighth floor?”
“Apartment 810,” Buck says. “See you in a few hours.”
I shut the door behind them, head back in my kitchen, and replace the pork roast in the freezer. I glance at the cookbook and roll my eyes. No time for that now. Besides, my dinner is taken care of for tonight.
But first, I have to see Kelly.
And invite her to dinner.
8
KELLY
Sometimes time passes quickly.
Other times? Like today?
Every minute seems like an hour.
Because sometimes I don’t feel like doing anything. I have a shelf full of books, and I used to like to read. Once my mother forbade me from playing volleyball with the other girls, I began to lose myself in books.
I read all the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, all of the Lemony Snicket books, all of the Harry Potters. Then I graduated to the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and then young adult books. Twilight and its sequels, and whatever else I could find in the library.
I hid the books in the closet along with a flashlight. It gave me something to do for those hours on end when my mother locked me in. Eventually I managed to keep a jug of water in there as well, but I stopped that after a while. I could easily quench my thirst, but then I had to go to the bathroom, and that presented another problem when I was locked in the closet.