Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“That’s not what happened.”
“You know what? I don’t want to hear any more of your lies. We’ve reached the point where I can’t trust anything that comes out of your mouth.”
Hot licks of pain slice through me. I can’t believe she’s saying this. I’ve always been a good kid and never caused her a single moment of worry. Instead of listening to what I have to say, she’s accusing me of lying.
Maybe part of that is my fault. I’ve hidden things, especially when it had to do with Austin.
“I don’t want you spending any more time with him, do you understand?”
I press my lips together before muttering, “Yes.”
Her eyes narrow as if she doesn’t believe me.
I almost laugh.
Of course she doesn’t.
She believes Jasper.
And apparently, Edmond.
“I’m being serious, Delilah. He’s bad news and I don’t want you within ten feet of him.”
“I got it.”
Needing to shut down this conversation before I say something I’ll regret, I stalk to my bedroom and slam the door. Tears prick the backs of my eyes as I collapse onto the bed. At every turn, my life becomes more twisted, and I have no idea how to untangle it.
The irony is that it’s her affair with Pembroke that put me in this precarious situation in the first place.
DELILAH
I’m ripped from the shadowy depths of slumber when a heavy weight drops on top of me. A bloodcurdling scream gathers in my throat as a large hand covers my mouth and my nostrils, making it impossible to draw in breath. My hands rise, latching onto a muscular forearm and clawing at it to free myself.
The person doesn’t budge.
Fear slices through me, unable to believe that something like this could happen. Sure, we don’t live in the best neighborhood, but this is Hawthorne. It’s always been a quiet community.
“Shhh. It’s just me.”
Everything within stills as the deep voice echoes in my brain.
Austin?
What the hell?
As silvery moonlight slants in through the open window, my eyes gradually adjust to the darkness and the boy straddling my waist. As swiftly as fear bloomed to life inside me, it drains, leaving a million questions to circle in its place.
“I’m going to remove my hand. You need to be quiet,” he warns. “I doubt you want your mother to find me here.”
When I raise my brows, his palm disappears, and I can once again suck in a full breath. His gaze stays pinned to mine, waiting for what I’ll do next. But he’s right, if Mom discovers him in my room at this time of the night, she’ll lose it.
And probably lock me in a convent where I’ll never see the light of day.
“Why are you here?” I hiss, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. It’s well after midnight. We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms this afternoon. Honestly, I wasn’t sure where we stood.
His brows slide together as he searches my face. It’s as if I can feel the heat of his gaze warming my skin. One look is all it takes for my brain to click off and my body to come alive.
It’s maddening to feel this way.
Just when I think he won’t respond, he shakes his head. “Truthfully? I don’t have a clue.”
The disappointment that rises within me is instantaneous and all consuming.
Why am I surprised?
Better question—why does it even matter?
I’m much too afraid to inspect my thoughts and feelings for an answer.
“I just knew I couldn’t stay away. Not after today.” Another heavy silence falls over us as our gazes cling. My hands drift to his chest and his eyes search mine in the darkness as if it’s possible to sift through all my innermost thoughts and dig down to the truth.
If only it were that easy.
Everything inside me cautiously lifts. I’m almost afraid to ask. “Do you believe me?”
“I want to.” His voice turns solemn.
“That’s not good enough,” I whisper.
A sharp shaft of grief slices through me. It feels as if my heart is breaking into a thousand tiny pieces, and I can’t imagine it being put back together again.
“I know, but I want to believe you. What I feel…” His words trail off into nothingness.
“Tell me.”
His fingers lock around my wrists, removing them from his chest before leaning forward and pressing them into the mattress above my head. His face hovers inches above mine.
“Things I don’t want to. Things I wish I didn’t.”
My heart skips a painful beat before pounding into overdrive at the reluctant admittance.
“Is that really so bad?”
“I don’t know.” He shakes his head as if genuinely confused. “There’ve been girls before, but none have ever made me feel the way you do. And I’m afraid you’re just toying with me.”
“I’m not.” Now it’s my turn to examine his eyes. “I had no idea what Jasper was planning to do. The day after you picked me up on the side of the road and took me home, I told him we were through. I no longer cared if he made my life hell. I just needed to be free of him.” My mind tumbles back to that conversation. “He lost it and then stomped out of the house. I thought it was over between us. But then he picked me up for school Monday morning and was acting as if he were genuinely sorry. He asked if I would keep our breakup a secret because of the fundraiser. He was being so nice, and I thought if giving in made it easier afterward, then it would be worth it. He set both of us up. Not just you.” I gulp and force out the rest. “He knew I had feelings for you, and he found a way to ruin it.”