Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Aubrey.
My attention jerks to Austin in silent question.
“You’ll have to sit in the back,” he says with a grunt.
I should be relieved not to be up front with him.
So…why aren’t I?
I scrape my teeth across my lower lip before grabbing the handle and yanking it open. A burst of air escapes from my lungs as I find Duke and Everly sitting in the second row. Out of all my classmates, these are the only two I can count as friends.
Duke scowls at Everly for a long, silent moment as if they were just in the middle of an argument. It’s only when he drags his gaze from her and meets mine that his expression softens.
Marginally.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi. I heard your truck wouldn’t start this morning.”
He jerks his shoulders and mutters, “It’s a piece of shit. Hopefully, my brother will take a look at it this weekend and it’ll be a quick fix.”
I nod before peeking around him to find the auburn-haired girl. She gives me a tight smile before glaring at the muscular boy taking up space next to her.
“Hey, Everly.”
“Hi. I’m glad you’re riding up with us.”
“Me, too.” It would be so much worse if I were alone with Austin.
I slide onto the plush seat and slam the door shut, locking the five of us in together. As soon as I fasten the seatbelt, Austin reverses the G-wagon from the driveway. Music fills the luxurious cabin, vibrating through the speakers as we roll through the tiny town. It doesn’t take long for the brick buildings to give way to the wide openness of the countryside. Another ten minutes and we’re pulling onto the highway and making our way to the eastern side of the state. Aubrey keeps up a steady stream of chatter as Austin focuses on the ribbon of road beyond the windshield. It would be difficult not to notice the way her hand constantly flutters to his thigh.
Or bicep.
I can’t stop staring.
Each time I make a concerted effort to drag my gaze away, it eventually meanders back to him. The most ridiculous part of this situation is that it shouldn’t bother me one bit what Austin does or who he does it with.
We’re not in a relationship.
We’re…
I don’t even know what we are.
Nothing.
We’re nothing.
He’s blackmailing me.
Punishing me for something I had no control over.
That’s the extent of our relationship.
My gaze flickers to the rearview mirror and collides with Austin’s. The steely look in his eyes is enough to have my belly hollowing out. I force my attention to the window and try not to think about the long, three-hour ride stretched out in front of us.
It’s going to be hell.
Duke gently bumps my shoulder with his larger one.
When I glance at him, he raises his brows and asks in a low tone that only I can hear, “Are you doing all right? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
My attention reluctantly slides to the rearview mirror and electricity sizzles through my veins when our gazes lock. I jerk mine away before I can get sucked into Austin’s green depths and focus on the boy beside me.
I force a smile. “I’m fine.”
This trip would be unbearable if he weren’t here, and for that, I’m grateful. My plan is to spend most of my time hanging out with Duke and avoiding everyone else. Maybe walk the beach and take a bunch of pictures. If there’s a bright spot to be found in all this, it’s the plentiful photo opportunities the sandy shoreline will present.
“Seems like the gossip has died down.” There’s a pause. “At least a little bit.”
I shrug. Even though I try not to pay attention, people were still salivating over the pics yesterday. Maybe not as much as Monday morning, but I was still getting sly looks aimed in my direction when I walked through the halls.
What I will say is that Aiden and his douchebag cronies have gone stereo silent. They turn their backs when they catch sight of me. And a few of Jasper’s friends who continued to shout out lewd comments in the corridors showed up later during the week with blackened eyes.
Has Austin made good on his threat?
I don’t know.
It’s just a relief to be left alone.
Everly gives us a bit of side eye as we talk before turning away and staring out the window at the passing farmland. She doesn’t seem any happier about being stuck here than I am. Now that I think about it, I would have expected her to ride up with Summer and Kingsley.
After two hours on the road, Austin pulls off the highway and into a gas station. Once he kills the engine, he exits the vehicle and everyone else does the same, stretching their legs and heading inside to either use the restroom or buy snacks.
Aubrey and Everly use the single stall room first. When it’s my turn, I lock the door and take care of business before washing my hands. So far, the ride has been tolerable. Instead of watching Aubrey attempt to draw Austin into conversation, I’ve found myself staring out the window at the pretty scenery that flies by.