Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
When it finally came to an end, I hopped out of my car and marched toward Belinda. “What the hell was that?” I demanded.
She turned to face me, cocking her head to the side as she twirled her glossy ponytail around her finger. “It’s just a silly funfair ride, Darya. No need to get your knickers in a twist.”
I saw red, but then, before I completely lost my temper, Peter’s familiar warmth met my back as his arms came around my waist.
“She isn’t worth it,” he murmured in my ear, and most of my temper faded. He was so good at that, calming me down. I spotted a few more of Belinda’s friends from school standing several yards behind her and knew pacifism was the only option. I refused to fight with her and give them the entertainment they were clearly after.
“Just stay away from me,” I seethed and turned around, letting Peter lead me away.
“I think someone needs anger management,” I heard Belinda joke when she returned to her friends, and they all had a good chuckle.
Peter squeezed my hand. “Don’t rise to it.”
“I’m not going to. She’s just so annoying.”
“Hey, what the hell happened back there?” Grace asked, catching up to us.
“Just Belinda being her usual charming self,” I replied.
“What’s her problem? Can’t she just act decent for once?”
“She’s definitely capable of it, but maybe only when she’s intoxicated.” I sighed, thinking back to the night at Grace’s party when Belinda had been drunk and confessed to me why she always gave me a hard time. Supposedly, it was all down to jealousy. She was jealous that people respected me just because my parents were powerful and that it was unfair because she had to try hard to make people respect her.
Grace shot me a puzzled look.
“Remember I told you how she came up to me at your party when she was drunk?” I said to jog her memory.
“Right. I’m still dubious that actually happened. Are you certain it wasn’t a dream?” she asked jokingly.
“Maybe you’re onto something. She’s certainly acting like it never happened, or perhaps she’s pretending she can’t remember to save her pride.”
“That sounds plausible.”
“Want to go for a walk along the pier?” Peter suggested. “I think I’ve had enough of this fair for one night.”
I nodded, and we said goodbye to our friends. A few minutes later, we were all alone, walking along the quiet pier lit softly by lamplights.
“So, are you going to tell me what happened earlier?” Peter asked, referring to my weird moment when I’d felt I was being watched.
I blew out a breath. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Angela. It’s only been a few months since the attack, and I know she still has nightmares from time to time.”
He frowned as he gazed down at me, a line deepening between his eyebrows. “Okay, now you have me worried.”
“You don’t need to worry. Whatever it was, it was only fleeting. I tend to get a feeling when someone’s watching me with ill intent, and I got that feeling back at the fair. It only lasted a few seconds, but I still can’t help wondering who brought it on.”
Peter’s expression was tense when he stopped walking. “Someone was watching you? Do you think it was the same person from the woods the other night?”
“I don’t know. I told my mum about it, and she said the scent I picked up was similar to what ghosts smell like. Supposedly, she’s seen a few in her time and remembers them smelling like rotten eggs and burning, too.”
“She thinks a ghost is haunting you?”
I shrugged. “It’s a theory. But I don’t really know anyone close to me who died, so it doesn’t make sense that a ghost would want to haunt me.”
We fell into silence, both of our minds working overtime to figure out what was going on, though I suspected the answer wasn’t going to present itself quite so readily.
“Are you staying at mine tonight?” Peter asked after we’d walked for a few minutes in quiet contemplation.
“Of course,” I said, pushing all the foreboding thoughts from my mind. “You have a promise to keep, after all,” I said with a hint of flirtation.
Peter smiled with heat and affection. “I do believe you’re right.”
4.
The following day at school, I went to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite. Grace hadn’t arrived for her night classes yet, and Peter was working on an extra credit assignment for Mrs. Kanumba. I grabbed a bottle of water and a sandwich before joining the queue to pay.
“Darya, wait up!” someone called, and I looked behind me to see Ren hurrying to catch up with me.
“Hey, want to eat together?” he asked.
“Sure.” I grinned. Ren was delightful company. I never minded spending time with him because his chatter was so entertaining. He held a tray with two ham sandwiches, curly fries, chicken goujons, two sausage rolls, and a large cola.