Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
And here I thought it wasn’t possible to feel any more pain.
Not only does Summer know about this betrayal, she’s onboard with it.
The bitterness that crashes over me is almost enough to drive me to my knees. My fingers curl into my palms until the short nails puncture the flesh. The urge to smash my fist through the plaster wall pounds through me. That girl has been playing me this entire time. I think about how we just fucked in her room. The way she took me in her mouth and sucked me dry. Her gaze pinned to mine the entire time she was on her knees. There had been so much emotion churning in her dark, velvety depths.
I’d really thought it meant something.
Bitterness gurgles up in my throat, but I swallow it down, keeping the sound buried deep inside where it will never see the light of day. The last thing I want to do is to tip the bastards off.
What has been proven tonight is that I’m a dumbass for allowing myself to get caught up in a pretty girl with an even prettier snatch. A mixture of humiliation and fury burn through me like molten lava, destroying all the fragile emotions attempting to take root.
The rage that blinds me is all-consuming, and it takes a few moments for the thick haze to clear as I blink back to awareness and realize Summer’s parents have fallen into a heavy silence.
I can’t stay here any longer. If I do, I run the risk of storming into the kitchen and losing my shit. It’s almost mind-boggling how fast my reality has shifted. A couple of hours ago, there didn’t seem to be anything that could kill my feelings for Summer.
And now...
Now hatred rushes in to fill every cell of my being.
“I was so foolish,” Griffin mumbles. “I thought this would give Summer and Austin a better life. An advantage we couldn’t give them in Chicago.” His voice breaks. “And look what happened...”
“Don’t worry, we’ll fix it.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for putting Summer through this ordeal.”
“Oh, Griffin,” Eloise’s voice softens. “She’s already forgiven you. Once we’re able to end this nonsense, we’ll put it behind us and forget it ever happened.” There’s a pause. “We’ll leave Hawthorne, of course. There’s no way we can stay here.”
“I know,” he sighs. “Roland is working on it. We should have brought him on earlier and saved ourselves the headache.”
“What about Keaton?” she whispers, fear weaving its way through her voice.
She’s smart to be concerned. Once he learns of their treachery, he’ll bury them alive.
“I have a meeting set with Roland on Thursday. He’ll lay out all the options and direct us how to proceed. For the time being, it’s a waiting game.”
“Then we can get the hell out of here and never come back,” she whispers wistfully.
“I think that’s what we all want.”
My gut twists. I’ve heard more than enough. Any lingering doubts have been laid to rest. Silently, I slink through the shadows to the second floor. My mind riots with each step that brings me closer to the girl sleeping soundly in the bed we fucked in.
She knew.
She’s known the entire time. As far as I’m concerned, that makes her as culpable as they are. Summer strung me along, allowing me to believe she gave a damn while her parents were busy working behind the scenes, attempting to cheat my family out of what’s rightfully ours.
And I fell for it.
All she had to do was spread those pretty legs, and I fucking fell for it.
My hands shake with unspent fury as I push open the bedroom door. It barely squeaks on its hinges as I step inside and secure it before leaning against the wood. My gaze strays to the beauty sleeping soundly, exactly the way I left her. The thick mass of her inky black hair is spread out across the snowy white pillowcase. Her pale skin almost glows in the moonlight as it filters in through the open windows. The sheet has slithered down her body, revealing the dusky tips of her breasts.
She’s so fucking gorgeous that it’s actually painful, and I have to physically stop myself from gravitating toward her. From the first moment I saw Summer, I wanted her. Everything about this girl called to me like a siren song. Even after I discovered her true identity, I found it impossible to stay away. That knowledge should have been enough to kill my feelings.
But now?
Any bit of tenderness has vanished.
There’s nothing.
Actually, that’s a lie. I feel a deep-seeded hatred that she could play me so effortlessly. She pretended to want me, allowing me inside her body, all the while knowing exactly how this charade would end. A fresh wave of resentment roars through my blood as I watch her from across the room. My fingers tighten into fists and for a heartbeat, I close my eyes and welcome the hot rush of fury that licks at me, singeing everything in its path. When they flicker open again, every delicate emotion I’d ever felt for her has been eradicated.