Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
My hands ball into tight fists, and the carefree feeling I had moments ago swirls down the drain. Kennedy shakes her head, the blonde strands of hair catching in the morning sunlight that filters through the window, making them appear as if they’re spun gold. I’m reminded of her sweet scent from the other night. Floral with a light dusting of something else.
She’s a temptation. So beautiful, perfect, but a tempting poison that will kill you if you take a sip. The jock’s face falls when Kennedy turns, picks up her bag, and walks away. Her shoulders are curled in, and she looks uncomfortable even though the guy didn’t do anything but talk to her.
What the hell?
My brows pinch together with confusion. This is the kind of thing she likes, attention, guys falling over their own feet to get to her, so why is she walking away from him? It has to be a front. She’s playing a game, being shy, pretending to be someone she isn’t in hopes I’ll get off her back, but that’s not going to happen.
I can’t and won’t be fooled by some fake-ass mask that she wears. Does she forget that I know her? Really know her. My jaw aches as I clench it. The fact that she’s turning this into a game pisses me the fuck off.
Pushing up out of the chair, I walk in the direction she went. Who does she think she is? Pretending that she doesn’t want attention, that she isn’t outgoing or a ball of fucking sunshine. As long as I’ve known her, all she’s ever done is talk to people. She loved being the center of attention, both her and Jillian thrived from it, like goddamn plants in the summer sun.
There’s no way she’s changed that much. I might not see the whole picture when it comes to Kennedy, but I’m not stupid. She wants me to think she’s changed. Well, it’s time I show her which one of us actually has.
Speed walking, I catch up to her just as she passes the door that heads up to the stacks. An idea pops into my head, and I decide to go with it. Let’s see how far I can push her before she breaks. She’s basically jogging through the place as if she can outrun me. Not today, princess. Reaching out, I grab her by the shoulder, stopping her from taking another step.
A gasp slips past her pink parted lips as she comes to a halt and turns to face her assailant. Pain lances across her features as if struck at the sight of me.
“Jackson,” she says my name in a hushed whisper, and I hate that it still has the same effect on me as it did the day before my sister died.
I wish every good memory I had with Kennedy would die. Every thought, every feeling. I wish it would all wilt away and become dirt beneath my feet.
“Don’t say my fucking name,” I grit out, reacting with venom as I release her shoulder and snake my hand around her wrist. Tugging her toward me and back to the door that leads up the stairs, I can feel the resistance she puts up, attempting to dig her feet into the ground and tug her arm out of my grasp.
“Where are we going? I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” The underlining panic in her voice only encourages me more.
Twisting the doorknob, I open the door and tug us up the first couple of steps.
“I don’t really give a fuck what you want to do. I have a lesson to teach you.”
“Can we not do this today?” Fear trickles into her nonchalant response as I pull the door closed, and darkness blankets us. “And how did you even know I was here? Are you watching me?”
A smile curves my lips, but I don’t respond. Practically dragging her up the steps and across the expanse space, I stop when we’re hidden behind a set of bookcases. Little slivers of sunlight filter through the dust-covered cases, but aside from that light, the entire room is dark.
Releasing Kennedy’s wrist like it’s fire, I reach for the button on my jeans.
“What…what are you doing?” Fear. It rushes off of her in waves. It’s suffocating. Intoxicating.
Good.
I want her fear.
I want to taste it.
Feast on it.
“Downstairs, I realized something…” I trail off, flicking the button on my jeans. The sound ripples through the space between us, and though it’s hard to see, there is no way I could miss the trembling in Kennedy’s little body.
I try not to pay attention to how small and vulnerable she looks, or how wrong this is. I can have any girl I want, willingly, and I’m sure I could have Kennedy too, but right now, I don’t want her willing. I want to take from her. Drink up her fear. Watch her break, and piece herself back together again.