Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
“I love you more.”
“Deal.” I hold out my hand.
“Now?” She laughs. “I promise I’ll leave it under your pillow before I go.” Her laughter cuts off.
“It’s okay,” I assure her even though it feels less than okay that she’ll be leaving soon. “We’ll spend all next weekend together. And then the weekend after we’ll be at the reunion.”
“God only knows what fresh hell that’ll be,” she grumbles.
She’s got a point.
An unfamiliar engine rumbles outside. Too close to the house to just be a neighbor. “Keep packing. I’m going to see who that is.” I pat her hip.
“It’s probably a delivery from Amazon,” she calls after me. “They’re always dropping stuff off at weird times.”
“Be right back.”
Barefoot in my gym shorts and T-shirt I open the back door and step onto the porch.
And find Torch at the bottom of the steps.
We stare at each other for a few seconds. Surprise spreads over his face. Annoyance flows through my body.
“So, I take it you two are back together?” A disappointed smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth. “I should’ve known when she suddenly got too ‘busy’ to text me. I thought she was pissed at me for skipping the carnival.”
“Nope.” My heavy footsteps thunder down the old, wooden steps and the screen door snaps shut behind me. “Your ‘hanging out’ with my girl days are done, bro.”
He holds up his hands in a “no harm intended” gesture. “Hey, Remy asked me for a favor. Who am I to say no to taking his little sister out?”
That only pisses me off more. I lean in close, and I’ll give him credit, he doesn’t flinch away. “We both know Remy isn’t the reason you said yes.”
“You’ve got me.” He holds up his hands in surrender, but his lips curve into an even more obnoxious smirk. “What’re you gonna do about it? Go full caveman on me?”
The door behind me squeaks open. My eyes close briefly. Please tell me she didn’t overhear any of this.
“What did you say?” Molly asks in a small, timid voice full of hurt.
I glare at Torch. “You need to leave.”
“No,” Molly says. “Stay, please.” Anger simmers beneath her words. Better than the hurt I first sensed. “Did I hear that right? You were spending time with me as a favor to my brother?”
I glance at her on the top step glaring down at us with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I…” Guilt and dread wash over Torch’s expression. His sorrowful gaze slides between Molly and me. At least he feels bad about being an asshole.
What the fuck’s wrong with me? I don’t want him to have feelings for Molly. How is that better?
I can’t stand Molly having her feelings hurt, though.
“It’s not like that,” he says. “Remy was worried about you.” Torch flicks his gaze to me again, as if he’s weighing his words carefully. Or maybe he wants to throw the blame on me somehow. Like Molly doesn’t know I’m the reason why Remy was so worried. “I would’ve asked you out eventually. Wanted to for a while.”
A low growl rips out of my throat. I knew it. Knew it at her fucking birthday party when he showed up with his stupid gift card.
Torch backs up a step.
“Suuure you did,” Molly scoffs. “What’d my brother do, pay you to babysit me?”
“No.” Torch scowls. “Fuck no.”
Molly turns her hurt eyes on me. “You knew about this?”
This isn’t the time to fuck around with the truth. “Not until the night I saw you at the track.”
“But you never told me?”
“Why would I tell you something like that?” I fling my hand in Torch’s direction. “Besides, I took one look at him and knew Remy was wrong.”
Torch chokes on a laugh. “I’m that obvious?”
“Save those chuckles,” I warn him. “I haven’t decided how many times to punch you, yet.”
“Griff!” Molly scolds.
I flash a quick, innocent smile her way. “What?”
“Well, I’m gonna go,” Torch says, backing up toward the driveway, one step at a time, keeping his eyes on me. “Glad you’re okay, Molly.” He points at me. “You punch me, I’m punching you back.”
“Give it your best shot, carrot top.” I sneer.
He rolls his eyes. “So original.”
The door slams behind me. I whip around but Molly’s gone. Shit.
“Griff,” Torch calls. When I turn, he’s already in the driveway next to his car.
“You’re that scared of me?” I taunt. It’s not like Torch doesn’t know how to handle himself in the cage. “Seriously?”
“Uh, you’re a pro fighter now.” He wiggles one hand in the air. “Scared isn’t the right word. Healthy respect for how deadly your fists are would be more accurate.”
First time anyone’s called me a pro fighter. Am I? Not really. Doesn’t matter. He should fear me. When it comes to Molly, I’ll do anything to protect her.
He lifts his chin. “Seriously. Tell her I’m sorry.”