Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “All of that sounds terrible. Did you even get to remotely live your life at all? No high school?” I know it’s bad for a lot of folks, but something tells me that Merit had worse teenage years than most.
“Homeschool. Where I got taught all the details of their beliefs. Truthfully, I learned more from the books we brought. Before my father decided they were brainwashing me and burned all of them.”
I grimace again. “And I guess you decided to run away.”
She nods. “I planned for weeks. I got out in the darkness of night, ran until I damn near passed out, hoping they wouldn’t find me. I camped for a bit, I used all the survival skills I was taught – probably the only good thing they did for me at the compound. Then I found this place. And uh... I decided to live it up.”
I look around the kitchen. “You think stealing some cans of beans and drinking soda pop is living it up?”
“Believe me, Mr. Rough, I have very low standards right now as to what constitutes luxury.”
I laugh out loud. “You know what you want. I like that. And I’m just Mac. I think I’m barely older than you, Merit.”
“Sorry. Just trying to avoid angering you so you don’t hand me over to the police. I’m worried they might hand me back to my family.”
“They can’t do that. You’re an adult. And I’m not even going to call the cops. You’re just someone trying to survive, and you put this place to use while we weren’t using it. My father would kick my ass if I I could help a girl like you and I didn’t.”
Not to mention that she was sexy as hell, and hearing about her hard-headed determination and drive only made her hotter to me. I didn’t want some passive waif. I wanted a good, strong woman like her, who would fight for what she believed in, fight for herself. An equal, not a subordinate, which is what her family apparently wanted her to be. At this point I wouldn’t have been surprised if she told me they wanted to marry her off to some ancient old dude who had four wives already.
She’s still withdrawn in her chair. She’s still scared, despite everything I’ve said to try to reassure her.
Really? I don’t blame her one bit. Her parents seem like absolute psychos, and just because I’m playing nice, I’m sure she’s heard sweet words that led her to venom before.
I decide I’m going to help this girl. Even if it’s just because it’s the right thing to do and she doesn’t want anything to do with me, that’s fine.
If it all tumbles along in a romantic direction though? I ain’t exactly going to be protesting.
4
MERIT
The jig is up. This place was an oasis in the desert after sleeping in dirt and waking up with a sore neck and sore back. I knew it had to belong to someone. There was too much stuff here for me to think otherwise. I just hoped that maybe I had until the winter ended before they showed up again, and by then I’d have figured out what I want to do with my life.
Which, I guess, was optimistic. All I know is that I sure as hell don’t want to go back to the compound. Beyond that? I’m flying by the seat of my pants.
I guess I didn’t expect the person who owned this place to be so cute. Mac has sandy brown hair, a strong jaw, and fierce brown eyes. It isn’t the time to be fawning over a guy, I know, but, but you can’t help what you feel when you look at someone.
“So... uh... what now? Are you just going to let me go?” I say, fully prepared to be out in the wilderness again with no clear direction. “I’ll just leave now, and you’ll never see me again.”
He shakes his head. “You’re welcome to stay here. My mother would kick my ass if I left some poor woman stranded with no place to go, even if she seems to be able to handle herself in the woods.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
“You already said what needs to be said. We need to figure out what’s next for you, though.”
I sink into my chair. “I really have no idea. Up until a month ago I was set to be thrust into an arranged marriage and probably made to be a mother against my will. It’s not like I had high hopes for college or a career when I couldn’t even go to an actual high school.”
He rubs his chin. “You remember being a kid, right? You had to have hopes and dreams then. What did you want to be when you grew up?”