Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“You can go ahead and do that. If Riley wants the job, it’s all his.” I take a step forward and stare into Grandpop’s eyes. “But I think Riley would be happier and better off if he stays far, far away from anything you built.”
“You’re singing a new song, Ford,” Grandpop says loudly as I turn and walk away. “But all I hear is the same old tune. It’s sad really, you had so much promise!”
I leave the living room. I walk slowly through the halls.
This place makes me feel nothing but miserable.
It’s empty. It’s all for show. There’s no substance anywhere, and if I finally stomp out what’s left of my soul to take it over, I’ll find nothing at the heart. I’ll stand on top but what’s the point of ruling over a graveyard? There are only bones in this house.
I see Grandpop clearly for the first time in my life and he’s a skeleton king.
It disgusts me how close I came.
Power without heart and purpose is meaningless.
I get into the car and head home. Kat’s in bed half-asleep already. I don’t wake her up. I crawl under the covers and lie close to her and listen to her breathe and breathe in her smell and think about what I’ve given up, what I’ve lost, and what I stand to gain.
Chapter 22
Kat
In the morning, Ford seems different. Lighter almost. His smile comes easier and when he kisses me, there’s no hesitation. He’s not holding himself back anymore, he’s not keeping anything in reserve.
“What’d I do to deserve this?” I ask as he cooks me breakfast.
“Nothing, but you’ll earn it later.”
I laugh and eat and kiss him goodbye before I head out to work.
He’s in my texts all day. I feel light and happy as we chat back and forth, flirting like we’re teenagers and it feels good. Stupidly good. Even Melody notices the difference. “You’re smiling a lot today,” she says as she leans up against the barn door with her arms crossed. “Why are you smiling a lot?”
“I don’t know,” I say and try not to meet her gaze. “Things are just good.”
“At home, you mean? With Ford?”
“Maybe. I guess so, yeah.”
She’s silent for a few seconds. I look up and she’s studying me with a curious frown. She says, “I’ll be honest with you, Kat. When you told me about this whole Ford thing, I figured it’d be done in a few weeks, a month at most. I figured you’d both realize how insane you’re being and move on. But now I’m sort of worried.”
“Worried? Why?”
“You’re happy.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“But you barely know him.” She looks down at the ground and rubs the toe of her boot into the dirt. “Look, I want you to do what makes you feel good, you know? If Ford’s the right man then he’s the right man. I have no problem with Ford in particular. It’s just that, I’m worried you two accidentally fell into the honeymoon phase, but soon real life’s going to get in the way. What’ll happen then?”
“We’ll figure it out,” I say but something about what she’s saying nags at me. “We didn’t come into this thinking anything would happen between us.”
“But it is.” Not a question. Just a statement.
And I don’t deny it. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. I’m just trying to enjoy myself right now.”
She cracks a smile. “Good, I’m happy for you.”
“Liar, but that’s okay.”
She laughs and we get back to work. Even though what she said bothers me for the rest of the day, I still can’t stop myself from checking my phone every few minutes. Each new text from Ford sends a little jolt of excitement down into my core and I feel giddy with excitement at the thought of going home tonight to see him.
Melody’s right, this is stupid, and it might end in a terrible heartbreak, but I don’t care. This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life and it’s all because of Ford. I’m not thinking about what my family wants from me and I’m not even worried about Grandfather inevitably taking away his support once he realizes I don’t plan on spying for him. I don’t even care what Sara Lynn thinks of me. I’m happy because I have Ford and for the first time in my life, I’m entirely focused on what I want and what I need.
There might be consequences. Heck, I can imagine a whole lot of them. This thing with Ford might blow up in my face and go down in flames, but I just don’t care. I’m doing what I want, what makes me feel good, and I’m not going to second-guess myself out of joy.
Work buzzes past. About an hour before my shift’s over, my phone starts to ring. I figure it’s Ford calling about plans for tonight, but I don’t recognize the number when I go to pick it up.