Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“Stay in the house.” I panicked when he pulled his gun from the small of his back and made his way back outside. I wasn’t sure if I should call someone or not. I heard gunshots and running feet and ran back towards the door.
“Nick, get back in here.” He was standing on the front porch of this beautiful Victorian that I’ve been working so hard to bring back to its former glory, shooting over the heads of the people who were staked out on our lawn. At least I think it was over their heads.
“Are you insane? They’re gonna call the cops and have you arrested.” He walked back in after the last van cleared our drive. I should’ve known it was only a matter of time before he blew. He’ d made it clear from day one that he wasn’t going to answer any questions, that he wanted no part in the whole mess surrounding the case.
Some of the reporters were a little more understanding than others. Those who just wanted the story and a nice sound bite for the evening news kept pushing. Like the one who’d just asked me if I was happy that Nick’s family was gone so I could get him back.
I’m pretty sure the jerk was just going for effect, but it was a crummy thing to say anyway. They’ve been turning their attention to us and our past more and more lately and I don’t know where they were getting their information but it looks like someone had been filling their heads with some horrible crap.
Of course no one that mattered believed that we had anything to do with the explosion. The trial was well on the way with every day bringing new insight into the plot against his life. dpg
“I shoulda shot that fucker for saying that shit to you. I’m gonna find out who the fuck is feeding them this bullshit and plant my foot up their ass.” He dragged me back inside and slammed the door with his foot. I decided to leave him to his snit and go wash up and get started on dinner.
I had a pretty good idea who was behind the lies being leaked to the press. The week after the arrest we’d ran into Dee’s parents and the look her mom had given me didn’t leave much to the imagination.
It was obvious that she had a very horrible opinion of me and I could only surmise that she’d learned all she knew about me from her daughter.
She’d lit into Nick for picking up with me again, something she saw as an affront to her daughter’s memory. I knew when his answer was ‘I don’t give a fuck what you think’ that there was going to be trouble.
It was right after that, that all the wild stories begun. Today was just the day they’d gone too far. It was quite a leap from, ‘is it true you were carrying on with your high school sweetheart while your wife was alive’ to, ‘is it true you killed your wife and son so you could get back with your side piece’.
As incongruous as it may seem, in this day of modern technology, all it would take is one jackass to believe those lies and run with it.
I busied myself preparing dinner while keeping an ear out. Today was kind of an anniversary of sorts. It was the anniversary of the first day we officially met in high school.
I didn’t even know he’d remembered, but when he’d put the school ring back on my finger, I’d come to realize that there wasn’t anything about our time together that he didn’t remember.
The way he’d looked when he slid it back on my finger, not to mention the fact that he was sliding deep into me while he did it, would always be a special memory.
I’ d planned to make us something nice to celebrate but I’m not sure he’s up for it now after that fool had spouted off. He came in behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“Sorry I scared you baby, they won’t be back here anymore.” I tapped his arm and turned around to face him. “How’d you arrange that?” I lifted my arms around his neck. “I got the captain on it. He’s been bending over backwards to make me happy these days.”
He kissed my nose and moved away from me. “Want me to make the salad?” he filched a carrot stick and took the head of lettuce to the sink to rinse.
We made dinner together, talking as if the evening hadn’t started off the way it had. That was something else I admired about him, the way he could put things away so easily. The way he was able to bounce back.
The more time I spent with him, the more I encouraged him to talk about Brandon and the things they’d done together, the more I realized how much he’d lost and how unbelievably strong a person had to be to overcome that kind of horrible pain.