Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“You okay, Dunc?”
I whirl around from the side door where I’ve been waiting for Sadie to come home and see Dad—Uncle Coop—hovering three feet behind me. I scowl. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’ve been staring a hole through the side of the door for a good five minutes, so that’s why I was asking.”
I can’t tell my dad what’s going on between me and Sadie. I know what he’ll say. That it’s not the time nor place for something like her and me with Fischl coming to live with us, and Uncle Coop trying to be all fatherly to Van and shit.
“I was thinking about Ms. Cotton.” College talk will distract him.
Uncle Coop’s eyebrows shoot up. “What about her? Did you say something to Fischl?”
I rear back. What did he take me for? “Fuck no. Why would I say anything to Fischl about my math teacher? Do you really think I’d try to mess your reunion up with the one that got away?” I fume.
Uncle Coop grimaces. “God, no. Stupid shit just came out of my mouth. It’s a stressful time for all of us.”
His hand lands heavy on my shoulder. I shrug it off. Wounded from his accusation, I’m in no mood to hear his excuses. I’m holding off fighting Van all the time to make sure that there’s peace in this household so Coop can fix things with Fischl.
“Let’s just agree not to talk to each other for a while. It’ll be better for all of us,” I snap. I stomp off to my room to wait for Sadie’s appearance. Van can’t be with her the whole time. I’ll catch her alone at some point and convince her to take off with me. We’ll go to the back of the property down by the river, and I’ll talk it out with her. Get her to tell me what’s on her mind and reassure her that I’m not going to clip her wings. Just because me and Uncle Coop are built a certain way, loving just one woman, doesn’t mean she’s of the same mind. I’ll ease her into it, make sure she’s comfortable. I won’t fumble this like Uncle Coop did.
I take a shower, and while I’m drying off, I check the security cam feeds on my phone to see if Sadie is back. A frown creases my brow. Not only did she come home, but she left again and this time with Fischl. Where would they go together? Shopping? Actually, this is perfect. I’ll run into them at the mall, charm Fischl, and then buy Sadie something nice and expensive. We can have dinner somewhere.
I throw on some clothes and hurry downstairs where I find Van, drinking out of the fucking milk carton. He smirks at me and then downs the rest of it. Like I fucking care. Uncle Coop bought four gallons and stashed extras in the fridge in the basement. Van can choke on the milk.
I grab my keys and am about to leave when Van says, “Where is everyone?”
“Don’t know.” It’s not really a lie. I’m guessing on the mall thing.
“What’s for dinner?”
“Do I look like your personal chef?”
“Your house.” He shrugs. “You and your dad never cook?”
“Uncle Coop?” I almost say he’s not my dad, but why should I give that gift to Van?
“You call him Uncle Coop now?” There’s a slightly mocking tone that makes me fist my hands at my side.
“It’s none of your fucking business what I call him, is it?”
“Kinda is since he’s my dad now.”
I swear this guy is looking for a beat down. He’s testing every single ounce of my patience. I’m about to respond when my phone starts vibrating, Uncle Coop’s name lighting up the screen.
“Dunc,” he says without preamble, “I’m sending Alec to pick you up. Fischl and Sadie were in a car accident and—”
The phone drops out of my hand. Van meets my eyes and I know he sees fear in them. “What?” he says.
“Fischl and Sadie…car accident.” I can hardly get the words out. I was a baby when my parents died, but I still have nightmares where all I see are headlights and my head is full of crushed metal. I stumble and grab for the counter.
“Shit. Yeah, I hear you.” Van’s voice sounds like it’s far away, down a long tunnel. “And Mom?”
I don’t remember much more. Van shoves me out the door. I head for my truck, but Van pushes me toward a different vehicle that says Donovan Construction on the side. The driver is Alex, one of my dad’s foremen. “It’s all good, kid,” he reassures me.
“Did they tell you anything?”
“Sadie’s messed up her arm and Fischl’s going to be fine, too.”
Next to me, Van takes in a shaky breath. I don’t give him any reassuring words because I have none. I lost my family in a car accident. There’s nothing worse in the world.