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 adopted?”
“No.” She sounds offended.
I slam the door shut. “Fuck.”
CHAPTER 6
SADIE
When Dunc gets into the truck, his mood has once again shifted. They say girls are hormonal, but he would give us a run for our money. He takes off out of the school parking lot. A few students lingering around openly stare at us.
“So?” I ask when he doesn’t say a word. He said if I got in the truck with him that he would spill the beans on whatever info he has. And I expect him to live up to it. It’s why I got in his truck to begin with. Maybe. I mean, that was a big part of it but not the entire reason. “If you’re not gonna talk then pull over 'cause I’m getting out.”
“Give me a sec. Trying to work all this out in my own damn head.” I glance over toward him again. I can’t read the expression on his face.
Crap. This is probably a lot for him. There is a reason he lives with Cooper. He slipped up a few times when referring to him. Calling him Dad most of the time but also uncle here and there. We might have more in common than either of us know.
“Cooper is your uncle?” I try to give him a little nudge to get the conversation going.
“Yeah,” he responds. His brow furrows together.
I’m glad he’s driving because he has to keep his eyes on the road. This allows me to watch his face without him doing the same to me. I tend to lose my train of thought when his attention is focused directly on me.
“But you call him Dad?” He only nods a response this time. “Can I, ah—” I lick my lips, knowing from personal experience how uncomfortable this conversation can be. “Where are your parents?”
“Dead.” He says it without a speck of emotion.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t remember them, so—” He shrugs it off easily. I don’t know if I should buy it. If anyone knows how to play along and pretend everything is okay when it’s not, it’s me. I’m finding that Dunc and I really are a lot alike.
“My mother left me,” I tell him. The words were out of my mouth before I could really think about them. It’s not information that I usually share so freely. But I’m finding that Dunc makes me do and feel a lot of things I don’t normally do.
His admission caused this overwhelming need in me to comfort him. Van says it’s one of my best and worst qualities. That I give it to people that don’t deserve it.
“What?” He whips his head around to give me a long stare before he has to go back to watching the road. “I thought that Fischl was your mom.”
“She’ll always be my mom. I mean, you said it yourself. Van and I aren’t twins, and we’re only days apart. He came first and never lets me live it down.” I’m trying to explain this, but I don’t think I’m doing a good job of it.
“You’re not related?”
“We are,” I say defensively. Fischl and Van are the only family besides my dad that I know. The fear of losing this all scares the crap out of me. If your own mother can walk away from you, I think anyone can. “You and Van are cousins.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Your egg donor, that’s your mom?” Ouch. That stings. I don’t think he’s trying to be mean, but with him I’m not sure. He’s so blunt. Still, it doesn’t give him the right to be a jerk.
“No, Fischl is my mom.” I stare out the window. I’m not going to give him more if he can’t do the same. Van can be a hardhead. They have that in common, but with me, Van isn’t that way.
Dunc makes a few turns leading us down a heavily wooded street. I want to ask where we are, but I keep my lips sealed shut. It’s not long before my question is answered when he pulls into the gravel parking lot of a beautiful lake nestled back in the woods. If this were a date, this place would be perfect to make out. I bite the inside of my cheek. This is not the time to be having those kinds of ideas.
“My ah, Cooper. He’s held a torch for Fischl forever.” He shakes his head, clearly annoyed about this.
“Then why aren’t they together?”
“Not a fuckin’ clue. I guessed she ran off on him.”
“She would never!” I turn to face him. He does the same.
“My uncle raised me. Why wouldn’t he want to raise his own kid?”
“I don’t know, but my mom would never keep Van from this Cooper if he wanted to be a part of his life.”
“Your cheeks turn a creamy pink when you get worked up.”