Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
It makes me self-conscious enough that I tuck my hair behind my ear.
Noticing my action, the guy says, “Hey.”
“Hi,” I say politely.
Again, he looks at Reign — who’s come up to his feet now — as if expecting something from him, but Reign is weirdly silent and I think broody. I wonder if it’s because he’s thinking what I’m thinking, that this new guy did interrupt us.
Then the guy looks back at me and jerks his chin. “I’m Lucas.”
“Oh, um, I’m Echo,” I say automatically because it’s only polite.
But then I freeze because I hear an honest to God growl.
A growl.
And I swear it’s coming from Reign.
But before I can confirm it, the new guy — Lucas — says, “Echo.” Then, smiling, “Pretty name.”
Okay, this time I’m sure there’s a growl. But I’m too polite to switch my focus back to Reign and ignore Lucas’s compliment. “Thank you.”
Still I glance over at Reign from the corner of my eye and notice that his fists are clenched.
“You have to forgive him,” Lucas says, shrugging, stealing my focus again. “Reign and good manners don’t mix well. I’m used to it by now though. I’m this asshole’s best friend.”
“Best friend?”
“Yeah. I know it’s hard to believe.” Lucas chuckles. “Seeing how charming I am.”
Well, he is charming, I guess.
Also easy-going and friendly.
But my mind is too much on Reign to really appreciate that.
My silence doesn’t deter Lucas though. “So I’ve never seen you around before this. Who are —”
“Let’s go.”
Those are the first words Reign has spoken since Lucas got here. And even though they’re curt, I can’t help but breathe in a sigh of relief.
That he spoke. Maybe now I can figure out what’s wrong.
Why is Reign glaring at his own best friend?
“But I’m having a conversation here,” Lucas protests good-naturedly, smiling.
Not that it affects Reign in the slightest. His mysterious bad mood doesn’t thaw at all. In fact, it becomes worse and he growls, “Yeah? I don’t fucking care. Come on.”
With that, he moves.
He starts to walk away and I’m not going to lie, every step that he takes away from me, my chest grows tighter, my breaths faster.
Where is he going? We haven’t finished our talk yet and we were in the middle of the most important part. Shouldn’t we finish that?
Also, when am I going to see him again?
I am going to see him again, right?
I’m not even sure how long he’s staying here for and…
I’m about to call out to him but Lucas gets there first. “Jesus, what’s your problem? I —”
Reign comes to a halt then, his shoulders tight and his back moving on a wave of a breath. Turning around to face Lucas, he goes, “She’s no one.”
“What?”
He raises his eyebrows. “You wanted to know who she is, yeah? She’s no one. At least, not someone who matters.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means,” he grits out, “that she’s the staff. Or at least her mother is. And her father.” When Lucas keeps frowning, Reign continues, “You see the food they’re all stuffing their faces with? I hear that her mother’s quite the chef. And her father’s very handy with the lawnmower.”
Lucas stares at him before coming back to me for a second. “O-kay. I —”
“So you understand what I’m saying to you?” He gestures with his chin. “She’s a little servant girl. You’re mixing with the wrong crowd. The right crowd is over there. Come on.”
For a few seconds after that, there’s silence.
No one says anything, not Reign, not Lucas and definitely not me.
I couldn’t. Even if I wanted to.
Because enough’s already been said, I guess. By Reign.
Who I very weirdly notice stands in such a way that we make a triangle, him and me and Lucas. I’m not sure why I’m noticing that. What a strange thing to notice in a moment like this, but nevertheless I do.
I notice.
The distance. The shape.
The fact that he still won’t look at me.
But Lucas does. I feel the moment his eyes swivel over and land on me. My cheeks burn when I notice the pity in them. “I’m… Fuck, I’m so sorry. I —”
His words get interrupted again when Reign turns back and begins walking away.
Widening the distance. Ruining the triangle.
And all I can do is stand here and watch him leave.
Unable to process what just happened.
CHAPTER THREE
Who: The Bubblegum
Where: The second-floor bedroom in the carriage house on the Davidson estate
When: 1:15AM; five years ago, one day after Echo’s thirteenth birthday
Dear Holly,
He lives here now.
Or rather, he’s going to live here now.
At the manor.
Not only that, he’s also going to go to my school as well, Bardstown High West.
I don’t know what’s more shocking, him coming back to live in Bardstown from Connecticut or that he’s going to go to a public school like mine rather than a posh private school like most of the rich kids go to.