Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Ignoring him completely, Amanda continues, “Before, you’re all nice and charming, but as soon as you get your dick sucked, you turn into an asshole. You might want to take that into consideration, Ice Queen. He’s a real asshole once he gets you on your back.”
“Quit calling her that,” Cage defends me, rage filling his features, but I’ve had enough. This is exactly what I’ve been afraid of, and now she is confirming it. I can’t trust Cage to be any different with me. He might treat me well now, act like he cares, but once he gets what he wants, he’ll treat me like I’m nothing. I’ll be alone, sulking after a man that doesn’t want me.
I’ve seen it too many times. I’m not going to fall for it.
I’m not going to fall for him.
“Thank you, but I’m capable of standing up for myself. I don’t need you to do it for me. Matter of fact, I don’t need you to do anything for me.”
Cage looks at me like I just physically slapped him. Quickly, the hurt and shock in his eyes morph into anger. Good, that makes it easier. All of this will be easier if he sees me as the girl that poured a beer on his head.
Tossing the books onto the floor, he curls his lip at me. “You don’t have to be a bitch to me because of her, but since you are, I guess that gives me the chance to be an asshole. See where not needing anyone leads you. You’ll be alone forever. Maybe you’ll even live up to your nickname after all,” he yells the last bit at me, rage lacing his voice, the sound hitting me straight in the chest.
The door slams shut, rattling me to the core, and all I can do is try my best to hold back tears.
14
Cage
I’m a prick, douchebag, idiot. I know. I shouldn’t have said what I did to Blair, but there isn’t any taking it back, plus, it’s not like it was a lie. She does push people away. For instance, she pushed me away.
She got mad at me because I defended her. What bullshit is that? She’s trying to shove me out of her life like she does with everyone. Of course, I had to call her out on it, but I admit, I could have handled it a little better.
Since the day she poured a beer on my head, I knew there was something deeper going on. I saw it in her eyes. Her dislike and distrust of men. It’s right there on the surface. Everyone thought I was some idiot jock who fucked girls and never paid attention to anything, but I do. I know who my friends are, who is talking shit behind my back, and who actually matters.
It’s been two days since our last session, and the night that ended in disaster.
I’m sick to my stomach and have been dreading this session all day.
When I get to our room, she is already there, even though I’m ten minutes early.
“Hey,” I greet her and take the seat next to her.
“Hey.” She gives me a tiny smile, letting me know that she is no longer mad at me. The tension in my shoulders eases slightly, and I feel myself relaxing.
“I’ve done my homework, but there was something I didn’t get.” I open my book and flip through the pages. “It’s this one–”
“Did you mean it?” she interrupts. “Do you really think I’ll end up alone?” There is no anger in her voice, she is genuinely asking me, so I look her in the eyes and decide to give her an honest answer without being mean.
“I shouldn’t have said it the way I did, but yes. I think you’ll end up alone if you keep pushing everyone away.”
“I have Jude and Mia.”
“That’s not what I meant. Those are friends. Don’t you want to find someone to love? Someone who loves you back?”
“I do,” she whispers.
“That will never happen if you push every guy you meet away. You don’t go out. You don’t even talk to guys. I hit on you at a party, and you poured a beer over my head, it’s clear that you have some kind of hate toward men ingrained in you.”
She pauses and nibbles on the end of her pencil, making her look even more like a nerd. A sexy nerd. A nerd, I want to peel back the layers on.
“Maybe you’re right. I just don’t want to be a girl that guys only want to screw. I want more than that. Every time a guy hits on me, I feel like they only want sex.”
Guilt rises up inside me. I can’t deny that that’s exactly why I hit on her. She gives me a knowing look before continuing.