Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 79183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
He doesn’t move.
“Is he okay?” MB asks. “He’s not moving.”
I nod. “It takes Quinn longer to process human emotion.”
“Cool list.” He finally says, not making eye contact with us. “Also, you spell my name with one N.”
My eyes widen.
He looks over his shoulder. “I’m kidding. Also, yes, thank you, I had a fantastic night by myself while I kept hearing moaning and groaning and things like more Ambrose, thank you Ambrose, you’re a god Ambrose, do it again, ouch that hurts, just kidding bite it harder.”
MB ducks back under the blanket while I burst out laughing; she peeks her head back out. “I do NOT sound like that!”
“Sureeee.” Quinn winks and tosses us two water bottles, “But also get dressed, school time, and not to be the bearer of bad news after such a wonderful sexual experience where I’m sure Ambrose did his due diligence and actually found your clit… but there’s another weird text that was sent from an unknown number.”
Why did last night have to end this way? With us waking up to more bad news? “Do I even want to know?”
“Why fight over incest? Check this out.” It was a picture of Mary-Belle kissing Ambrose in the hallway, followed by another of her next to Quinn smiling.
“Great, just another day in Hell. What else is new?” I grumble and pull MB against me. “We can skip today.”
“No more hiding.” She sits up, wrapping the blanket around her. “If they want to talk shit, let them. I know who I am, and you guys know too. Let’s just get it over with. It’ll be worse if we stay home.”
“I agree with the smart one,” Quinn says. “Skipping won’t make it better. If anything, it just proves them right.”
Ambrose sighs. “How can I even begin to protect—“
“—Don’t,” MB says. “Finish that sentence. I get that you want to protect me, but I’ve been protecting myself for a very long time. When I need your help, I’ll ask; until then, just stand by my side.”
They’re both quiet.
Quinn speaks first. “Damn, that was hot as fuck.”
“Back off.” Ambrose points a finger at him.
Quinn holds up his hands. “Easy boy, I wasn’t going to lick her and claim her.”
“Sure you weren’t,” I say. “Now turn around because I’m super naked, and the last thing you want is to start school with low self-esteem because my dick’s so big.”
“I’ve seen it, not impressed.” Quinn shrugs. “Mine, on the other hand—“
I cover MB’s ears with my hands and glare at Quinn. He just grins and walks out of the room, the little shit.
I don’t know why but I honestly feel good about the day, I check my phone again once I shower and get ready, and I still have zero messages from my mom. It’s like she’s just disappeared into thin air.
Losing a parent to death is one thing. Losing another by choice… it hurts.
It hurts that she hasn’t even checked in to make sure we’re both alive. What sort of parent makes that choice? Last year she was by my side, making sure I was okay after all the drama with Tessa, and now? Now I’m wondering why she even cared when clearly the only thing she cared about was what it looked like to everyone else.
At the time I thought it was me, she was worried about me, she said as much, but now I know the truth.
Everyone lies.
And both of my parents were embarrassed.
I take a deep breath as I drive everyone to school, I don’t really say much, but it kinda feels like none of us need to. The windows are down, music’s blasting, and for the first time in forever, it feels like old times with Quinn, just letting the warm breeze hit our faces. MB is in the back, sunglasses on, smiling to herself.
Everything is perfect.
Perfectly imperfect, and I love it. So what if things are messy with my mom?
I have a new family.
A new perfect, one I’m okay with, one I’d die for.
I pull into the usual parking space and immediately see Tessa standing outside the school building like she’s waiting for us—well, she’s going to be waiting a really long time.
As luck would go, all of our phones start buzzing. When I look down, it’s a news alert.
“DA John Andrews is in critical condition with a gunshot wound. Update soon.”
I freeze.
That’s Tessa’s dad.
He’s evil to the core, but I would never wish that on anyone. Quinn and I share a look while MB just stares at her phone like she’s seen a ghost.
“That sucks,” Quinn says.
“You okay?” I ask MB.
“That man.” She shakes her head. “Nevermind. Don’t worry about it. That is sad.”
I frown and get out of the car. MB follows with Quinn to my right.
“Let’s go.” I grab MB’s hand, and we walk to the doors.