Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Aubrey?”
I look up to see Callum’s girl, Willa, walking across the yard toward me. Oh God. She’s going to see these photos. If I don’t pick them all up, everyone will see them. Humiliation sours my stomach and I feel like puking up sea bass.
“It’s fine,” I choke out. “I’ve got it. Go away.”
Tears burn at my eyes and I swallow down the rising emotion that’s bordering on hysteria. Willa ignores my request for privacy and starts collecting pictures quickly. She doesn’t seem to be judging me, only helping me. Even though I asked her to leave, I’m thankful for the help.
Soon another voice joins and the tears really do fall. Gemma has come out to also help. I can hear her and Willa whispering in hushed voices, but I can’t worry about their judgment. I just need these pictures gone.
It takes us a good thirty minutes to chase down all the photos. Several blew down into the other yards and into the copse of trees on the other side of the yard. Once we have them all, I shove them into my purse, my hands trembling wildly. The girls are silent behind me as I walk to the front door.
Things just keep getting worse.
SLUT.
The hastily carved word in the front door is no doubt meant for me.
“I’m going to kill Spencer!” Gemma hisses, pushing past me and through the front door. “Spencer! Where are you, asshole?”
I swipe at my wet cheeks, unable to stop her from going after him. It’s not him, though. I know it isn’t. This is just more of my own horrible decisions haunting me from LA.
Willa’s voice is soft and reassuring, but I don’t know what she’s saying. My head is buzzing with a mixture of fear and shame. I feel violated in the worst possible way.
Shouting can be heard between Spencer and Gemma somewhere within the house and it breaks me out of my trance. I make my way into the kitchen on wobbly legs, worried my knees might give out at any moment. Willa follows behind me, trying to speak to me, but I’m not in a talking mood.
I want these photos gone.
I plug up the sink and toss all of the pictures into the basin. Snatching up one of them, I use the flame from the gas stove to light it on fire. Then, I toss it onto the pile in the sink, watching in sick satisfaction as they begin to burn.
Heat burns at my face as I stare at the growing flames. A different sort of heat swarms in on me from behind. Spencer’s presence, for once, doesn’t put me on edge. It reassures me. I allow him to gather me in his arms, hugging me from behind, and I relax into his comforting embrace.
“I didn’t do this,” Spencer growls, mouth near my ear. “You know that, don’t you?”
More tears well, but I blink them away and nod. “I know.”
He nuzzles his nose into my hair. The movement is gentle and protective. I want to wrap up in the feeling forever.
“I’m going to find out who did this,” he assures me. “I’m going to make them pay.”
His vow of revenge is a salve to my heart that’s been burning in pain for two years. I’m reminded of why I fell in love with him in the first place. And, stupidly, I hope he remembers that he loved me once too.
Spencer
I know I’ve done a lot of fucked-up shit when it comes to Aubrey, but this isn’t one of them.
Some asshole littered our yard with pictures of her sucking cock. I couldn’t even appreciate the beauty of seeing her like that because I was livid. She’s mine to torment and tease and do with as I please. Not only had they shamed her, but they did it on Park property. Vandalized our front door, too. All while I was in the goddamn house.
Whoever did this has some balls.
“Camera feed was cut about an hour ago,” I gripe, tossing my phone onto the couch. “Unbelievable.”
The girls went up to Aubrey’s room a few minutes ago to console her. I’d wanted to be the one to do it, but Gemma was quick to tug her out of my arms and away from me. Gemma probably thinks she’s rescuing her from my evil ways. She sure had no issue yelling at me and accusing me of being the monster who did this.
Dempsey, unruffled by my outburst, studies me for a beat. “Do you think it has anything to do with—”
“No,” I snap, cutting him off. “It doesn’t. This was clearly an attack against Aubrey for personal reasons.”
He nods, eyes narrowing. I don’t like being under his scrutiny. Now he knows more than I want him to. He took it surprisingly well. Only bitched a little about me being a “psycho” and then did what Dempsey always does—had my back. Still, he doesn’t have to approve of my every decision and it’s clear he doesn’t. Right now, though, we have bigger shit to deal with.