Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Now tell me everything. I need all the juicy deets.”
“I love her.” I bore my gaze into her. “I fucking love her.”
And that’s all she needs to know.
The details don’t matter.
Just Willa.
Willa
I’m numb.
Completely numb.
If it weren’t for Spencer’s comforting grip on my hand, I’d go back to shivering. Maybe it was the terror of what Levi was doing or the shock of what Callum did to him in return or pure adrenaline, but for the past hour, I’ve been shaking.
“How long has this been going on?” the officer asks for the fiftieth time.
Spencer gives my hand a squeeze, urging me to answer. I blink away my daze and lift my chin, meeting her concerned stare.
“W-What?” I croak out.
Her lips purse together. “I’d feel better if you’d go to the hospital to get checked—”
“No,” I hiss. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
I need to see Callum.
To know he’s okay.
At first, I’d been overjoyed he’d come to rescue me from Levi’s assault, but then he went mad. Lost himself to blind rage. I was certain he was going to kill Levi. Not that Levi didn’t deserve it. But I was sickened at the thought of losing Callum to prison. It wasn’t fair.
“Let’s try this again,” the officer says gently. “How long has your stepbrother been harassing you?”
A full-bodied shudder quakes through me. Levi has always taunted me in some way. It’s never been this bad. Had Callum not come when he did, Levi would have raped me.
Tears well in my eyes and I swallow down the lump in my throat. “I want my mom.”
The officer nods, smiling at me. “I know, honey. She’ll be here soon. We’ve already contacted her.”
“Where’s…” I trail off, eyes darting everywhere.
“Your boyfriend was arrested, but I’m sure it’ll sort itself out,” the officer assures me. She winks at me. “He’s a Park.”
I tense up. Did they find out Callum was responsible for beating up Levi? What happens now?
Spencer’s thumb rubs over my hand. “Dempsey just lost it and wanted to protect you. My dad is a really good attorney. Everything will be fine.”
Dempsey.
They think Dempsey is my boyfriend.
Despite the relief at knowing Callum isn’t sitting in a cell, I want to correct both of them. I want to tell them Callum is the Park I’m in love with, not his little brother. Admitting that, though, means undoing everything Dempsey did to protect Callum’s and my relationship. He took the fall for beating up Levi.
“Levi? Did they arrest him too?” I ask, voice hoarse with emotion.
The officer nods. “They did. Once we have your statement, that ought to be enough to keep him there for a bit. I need you to tell me everything about your stepbrother and the events that happened earlier.”
“Pull it together,” Spencer rumbles from beside me. “Tell her everything. The sooner you do, the sooner Dempsey can be let go.”
His words send steel shooting down my spine. This family has come together to save and protect me. That means I need to step up and do my part to do the same for them. I give Spencer a small nod of understanding and then spill every last horrid detail, skating over parts where Callum is my lover, not Dempsey. By the time I’m finished, I’m crying.
“I’m going to get you some water,” the officer says, her features soft with concern. “Will you be okay here with your friend until then?”
I nod quickly and rest my head on Spencer’s shoulder. If he weren’t here to help me through all of this, I’d probably shut down completely. As soon as she leaves us alone in my living room to go to the kitchen where another officer is standing, Spencer kisses the top of my head.
“You almost had me convinced,” he murmurs low enough for only me to hear.
“About?”
“Dempsey being your boyfriend.”
I stiffen. My first urge is to deny knowing what he’s talking about, but the jig is up. He and Dempsey both witnessed Callum’s rage on my behalf. A man doesn’t turn so feral to protect a woman like that unless he’s madly in love with her.
“It just sort of happened,” I whisper. “I love him.”
We both know I’m not talking about Dempsey.
“You’re eighteen, though, right?” Spencer asks. “I don’t get all the secrecy.”
“His position,” I say with a sigh. “It could be twisted to make him seem like a predator.”
“He’s a Park. We’re all predators.”
I crack a smile, but it quickly falls. “I don’t want him to lose his job, or worse yet, go to jail.”
“Hmph.”
“We were just trying to wait until I graduated,” I explain. “Then…”
“Then what?”
“Then, I guess, we were going to see each other proudly and unafraid of what others would think.”
He starts to speak again, but the front door opens. I jolt at the abrupt intrusion, ready to run if it’s Levi, and then relax at seeing my mother.