Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“I didn’t do anything,” I lie and his brow jumps.
“Sure you didn’t. I ain’t seen nothin’.”
I blow out a breath, feeling a little bit relieved. “Okay. So we’re okay?”
“We’re okay.” He twists a lock of my long chestnut hair around his finger. “Now show me your panties.”
“Stop asking me that, you pervert.” I shoulder past him and shove open the closet door. It hits Ren who was eavesdropping on the other side and because he screams like a girl, everyone looks our way. Everyone.
“I’ve had better to be honest,” Kane calls, fiddling with his jeans like he’s only just pulled them up.
I gape at him, horrified, and then look around at my peers.
“I despise you,” I tell him, making sure he can hear it in my tone and see it in my eyes. “I despise you.”
“Man, did she give you a blowjob?” Ren asks quietly as I rush away.
Kane doesn’t reply but I know he’s enjoying every moment.
I really do despise him and everything about him.
15 years old
“OH MY GOD!” I screech, covering my eyes and turning away because Poppy is legitimately straddling my brother and they’re both butt naked.
“OH MY GOD!” Poppy shrieks and I hear movement.
“Sis!” Matthew yells as though this is all my fault.
“I didn’t do anything!” I cry, feeling around for the door handle but I end up knocking a bottle off the top of his dresser. I must have turned too far.
“It’s okay, we’re decent,” Poppy pants, sounding breathless, which is so gross and I hear the bed dip.
I peek through my fingers first and look at my best friend in nothing but my brother’s T-shirt who is beside her. “When did you start having sex?”
“Like a month after we started dating,” Poppy admits with a shrug. “It’s not a big deal. Everyone does it.”
My brother, looking smug and icky, with his bare chest and his open pants and his flushed cheeks, winks at me in a brotherly way.
“Mee-maw might have killed you if she caught you.”
Matthew shrugs and puts a cigarette between his lips. “I don’t care. What are you doing walking into my room anyway?”
“Laundry,” I snap, scowling at him. “I thought you were out.”
“You didn’t hear the bed creaking?” Poppy asks, giggling like it’s hilarious.
I motion to the door with a sweep of my arm. “The radio is on.”
“She just wanted to see me naked,” Poppy jests, lifting the T-shirt to flash me her nude body. She’s developed too, much like I have, except my breasts are bigger as they always have been.
“You’re such a whorebag,” I mumble, looking away.
“And you need to live a little. Buy some hot clothes and put yourself out there. You’re wasting your life here.”
Matthew nods his agreement. “You’re wasting away. You’ve become Mee-maw and Grandpa’s slave. And every night I hear you crying in your sleep.”
Wow. I can’t believe he just called me out like that.
“Is that why you don’t want to do sleepovers anymore?” Poppy asks, looking concerned.
“I have nightmares, I can’t help it.” I don’t tell them why I have nightmares. I don’t tell them that every day for the past year I have been terrified that the police are going to knock on my door and take me away for Martin’s death, or the money I stole and still haven’t spent. I don’t tell them that I can’t get his lifeless face out of my head and that sometimes I wake up paralyzed with him sitting at the end, staring at me, bleeding from every orifice while he masturbates his disgusting, crooked penis.
“Come on.” Poppy stands and looks for her clothes. “Live a little, let’s go shopping. I know you’ve got savings. You’ve been doing that paper route for over a year.”
I shake my head. “Mee-maw takes all the money for that. Puts it in savings.”
They both gape at me and Matthew instantly gets angry.
“Why the fuck, do you let her do that?”
He stands and starts to dress, cigarette hanging from between his lips. This place is going to stink of smoke and Mee-maw is absolutely going to notice. Not that he cares.
“I’ve had enough.”
“Leave it,” I beg, not wanting to cause any trouble for our grandparents. As strict as they are I don’t want to hurt them.
“No, Mee-maw is treating you like a slave.” Matthew pulls on a clean T-shirt as Poppy also dresses.
“Matthew,” I beg. “Don’t! Please don’t. Because she’ll think I’ve been complaining.”
“YOU SHOULD COMPLAIN,” he booms, shrugging off Poppy’s hand when she places it on his shoulder. “You’re so fucking weak, Imogen. You need to stand up for yourself. You need to live!”
“I’m not weak,” I yell back, hands balling into fists by my side. “I just—”
“I just,” he mocks, making his tone high and whiny. “You just let everyone treat you badly. You’re going to end up committing suicide or shooting up the entire fucking school, Immy. You can’t go on like this!”