Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
I turn to the window now and there she is. Her red hair and her cinnamon-freckled skin would give her away anywhere. She’s laughing at something Callie is saying while taking a bite out of a cupcake. A little frosting clings to her bottom lip and she licks it off with her tongue. I feel my gut clench and dick harden.
Tomorrow.
A low growl escapes me, and I wrap my hand around the side of my neck, rubbing the spot where she bit me. The wound is still fresh and pulsing and I fucking hope to all that’s holy that the next time she bites, she makes me bleed. So I can lick my blood off her lips like she just licked that frosting. In fact, I will be licking that too. I will be licking all sorts of things off her body now. She needs something licked off her skin, I’ll be the man for the job.
Maybe I’ll buy a pack of cupcakes to eat off her skin in celebration. I’m definitely eating strawberries off her pussy. Maybe I can also slather her in pancake syrup and slurp it off her body. Actually, I should start a list of all the depraved things I want to do to her. It’s shocking I haven’t done so before.
“Does it have anything to do with the redhead you’re staring at?”
Stellan’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I want to say I’m ashamed of sporting a hard on while my twin brother stands right beside me, but I don’t. I don’t much care, because she said yes. Not even her condition about getting me to talk. She’ll soon realize I’m not very good at it and move on.
I side-eye my twin for barging into my fantasies. “Could be.”
His eyebrows go up and it looks pretty comical, given Stellan never shows a single emotion on his face. “Is that so?”
“It is so.” Then, “But it’s none of your business.”
I’ll be damned if someone points a finger at her. She’s already my personal porn star and now she’ll be my personal slut. The least I can do is keep others from calling her the same. Not that Stellan would judge. But I know how vicious and brutal the world can be. So secrecy is of the utmost priority, both for her and my sake.
“Noted,” Stellan replies. “I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“You better,” I say, still watching her through the window. She’s turned away now, talking to someone I can’t see. But from what it looks like, they make her happy because she’s laughing her ass off. I hope it’s not a guy. I know everyone here and I’d hate to break a friend’s face.
“I’m guessing you don’t want me to leave then.”
At this, I turn to my brother. “No.”
“So should I ease off on the calling and texting?”
“Can’t believe you’re texting these days.”
He shrugs. “Things change.”
“She changed you,” I conclude.
“Something like that.”
It’s bittersweet, this feeling, and I don’t hide it when I say, “I’m happy for you.”
“But you still want to beat the shit out of me.”
I clench my jaw. “Yeah.”
“Just so you know, you’re welcome to.”
I know that. I know he’d let me break his bones like he broke mine. But I know that’s not what will get me what I want. I need to move on, and there’s only one thing that could help me do that. That girl inside the house talking to my sister. In fact, my Little Strawberry is already cutting through the poison. So I know it’s her or nothing else.
“Just stay away from me. For a little while,” I say.
He watches me for a few seconds. Then, with a small lopsided smile, he goes, “So this is what it feels like, huh? Being pushed away.”
“You did it often enough.”
He nods, swallowing. “I will. Keep my distance, I mean. Until you tell me otherwise. Just…” He trails off on another swallow. “Just know that I’m here. Always. Doesn’t make up for everything or maybe anything really, but you are the other half of my soul, and your other half may be shitty but mine is someone I’m proud of.”
With that he leaves, and I get this urge to call him back. But I know it’s for the better. I’m not really sure what’s happening to me, but what I said is unfortunately true. I do need this distance from him to figure out how to fix myself.
I turn back to the window, and she’s gone. Sighing, I decide to head back inside too. I pass by the long picnic table, now devoid of all the food, and dump my beer bottle on it when I hear a sound. A ringtone. It’s coming from the ground. I look down and see a purse lying on the grass, as if dropped in a hurry. Jesus, Callie and her million friends.