Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
I face them head-on without fear, determined not to let their incessant glaring distract me.
Levi’s only interest is to make me hate him, and Apollo just wants to rattle me with all those filthy jokes. The two are playing this dirty game together, and I don’t appreciate it one bit.
But the moment I pass them both, Apollo grins and says, “Hey, Freckles … how was the bonfire?” His half-mast, radiant gray eyes home in on me like a moth to a flame. “Did you see anyone special?”
The pebbles are nearly crushed in the palm of my hand as I come to an abrupt stop.
My head slowly turns to meet his gaze, and when he winks, it sets the fire in my heart ablaze.
That motherfucker… he knows.
He fucking knows about my Ghost.
Is it him?
With his hands still in his pockets, he casually saunters off with Levi, not giving a care in the world about the ramifications of what he just said.
He’s been acting so goddamn fishy with me ever since Mavis died. Like he couldn’t wait to suddenly insert himself into my life, and the way he looked at me, as if he couldn’t wait to eat me out just like Ghost did …
I shiver.
It’s all starting to make sense now.
Those words were no accident.
I’m going to find out exactly why he spoke them, and when I do, there will be hell to pay.
CHAPTER 17
Levi
I plant my toes on the edge of the swimming pool and look at the water beneath, the calmness of it in such stark fucking contrast to the violence drowning my soul.
I pull down my swimmer goggles and brace myself, when a sudden tap on my shoulder pulls me out of my jump.
What in the fu—
A knife slithers right underneath my chin.
“Don’t. Fucking. Move.”
I frown as I turn around to look at Aspen Caruso, completely taken aback by her sudden invasion of my life when I’ve long banned her from mine.
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t do this,” she hisses.
There are none.
I snort. “Kill me then. I have no objections.”
Her face contorts. “You motherfu—Do you even fucking care?”
My face is emotionless as I say, “No.” I lean into the knife. “So kill me and get it over with. Quickly. Before anyone sees you holding that goddamn knife.”
Her hand begins to quake.
“You can’t do it, can you?” I whisper, narrowing my eyes. “Aw … poor Aspen.”
She growls out loud, like she’s mad at herself, and it’s almost cute, if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s trying to kill me.
“If you’re not going to kill me, then at least get out of my way,” I deadpan.
“We need to talk. In private,” she says, like that’s going to do her any good.
“I’m busy,” I growl. “Trying to forget you exist.”
Her eyes briefly widen, and I swallow away the pang in my stomach.
“We’re gonna talk. Now. Or I’m going to shove this knife into your neck.”
An unintentional laugh escapes my throat. “Good luck with that.” I grab her arms with both hands, pushing her away from the edge of the pool. “I told you not to fucking talk to me. Ever again.”
“I know, asshole, but it’s important,” she retorts, getting so close up in my face I can almost taste the hatred seeping out of her pores. And for some reason, I still can’t seem to stop focusing on the wet droplets of sweat forming on her freckled forehead. Another freckle appeared after the last time I saw her. Another one added to the list of freckles I will never look at again.
If only she would stop trying to talk to me.
“Your cousin is stalking me,” she hisses through her teeth.
My whole body tightens.
“What?”
“Apollo,” she whispers.
“I know who my fucking cousin is,” I grumble, and I grab her arm and drag her back with me toward the dressing room.
“Wait, where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere quiet,” I say, as I push her in and slam the door shut behind me. “Somewhere the whole swimming team won’t see you threatening me with a knife while accusing my family of stalking.”
“I wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t true.” She folds her arms.
I shove her against the door. “That’s a pretty serious accusation. Care to back it up?”
She sucks in a breath. “I found these after someone threw them at my window.” She pulls some pebbles from her pocket and shows them to me.
I snort. “Some pebbles? That’s it?” I roll my eyes.
“They’re from the cemetery where Mavis is buried.”
“Oddly fucking specific, Firefly.”
She narrows her eyes in a way that makes all the freckles on her nose move, and I would almost say it’s kind of endearing if I weren’t supposed to make her hate me. “Firefly? You haven’t called me that since—”
I clear my throat. “Whatever. Get to the point.”
“Someone broke into my house and planted a letter. Then stalked me at the bonfire.”