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)
Fuck.
“Stay away from him,” I say, looking down at her through my helmet. “Don’t let him touch you again …”
Her lips part, eyes flickering with confusion. “Or what?”
“I’ll destroy him.”
She jerks free of my grip, and by the time she’s grabbed an actual knife off the kitchen island, I’ve already rushed out the door.
Apollo
The next day
“Surprise!” everyone yells in unison, holding up party poppers as Cecelia walks into my parents' house. “Happy birthday!”
Everyone’s here, even Aspen’s whole family, and I don’t think she expected it. Neither did I, to be fair, because it’s not often we can get together at the same time. Especially for Silas it’s a crazy feat, considering he hates parties that don’t revolve around murder.
Cecelia stares at us for a moment in complete shock before a smile erupts on her face. “Wow. Thank you.”
Heath is the first to approach with a gift, shoving it into her hand. “Congrats, sis.”
She opens it up and pulls out an expensive Louis Vuitton bag, squealing, “Oh my God, Heath!” She jumps into his arms.
“You like it?” he asks.
“I love it!” she replies.
Atlas is up next, placing a tiny box in her hand. “I thought you might appreciate something small.”
She opens up the box, and it’s from Cartier, a ring with plenty of diamonds.
“Love it!” she says, immediately putting it on her ring finger, which already has too many rings. “You guys always know what I like.”
Orion rolls his eyes. “We grew up with you, of course we know how much you love the rich life.” But he still offers her a giant box from Chanel, and she jumps up and down like a little schoolgirl from the excitement before ripping the box open and pulling out the magnificent dress.
“God, I love you guys,” she says.
“Yeah, they sure know how to spoil a spoiled-rotten kid,” I say, winking before I pull out the box I saved. “But they don’t know where your heart truly belongs, now do they?”
She puts it all aside and grabs the box from my hand, throwing off the lid to reveal the sweetest hand-made, velvety cupcakes she has ever laid eyes on, bought by yours truly.
I know what my sister likes. She might shriek for a bunch of expensive branding, but she’ll die for this.
“You didn’t,” she says, gasping with excitement. “These are all mine?”
“All of them. Mom and Dad bought a separate cake for the guests,” I reply. “Happy birthday, Sisi.”
“Fuck yes,” she says, pulling one out to dig in immediately, and her eyes nearly roll into the back of her head.
“Cupcakes, huh?” Orion throws his arm around my shoulders. “Cheapskate.”
“I can’t help that I know what she likes,” I reply, grinning. “More than any of you fuckers.”
She devours the cupcakes like an animal, and we all laugh.
“Can’t believe you actually went into that shop. I thought you hated it there,” she says with a full mouth.
“A soldier never backs down from a battlefield,” I say, wriggling my brows.
“Thank you, everyone,” Sisi says.
“Hold up, you haven’t even opened our gifts yet,” Xavier tells her.
“Yeah, there are some self-care supplies inside that I’m sure will come in handy when you go back to Prodigium Academy,” Melody says, winking.
“Oh, I’m not going back there for a while,” Cecelia says. “I’ve decided to take a few semesters off and take some classes at Spine Ridge U instead.”
“Wait, for real?” Xavier’s jaw drops.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re staying!” Orion says, hugging her tight.
“You guys didn’t know yet?” I boast.
“Of course, she told you before she told me,” Atlas says, lowering his gaze at me. “And you didn’t tell me.”
“I like to keep you on your toes, lil bro,” I say, winking back.
Cecelia’s dad beckons her. “Can you come outside for a second? Just wanna show you something.”
We all follow them outside toward their private parking garage, where her dad keeps all his expensive cars. But there’s one parked right outside with a giant ribbon on top. A brand-new, top-of-the-line Mercedes.
“Happy birthday, sweetie,” he says, before kissing her on the cheeks.
“For me?!” she shrieks, then hugs the car. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Really?” I raise my brow at him. “You had to go and one-up me.”
“Anything for my daughter.” He winks back.
“That girl is spoiled rotten,” my dad says, folding his arms while chuckling.
“Oh, c’mon, she’s our only girl. Let her have her day,” Mom says.
“The women in our families deserve a little extra every now and then,” Aspen’s mom, Penelope, says. “Too much testosterone to deal with.”
“Oh my God, Mom,” Aspen says, playfully nudging her mom.
“She’s right, though,” her dad, Dylan, says. “We are mad fuckers to deal with.”
“True that,” Alistair says, chuckling.
“Well, I don’t agree,” Orion’s dad, Blaine, muses, sipping on his champagne.
“Of course, you don’t, you’re the fruitiest fucker here,” Felix says.
Everyone laughs.
Suddenly, two more cars drive up to the mansion, and we all wait with bated breath as the doors open. But the minute Kai, Nathan, Milo, and Lana, along with all of their kids, step out of the car, it’s almost as if the outside air dropped by ten degrees.