Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I wanted to be the one who brought her back to life, even if it meant doing it day by day, piece by piece. It wasn’t like it was going anywhere, and neither was I.
I took my shower, and when I got out, my old man was still weighing on my mind. So, after I threw on some clothes, I grabbed my phone and sent him a message:
Me:
Hey, Pop.
Just checking in. You doing okay? Need anything?
Doubting he’d answer, I tossed my phone on the counter and started for the kitchen to grab something to eat. I’d only taken a few steps when I heard my phone chime with a text. I turned back and picked up my phone, and to my surprise, he’d actually replied.
I opened it and got a hell of a shock when I read:
Pop:
Making it. Don’t need anything.
Don’t know if you know, but your brother’s back in town.
He asked about you.
Me:
What did he want to know?
How long’s he staying?
Is he there with you?
I stood there waiting for answers, but none came. Just like that, Dad had gone off the radar, leaving me wondering what the hell Davis was doing back in town. I knew one thing for certain. It couldn’t be good.
2
PRESLEY
I’d always considered myself to be reasonably smart.
I made good grades in school, worked hard, and minded my own business. I had a steady job, loyal friends, and a small apartment that was all my own. I didn’t smoke and only drank on special occasions, excluding those glasses of wine I’d down after a bad day. Those don’t really count.
I wasn’t one to run my mouth or cause trouble of any kind. I was a good girl who followed the rules. I would even go so far as to cross the street to avoid anyone who simply looked like trouble. It wasn’t because I thought I was better than them. It was because I was afraid.
Afraid I would disappoint my parents.
Afraid I would get distracted.
Most of all, I was afraid I would like it. The thrill, the danger, and even the drama. So, I avoided it at all costs.
And yet, here I was, staring straight into the eyes of the biggest troublemaker I’d ever had the misfortune of knowing.
Davis Crenshaw.
Growing up, I’d done my best to avoid him and Luke—his conceited, mouthy, arrogant, cocky, bullheaded brother. Yes, conceited and arrogant are basically the same thing, but if you knew Luke the way I did, you would know it was justified. Davis and Luke didn’t always get along, but they had one thing in common.
Trouble followed them like the air we breathe, and I wanted no part of anything they were involved in. Ever. But due to circumstances beyond my control, I was Davis’s new girlfriend.
Yeah, you heard that right.
Girlfriend.
I should probably clarify things. This was all for show. I had no idea who this show was for, but I was told to play the part, and I had no choice but to play it.
It had only been a few hours since we’d come to this unlikely agreement, and I was still trying to make sense of it. He’d driven me over to his father’s house, and I wasn’t sure why. I should’ve just sat there and kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. “What are we doing here?”
He didn’t answer.
He just kept glaring at the front door like he was trying to work up the courage to actually get out of the truck and go inside. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, then opened his door and demanded, “Wait here.”
I didn’t argue. The last thing I wanted to do was go into that house with him. I had no clue who was inside, and I was fine with that. It meant less time with Davis, and I was all for that. I looked out the window and groaned as I thought about how I’d ended up in this predicament.
It was a huge mess.
There was no doubt about it, and it started with my younger sister, Lila Kate, showing up at my door looking like she’d been hit by a truck.
I was about to crawl into bed when the pounding started. Not knocking. Pounding. Frantic and continuous, like someone was fighting for their life. I rushed over and opened the door, and Lila Kate stumbled inside. I caught her in my arms, and my stomach dropped when I saw her face.
One eye was black and blue and practically swollen shut, her bottom lip was split open, and there was dried blood on her chin. She was clutching her ribs and struggling to breathe. I helped her over to the sofa as I gasped, “My God, Lila. What happened? Who did this to you?”
“I’m okay,” she gasped.
She was far from okay. The poor girl was barely holding it together, and the handprint on her throat quivered with each breath. “No, you’re not. We’re going to the ER, and…”