Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 90972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
I can’t think about that right now. I don’t want to spoil this. Pushing those thoughts back, I accept her quick hug. “How have you been?” she asks on our way inside. Like it hasn’t only been a couple of days.
“I’ve been all right.” I slept next to Kellen last night. Naked. It would be too weird, trying to explain how that ended up happening, so I’ll leave it out. “Thank you again for being my savior.”
She waits until we’ve taken our seats in a booth near the window to shake her head and wave a hand before opening her menu. “Don’t even worry about it. You needed help; I was in the right place at the right time. And I’m glad.”
“Me, too.” I mean it with all my heart. It won’t be easy, reminding myself not to get too attached. I didn’t know how hungry I was for friendship until now.
I’m also hungry for actual food. The smells coming from the kitchen are mouth-watering. “I didn’t have breakfast,” I murmur, flipping to the back of the menu. “I could go for some pancakes.”
“Oh, damn” she giggles, following my lead. “Now I won’t be able to decide. I was going to be good and have a salad.”
“You can have a salad anytime. You’re at a diner that serves pancakes so big, the edges hang over the side of the plate.”
“Sold.” We share a laugh, the kind that makes me feel warm and good inside.
Over coffee, we chat some more about her experiences. “It’s kind of overwhelming, getting pulled into a big group of people like the group around the twins,” she says, stirring sugar into her mug. “But they really are good people.”
“You’re probably the first nice person I’ve met here,” I confess.
“I’ll have to introduce you to the other girls. Wren, Maya, Elliana. They’re great,” she assures me. “And I know they would like you, because I like you, and I’m pretty good at judging people.”
It’s tricky, though, and I can’t pretend that isn’t. “Even after all the things that were said about me around school? Would they really want to hang out with me?”
“Please,” she scoffs. “Everybody knows Tiana was behind that crap. Nobody really believes anything she says.”
They sure seemed to believe it at first, but then she’s not talking about the whole school, either. Just certain people who take pleasure in mocking and bullying. “Well, I would like to meet them,” I decide. It takes some courage. I’m still tender, hesitant. But the longer we sit here like this, the easier it is to believe life doesn’t always have to be so bleak.
We are well into our pancakes, with a plate of bacon between us to share, when somebody comes to a stop next to our table. Two somebodies who look a lot alike. Their identical scowls make me go cold.
“What are you doing here?” one of them demands of Emma. I don’t know the difference between them yet. He’s got longer hair than his brother, but that’s the only big difference I recognize after five seconds of being this close to them.
Great. And there I was, holding onto hope. Don’t I know better by now? The syrup-soaked pancakes go sour in my mouth, but I force myself to swallow, prepared for their cold, cruel treatment.
“Do you know what happens in this neighborhood?” the other twin asks. It doesn’t seem to matter that I'm sitting right here. They only have eyes for her.
Emma sets down her utensils and wipes her mouth on her napkin before giving them both a puzzled look. “How did you even know it was here?”
“Your location is turned on in your phone.” The one standing closer to me finally looks my way. “Hey,” he growls.
Okay. So he didn’t say anything mean…yet.
“We’re just having lunch,” she explains, shrugging. “Well, breakfast for lunch, but same difference.”
The one standing closer to her rubs his hand over the back of his neck before exchanging a look with his twin. “It’s just…no offense,” he murmurs, looking at me. “But if you want to come into a neighborhood like this, at least have one of us with you. If not both of us. It’s a little unsafe.”
So that’s the problem. My chest loosens along with my throat as understanding sinks in. It’s not that she’s here with me. It’s that they don’t like the area and want to protect her.
It’s actually kind of sweet. They care so much about her, they came running when they saw where she was. Now, they both snag a piece of bacon and consider grabbing a booth of their own.
It must be nice, having protectors like the two of them. I haven’t had one since Jason died.
I wonder if I ever will again.
Chapter 21
Kellen
The sound of the shower running isn’t loud enough to drown out the sounds in my head. Her sighs, her moans. I close my eyes and tip my head back to let the water run over my face, reliving every moment of having her on the bed, miles away from reality.