Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
She fell back a step and then another until she was standing in front of the open window with her back to me. When her anger returned, it simmered this time, feeling like the ice gathering on the glass. “How is it,” she spoke slowly, “that you always need me to choose you except for the one time when it truly could have meant something?” When she looked over her shoulder, tears pricked my eyes at seeing the crushing hopelessness in hers. The heartbreak I hoped to never see again. The first time I caused that look was two years ago. I swore I’d never do it again. “I know the real reason you don’t want to share Ocean. It’s because you don’t want to share me.”
“Of course I don’t,” I said softly, meaningfully. “You’re my best friend.”
“And is that all I am to you, Hunter?” Her voice was accusing when she turned her head to look out the window once more. “Is that all I’ve ever been? I distinctly remember a time when we could have had it all, but you said no. You broke my heart, and now someone else has picked up the shattered pieces and called it treasure. But you just can’t let him have it, can you? You can’t because you’re a jealous coward. You say Ocean is wrong for me, and I say that he’s perfect because he’s the only man who wouldn’t let you run him away. I bet that just kills you, doesn’t it? I can’t be happy with you, and I can’t be happy with him. But I am. And I will be—with or without you.” When Coby turned to face me this time, her beautiful face was soaked in tears and sorrow. “I just can’t believe it took me falling in love again to finally see the real you. You are the most selfish person I’ve ever met, Hunter Parrish.”
Coby turned away from me before I could do or say a word.
She fled, climbing out of the window and dashing off into the dark.
Running… back to him.
OCEAN
Three weeks until shit gets real…
Ever since Coby snuck out to the cabin only to come back shortly after, she’d been giving me the cold shoulder. The space between us had grown so wide that today, I got my mom and cousins to take her out for brunch and a spa day. In the meantime, I would get to the bottom of her attitude. I knew Coby was angry at me for keeping Hunter my little secret, but something else must have happened because I’d overheard her grumbling shit about Hunter, too.
Once I reached the cabin, I let myself inside.
Hunter was sitting on the couch, a towel wrapped around her. Her dark-brown skin and the tight coils of her natural hair were still dripping water from her recent shower.
When she turned her head, I saw the tears streaming freely down her face as she stared back at me. As if it hurt to see me, Hunter inhaled a deep breath and then returned to staring at the flames flickering in the fireplace. I moved to the couch because I couldn’t help myself. I had to be near her. But I forced myself to sit on the opposite end to give her space.
“Why didn’t you go with them?”
Because nothing gets by my mother, she discovered that Hunter was staying in the cabin days ago and took it upon herself to check on her and bring her and Coco supplies. After meeting Hunter once, my mom fell in love with her instantly, which only got me an earful when she figured out alarmingly fast what I was up to. She’d given me a withering look and said, “Boy, you better be careful.”
My mom had invited Hunter out with her and Coby, but apparently, the girl quietly sobbing on the couch alone had declined the invitation.
“I wasn’t hungry,” she whispered.
“Hunter,” I said after we sat in silence for too long. “What happened with you and Coby?”
“I told her everything, and we fought. We fought because I couldn’t.” As if he could sense his mother’s sadness, Coco whined from his spot between her feet, where he was curled up.
Unable to maintain so much space between us anymore, I pulled her into my side, and she came without a fight, curling into my side. Coco followed, and I scooped him up since he was too small to jump onto the couch himself and placed him in my lap. Once Hunter and Coco were settled, I tipped her chin back so that I could see her eyes. “What couldn’t you do, Vengeance?”
“I couldn’t be with her. I couldn’t be with you.”
“Why?”
“Because I was scared. I’m not meant to be happy, Ocean. I’ll just ruin it for those who are.”
“Who told you these things?” Hunter didn’t come to this conclusion on her own, and I’ll kill whoever put those thoughts in her head.