Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55395 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Holy fuck, Lyric,” Luke says. Apparently, he didn’t see me on the couch with his friend. Interesting. He was so upset his sole focus was on Jagger. These guys. Not a lot has changed in the years I’ve been gone.
“Hi, it’s good to see you. What is this?” I place Shadow on the ground, clearly upset with all the noise seeing as how her claws have come out to play.
“It’s Luke pissing me off.” Jagger looks toward the ceiling, shaking his head.
“What’s that? Did you get a woman and a cat without telling any of us?” It comes off as a question, but there’s no denying Luke’s voice has a teasing tone now; the frustration has seemed to vanish.
“Back to me. We’ll answer that in a minute. Jagger Steele, I swear to God, if you’re trying to take yourself out of this world on purpose, I’ll murder you myself. How could you be so negligent? Do you not realize what a gift you are? I’ve lost everyone. I’m not losing you, too!” I scream-shout. Jagger tries to stop me when I scurry around his big-bodied self, but I dodge him and run toward the hall, pumping my arms and looking for a way out, for a way to ease this ache building inside my chest. He never gave me an official tour of house. When I wandered around earlier, I stayed in the living areas. Right now, I’ve got tunnel vision, looking for the darkest place there is, where I can cry or scream into a pillow, cry my heart out, and hide all at once. I happen upon what I’m assuming is his bedroom. There’s a massive bed, his scent surrounds me, and I close the door before diving headfirst into the mattress. I crawl upward, pushing the comforter and sheets down along the way. My eyes close, and the tears come, one after the other. I let them, all while burrowing into Jagger’s pillow, loving him and disliking him all at once.
16
JAGGER
“Fuck, I gotta go. Stay if you want. There’s food. Or you can leave. it’s up to you. But don’t let my damn cat out.” Luke and my buddies deserve an explanation, but the woman in my bedroom needs one more urgently.
“I’m out of here. Think Lyric did what we all wanted to do. I hope you’re done with this dumbass bullshit. We need you and want you here. Clearly, she does, too. You want a rush of adrenaline, go fuck your woman. Check your phone when you come up for air.”
“Later.” I slap Luke on the back. None of us stay mad at each other for long, and it’s not like I have a right to be. I did something dangerous. This shit is on me. Luke does the same to my shoulder, and I wait until he walks out the door. I turn the lock, not wanting another fucking interruption. Lyric and I have a lot to talk about. My eyes look for Shadow. She’s curled up on her bed, ignorant to the shit going on around her, too busy sleeping. I’m not sure which animal has it better, a dog or a cat. They both seem to live the good life and have not a single care in the world except to eat, sleep, and demand attention when they want it.
I kept my eye on Lyric’s back the entire time she was running away from me, the thought burning in my gut that she’s leaving me. The only bright side to this shit storm is her running into my bedroom instead of for her keys, hopping in her truck, and driving away. I would have really lost my mind, and the only thing I’d have left to do is chase after her.
I’m more than ready to talk this shit out with her, especially with the bomb she dropped before Luke did me more than dirty. He saw a vehicle in my driveway and knew I wasn’t alone. I’ll put this away for now, but there will come a time and a place when he’ll get what he deserves.
“Lyric.” I open the bedroom door. The room is pitch black. I never opened the curtains or made the bed this morning. A certain woman called me, and I had shit to do, breakfast to make, so cleaning in here didn’t take priority. She sits straight up and flings the covers off her face, then throws a pillow my way, aiming for my face. It pisses her off even more when I catch it. She has never been more beautiful even pissed off, tears streaming down her cheeks, eyes red, and hair tousled every which way.
“Jagger Steele, how could you do something so stupid? I’ve buried every single person I’ve loved, minus you and Naomi. It hurt, it still hurts, years and months later. My parents will never see me walk down the aisle, they will never grow old together, and not because they went and lived their life to the fullest but because of a disease. One that there isn’t cure for. And you’re out there being reckless and careless. Well, I refuse to lose you, too!” Her voice rises with each sentence. She’s up on her knees now, shuffling closer, throwing her arms around in the air, and all I can do is watch. “And another thing.”