Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
If I’m going to start anywhere, it might as well be with her.
Chapter 6
Kaye
I lounge back on the grass in the shade of a palm tree with Nathan and Dom. The cousins laugh about trying to sleep with some attractive science teacher they both have for Bio 101 while I drink an iced tea and watch the other students wander past. I haven’t met many people yet or made too many friends except these guys, and there’s a conflicted part of me that really wants to like them.
Nathan’s outgoing and funny. Dom’s serious and intense, but he’s got a soft side. Both of them go out of their way to hang out with me, which isn’t something I’m used to. All my life, my closest person was Lucy, and when she left to come to this island for school, it was like losing both a sister and a best friend. I’ve never been good at making friends, mostly because I’m weirdly shy and not very confident in myself, so I assume nobody’s going to like me very much.
Nathan and Dom are the rare exception to that rule.
Too bad they’re related to the man I’m sure had something do with my sister’s disappearance. Otherwise, I might actually enjoy spending time with them.
“You’re quiet, Kaye,” Nathan says, nudging me in the side. “How’s life as an undergrad in paradise?”
“I’m not sure I’d call it paradise.” I frown at my arms. “I got a sunburn.”
Dom laughs. “You’ll be fine. Wear sunscreen.”
Nathan gives me a sideways look. “How are you telling me this isn’t paradise? We’re surrounded by white-sand beaches and half the hot girls here walk around in bikini tops. It’s totally heaven.”
“Believe it or not, I don’t really care what the hot girls wear.”
“You know you are one of the hot girls, right?” Nathan winks at me.
“Could’ve fooled me,” Dom mumbles and Nathan punches his shoulder.
“Dude, the first thing you said on the ferry was you thought Kaye was hot, and now you’re trying to joke like she’s not? Come on, bro.”
Dom turns red with embarrassment, which is a shock. I didn’t know these guys had any shame at all, and it’s even crazier to imagine Dom thought I was attractive. Which I guess means he still does.
“I’m just kidding around,” Dom says, glaring at his cousin.
“Stupid joke,” I say and stand up, brushing my hands on my legs. “I am extremely attractive. This school would riot if I walked around in a bikini.”
Both guys laugh at that and the tension eases a bit. I’m embarrassed, and I can tell Dom’s a little mortified, although Nathan doesn’t seem to mind at all.
“Nathan, you’re an asshole, you know that? I think I’m going to tell Mrs. Shelter that you’ve been picturing banging her over her desk for the last few weeks.”
“God, I wish you would,” Nathan says wistfully. “I bet she’d go for it.”
“You two are horrible.”
Nathan bursts out laughing. I start walking off but Dom hops up and follows me as his cousin gathers his stuff and trails after.
“Seriously, Nathan’s just being an idiot. Don’t let him bug you.”
“It’s fine. Did you really tell Nathan I’m cute?”
He grins and shrugs. “It’s the truth. Unfortunately, my cousin Emilio has his eye on you, which means you’re extremely off limits. Besides, I’m not sure you’re actually my type.”
I frown at him sideways. Emilio has his eye on me? I’m not sure what that means—but if my initiation has any indication, I think Emilio wants more than just a comfortable platonic friendship.
Or maybe he just wants to fuck with me. These are Bruno boys, after all. I have to keep reminding myself that they’re not normal college kids, they’re the sons of aggressive and powerful mafioso bastards, which means everything they do has a million different layers beneath it.
Emilio seems like the kind of guy to get off on torturing people, and maybe marking me as off limits and making sure no guy is ever interested in me while he’s still at this school is his way of staking his claim just to be a dick. Anything’s possible.
Either way, it’s not great.
“I don’t know how I feel about any of that.”
“Feel happy for once.”
“Bro, she’s always happy. It’s paradise.” Nathan appears on my other side and I glare at him. “Well, maybe not. You do scowl a lot.”
“I do not.”
“You really do,” Dom says, laughing. “You’re almost as bad as Lesley.”
“Speaking of which,” Nathan says, nodding across the quad.
And there she is, walking along with her head down, glaring at the grass like it’s about to reach up and wrap around her ankles. Lesley’s got a big white backpack, sunglasses, shorts, and a simple t-shirt, like she’s trying her best not to stand out while half the girls around her are in flip-flops and the tiniest bikini tops imaginable, which is definitely not appropriate for class, but nobody seems to mind.