Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
He takes a deep breath, rolls his shoulders back, and adds, “And if living here means having to treat Elliana as nothing more than my stepsister, I would rather live someplace else with her as my girlfriend.”
“You’re deluded,” Mom scoffs. Paul, I notice, doesn’t react. “How would you even start to do that? Where do you think you would go that anyone would accept the two of you together this way? Are you out of your mind?”
“Our parents got married,” I whisper, trembling.
This is it. This is when I grow up. It’s all been leading to this moment, because nothing has ever mattered more.
Rolling my shoulders back the way Carter did, I continue, “That doesn’t mean we can’t be together. We weren’t raised as brother and sister. We only met, what? Six weeks ago? Two months? And we fell in love.”
Wow. That wasn’t easy to say, but a wave of relief washes over me now that I’ve said it. Now that it’s out there.
Mom’s mouth falls open, eyes bulging. “I cannot believe you.”
“Do you know what? I can’t believe you.” Uh-oh. The floodgates have opened. There is no holding back what’s going to come out. And it feels good. It feels right. Pure energy rushes through me, making my heart pump and my nerves tingle. “You see this dress? You’ve been wanting me to dress this way forever, haven’t you? You’ve wanted me to be the kind of person you wish I was—confident, normal.” I make air quotes with my free hand.
Then I point to Carter. “He is the reason I’m able to wear this dress. He’s the reason I was able to get over my fear of water and get in the pool. He’s the reason I have friends at school. I know he’s done some pretty horrible things.” We can’t pretend it didn’t happen. “But I’m willing to move past it, because I am happier with him than without him. If you want me to be a real, whole person, this is how it’s going to happen. With Carter. Because when I’m with him, I feel like I can have a life of my own for the first time.”
She’s not capable of processing a word of it, because that would mean thinking of anybody besides herself. It’s a good thing I didn’t expect her to have this big, revelatory moment. I just needed to get it off my chest.
“Well, good for you.” She scoffs with a humorless laugh. “You found your voice, and all it took was sleeping with your stepbrother. Now the two of you want to run away together.”
This time when she laughs, it’s loud, high-pitched. “How do you think you’re going to live? How will you support yourselves? Because I know for damn sure Paul is not going to pay for it.”
“Yes, I will,” Paul says.
“What?” Mom snaps in horror. Her head swings his way so fast it has to hurt. “You’re not serious!”
“I am,” he says with a sigh. “I’ll help them if this is what they really want.”
I’m not sure if he’s saying it because he truly supports us, or because he feels bad for the way Mom is beating up on us.
“You can’t do that!” she almost screams, shaking.
He doesn’t match her energy. “I can, and I will, because it’s my money to do with as I wish.”
He glances at her, his jaw going tight. “So this is my decision.”
When all she can do is sputter, he waves an arm toward us. “Look at this. My son stood up to me yesterday and admitted what he did, but he also told me about everything he did to try to make it right. And come on!” He barks out a laugh. “I have heard Elliana string more words together right here in this kitchen this morning than I have the entire time she’s lived under this roof. It’s obvious they help each other become better versions of themselves. They shouldn’t be punished for the two of us finding each other and getting married.”
“I cannot believe this,” Mom whispers, folding her arms, crossing her legs, and swinging her foot in angry circles. “I must be dreaming this.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Paul tells her.
I really, really like him. He’s exactly the kind of husband she needs to keep her in line. He’ll give her plenty of freedom, let her take advantage if it makes her happy, but he knows when to rein her in, too.
“Unbelievable.” She throws her arms into the air and jumps up from the table, storming off. Paul wears a regretful little smile, exchanges a quick nod with Carter, then follows her.
“Did that just happen?” I whisper when we’re alone in the room. I’m afraid to move. Afraid to speak too loudly. Afraid I’ll wake up from the dream where everything went exactly the way I wanted it to.