Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 160041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 800(@200wpm)___ 640(@250wpm)___ 533(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 800(@200wpm)___ 640(@250wpm)___ 533(@300wpm)
“More than a week,” Levi says, making a fist. “What happened?”
I swallow, not wanting to burden them with my choices or mistakes.
“Don’t hasten her,” Ares, Apollo’s dad, says. “Let her speak on her own terms.”
“Ares is right,” Caleb says.
A sudden knock on the door makes them all turn toward the doctor, who pokes her head inside.
“Can I speak with my patient?” she asks.
“She’s here,” my mother says.
“You can speak to her with us present,” my mom’s other lover, Kai, says.
“I’m sorry,” the doctor begins, “but this is doctor-patient confidential material that I want to discuss. In private.”
“The what now?” my dad mutters.
Kai places a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just let the doctor do her thing, Nathan.”
“Yeah, I’m sure we can talk about everything that happened later,” Milo, my mom’s third lover, says. “Cmon, Lana.”
“Ugh, fine,” Mom groans, throwing her hands in the air. “But as soon as she’s gone, I’ll be right back with you.” She leans in to press a kiss on my cheek.
“I’m fine, Mom. Honestly,” I say.
Everyone in the room smiles at me before they leave me alone with the doctor.
But there are no smiles left once the doors close, and I’m left alone with her. As her lips part and those dreaded words I feared spill from her lips, the image I once had of my future no longer exists.
My fingers curl around the blanket while she tells me the news.
I do not care about the ifs or the whys.
Only the when.
Because when I get out of here …
I am going to kill.
CHAPTER 2
Sunny
Three weeks later
I march through the hallways of Spine Ridge University, ignoring basically anyone who talks to me. Not because I wanna be a bitch, but because I have to keep my mind straight, and I can’t be bothered hearing any more gossip. It doesn’t tickle my brain like it used to. Mostly because the gossip used to be about other couples here at Spine Ridge U, a secret meeting between two teachers, a lonely nerd finding a girl, or one guy going ham on another guy for cheating. This time, the gossip seems to revolve around me.
Every time I make a turn, at least three people gawk at me, then turn around to whisper. It doesn’t matter where I go, whether it’s the halls, classes, or even the fountain outside. People are talking, rumors spreading about my disappearance, how a cop found me in the woods, and that I was covered in blood.
I’ve let it roll off me for two weeks now, but I’m going to crash out sooner or later, and it won’t be pretty.
“Sunny?” one of my friends, Delilah, comes up to me. “How are you doing today?”
“Fine,” I lie.
“Wanna grab some lunch later?” she asks.
“Sure, I’ll text you a time and place,” I reply, not really thinking about it as we wave goodbye, and I head to class.
I keep waking up so goddamn late because I have trouble actually falling asleep, and I turn off my alarm clock every morning without consciously being aware, and it’s been messing with my classes.
The moment I step into the room I’m supposed to be in, the other students all look at me like I’m some kind of freak, and it pisses me off.
“What?” I growl.
Most of them turn their heads toward their books.
Good.
Don’t fucking look at me unless I tell you to.
I march to my seat, slam down my bag, and take out my books, tearing them open on the correct page.
“Thank you for joining us, Miss Reed.” Alec Caruso, the teacher, clears his throat. “Now, let’s continue where we left off.”
It’s only been five minutes, but every second feels like an eternity while I wait for time to pass so I can finally get the fuck out of here and do what I really want to do, the one thing that will curb my rage.
Murder.
The pencil between my fingers cracks in two.
I. Can’t. Wait.
I don’t care if the teacher is still talking and I’m supposed to be paying attention to his class.
I pull out my phone and start making a hit list while grinning like a vicious bitch.
None of them will see me coming until it’s too late.
Xavier
I pick up my baloney sandwich, but the moment I spot Sunny waltzing down the path, I can’t imagine swallowing even a bite of it.
Her black-and-green hair waves from side to side with every step she takes, heels click-clacking on the pavement as staunchly as her ass sways back and forth, and my eyes can barely focus on anything else but her presence.
The baloney slowly flops out of my sandwich as she passes by. She’s seemingly unaware of my existence, while I’ve become wholly integrated in hers.
And fuck me, the intoxicating perfume that wafts into my nose as she walks by is mouthwatering.
“Hello, earth to Xavier? Hello?” My sister snaps her fingers in front of my face while I’m trying to obsess, and it’s pissing me off.