Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
But I get this strange feeling, like a certainty deep inside my fingers, radiating out along my nervous system.
He knows what I’m saying.
I hold up the ring and inspect it in the light. My mouth is cotton-dry as it reflects rainbow colors on the ground. Gorgeous, a statement piece. A ring fit for royalty.
I press it to my finger, about to slip it on—
But stop myself.
What the hell am I doing?
This isn’t mine. And even if it is, I don’t want it like this. Brenden lured me from my dress shopping and ambushed me. He shoved this monstrosity into my pocket when I wasn’t paying attention. How he managed to do all that, I have no clue, but it’s the only logical explanation.
He’s a thief, right?
This is what he does.
“Next time, give it to me the normal way.” I drop the ring back into my pocket. “And don’t be a creep.”
I start walking away, but I swear, I hear someone whisper, That’ll be hard for me, baby, except there’s nobody when I look around.
I curl up on my side, close my eyes, and try to sleep.
But sleep’s not coming.
I keep playing through the events of the last few weeks. Meeting Brenden at the party, finding out we’re getting married, going through the farce of wedding planning, trying on dresses, getting the ring. I reach under the pillow and touch the cold metal and diamond, rolling it around, but not slipping it on.
Is this what I have to look forward to? A man only partially in my life? A ghost of a human who drifts in and out, creepily reverse-pickpocketing me?
It’s not the worst thing.
To be married to a ghost who puts expensive objects in my pockets.
Still not exactly my dream of a perfect relationship.
I feel myself drifting, my thoughts spreading loosely, my mind pulling apart, when there’s a tapping that yanks me back. I grunt, rolling to my back, and listen again.
It’s coming from my window.
Fear spikes into my stomach. I can’t move. This is a nightmare incarnate. There’s a monster trying to break into my house and it’s going to trick me into letting it through and once I do it’ll rip open my belly and wrap my entrails around its shoulders like a nasty drippy ugly scarf and oh god—
The ring digs sharply into my palm. I hold it tightly as the tapping comes again, rhythmic and patient, though louder this time. I force myself out of bed and walk close, right on the edge of freaking out, to peer through the blinds.
Brenden’s hanging beside my windowsill.
I scream and have to cover my own mouth to avoid waking up the whole damn house.
The window jerks open. I pinwheel backward in shock, lose my balance, and fall right on my ass.
“Talin?! Are you okay? I heard you scream.”
“What the fuck are you doing?!” I shuffle further from the window. “Brenden, is that you?”
“I’m coming inside.”
“Wait, no!” Aren’t vampires supposed to ask for permission? In all the stories, monsters wait for people to let them through.
But this monster doesn’t bother.
Brenden gets the window all the way up and deftly enters like he’s done this a thousand times.
Which he probably has.
He unfolds himself in front of me, wearing dark clothes, black tactical pants and a black sweatshirt. He looks thoroughly amused to find me cowering on the floor at the foot of my bed. He takes me in briefly before scanning the rest of my room.
“Nice place.”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
He shuts the window behind him. “Cool night out there. Wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
“Brenden—“
“Shhh.” He kneels beside me, crouching down to my level. “Someone might hear.”
“Someone might—!” I pinch the bridge of my nose and count to ten before looking at him again. “I’m going to ask one more time before I start screaming. Why. Are. You. Here?!”
He seems utterly unbothered by my threat. Instead of pulling back, he hunches down to sit beside me, both of us with our backs to the bed now.
“I wanted to see how you liked the ring.”
I stare at him, brain trying to compute and failing miserably.
“You climbed to my window… scared me to death… broke inside… all to see if I liked the ring… you mysteriously put in my pocket?”
He brushes a hand across my thigh. “Do you?”
“It’s fine!” I push him away. “You could call. Hell, you could email! What are you doing climbing around my house at night?”
“This is more fun. I like seeing you in person.” He cracks his neck and rolls a shoulder. “Besides, I wanted to see if your brother would catch me this time.”
“My brother? You mean Sam? And—“ I sit up straight. “What the hell do you mean, this time?!”
“He’s a clever kid but I disabled most of his alarms. At least any that would’ve tripped. Did you know he had the whole house wired top to bottom?”