Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
And it hurt.
It hurt so damn much.
She opened the door and attempted to plaster a smile on her face.
Maggie immediately tensed. “What’s wrong?”
“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong. Come in.”
Maggie stepped into the penthouse apartment. “Nice digs.”
“Yeah, Billy decided to open his own law firm here so we moved out of London to here a few months ago. He’s doing really well.”
It seemed like the more successful Billy grew, the more diminished she became.
The less that she mattered.
Indie took a deep breath in. Now was not the time to think that. She had to put on a good front for Maggie.
Or you could tell her everything . . .
“That’s awesome,” Maggie said, watching her far too closely.
“Oh, here, let me take the coffees from you. Come in. Sit down.” Indie put the drinks tray down on the coffee table. Then she took the coffees out of the tray and set them down on coasters.
Billy hated any sort of mess. It was her job to keep their home tidy and clean for him.
Even if she hated cleaning.
“Indie, are you all right? Did I come at a bad time?” Maggie asked.
“No, no, of course not. I’m so glad to see you,” Indie said with a fake laugh.
She winced at the sound.
Bollocks.
“I’ll just get some plates for the pastries. And napkins.”
“We can just eat them out of the bag. No need to make any dishes dirty,” Maggie told her.
Indie froze as her best friend pulled the pastries out, flakes going everywhere.
Shit. She’d have to vacuum.
It was okay. Billy wouldn’t be home for hours. She had time.
Stop panicking.
“Indie?” Maggie asked. “Um, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Nothing. Everything is fine.”
Just fine.
Indie walked back over and sat on the sofa. Maggie offered her a pastry, but even though she’d been really hungry before now her stomach was rolling with nausea.
And when she took a bite of the pastry it tasted like ash in her mouth.
“Indie?” Maggie asked, sounding concerned.
“Yes?” she asked, giving her friend a confused look.
“How did you get that bruise on your arm?”
Bruise?
Indie stared down at her wrist. It was like the world slowed down as her breathing grew faster.
Shit.
Why had she let Maggie in?
Maybe because she’s your best friend and you miss her and you wanted something nice to happen for once.
Indie pulled her sleeve back down over her wrist. “Oh that? It’s nothing. I banged it on the corner of my dresser.”
“Are you sure? Because that looked like . . .”
“Like what?” Indie asked sharply.
Maggie was watching her with knowing eyes. “You know I love you, right?”
“Right. Of course I know that. Why would you even say that?” Indie said with a fake laugh.
“I’d do anything for you. Anything. If you tell me you killed someone, I’m going to ask if you need me to bring my own spade. That sort of ride or die.”
“I know,” Indie said in a choked voice.
“So if Billy is hurting you, then you can tell me and I’ll get you out of here.”
God.
She wanted to tell her. So badly.
But Indie remembered the way Billy liked to threaten her.
Tell anyone anything about me and they’ll pay. Understand me, Indie?
I’ll make sure that they pay.
And she’d believed him. She’d seen it in his face. He was fully prepared to harm anyone that she told about the way he treated her.
Afterwards, he’d been apologetic. He’d been almost kind. And she’d hated every second of his apologies. Of him touching her.
Thankfully, he never wanted sex that often. Although she hoped that he wasn’t sleeping around on her because she couldn’t get him to wear a condom.
Maggie couldn’t defend herself against Billy. He was vindictive and mean. And he had money. His family wasn’t as well off as Slade’s or Spencer’s. But she was pretty sure that he had enough to make Maggie’s life hell.
She had to protect her.
So she plastered a smile on her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Billy is good to me; he’d never hurt me. I really did just bang my wrist against the table.”
“I thought it was a dresser.”
Well, fuck.
This wasn’t going to work if she couldn’t get her story straight.
“That too. I’m clumsy. Always have been.”
Maggie watched her sadly. “I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”
Right.
“Enough about me. Tell me all the fun places you’ve been and the things you’ve done.”
Deflection.
It was what she was best at.
Indie rushed into her bedroom when she heard her phone beep.
Was it the guys?
She needed to get to her phone before Billy heard it and asked her who was texting.
It was a message Edward. How odd. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d messaged her. With a shrug, she opened it.
Edward: Please come to Sunday lunch at midday. Alone.
She sighed. Sunday lunch. She’d been to a few of them with Edward and her mum, but not for over a year. They were so painful and boring that she wondered if she could find an excuse to get out of it.