Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
“Stop chewing like an animal, Mischief!”
He’s leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, and even though his expression is firm, I can see the amusement dancing in his eyes. I chew deliberately slow then, letting the garlic drip down my chin. “Still mad because I scared off your booty call?” I grin at him, giving my best cocky look.
Chief’s eyebrows shoot up. “Careful, girly.”
I roll my eyes theatrically and pick up a stray strand of spaghetti, slurping it into my mouth. Travis, smothering a chuckle, nudges me in the ribs. “Enough.”
We fall back into the chatter around the table. The night drags on, and finally we break off, each to our own corners of the compound. I am staying here tonight, but Travis is going home. He said it’s important I stick to my weekends with Chief, for a while at least. I agree with him, so I make my way up to my room, with its bright pink walls and memories in every corner.
I lie there in the dim glow of the single hanging bulb, absently tracing the initials I carved into the wooden headboard years ago: “V + T.” I miss Mom with a constant ache, I hate not being able to see her. I worry about Jeremy out there, and I know that soon, I’m going to have to face him. I twist onto my side, then flop onto my back. Nothing helps.
I pull on my hoodie and pad barefoot down the creaky stairs, each step a reminder of how quiet this place can get when everyone is asleep. At the bottom, I step outside onto the porch. The night air is cool, heavy with crickets and the faint smell of gasoline. There’s Chief, sitting on the porch rail, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. I slip onto the rail beside him. He glances at me, but doesn’t turn all the way.
“You beat me here,” I say softly. “This is my thinking spot.”
He chuckles. “Not anymore, kid.”
A small laugh.
He inhales deeply, smoke curling upward. “Why are you out here all by yourself?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “Got too much on my mind.”
“Because of your momma?” His voice catches on her name.
I nod, though he can’t see me. “I miss her. I worry about Jeremy. And I hate what happened between us...”
He flicks ash onto the ground. I scoot closer, our shoulders touching. “Don’t worry a single second about what happened with us, kid. It’s done. As for your momma, I get that. I can’t get her face out of my head.”
I lean my head on his shoulder. He smells like leather, tobacco, and something else—something that’s always made me feel safe. “Why not?”
His voice is low. “Because I keep seeing the way she looked when...when I got there. Fuckin’ killed me seeing her like that.”
My eyes burn. “Can you tell me more about the two of you? Please.”
He shifts and I turn my body slightly, so I can see him.
“I loved her from the first fuckin’ day I laid eyes on her. She had this fire in her eyes, like she was daring the whole world to push her around. She was so fuckin’ strong, brave, beautiful. There hasn’t been another soul like her, until you.”
I laugh. “Well, that can’t be good for the world.”
He chuckles. “It’s exactly the kind of thing the world needs.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Do you ever wish you had other kids?” The words come out quietly, gently.
He flinches, like I struck a chord he’d buried deep. I swallow. “Dad?”
He shakes his head, dismissing the thought. “No, I got my girl. You know you’re my number one girl, don’t ya?”
I nudge his shoulder with mine. “I know. You tell me every year.”
He chuckles, a rough sound in the night. “You scare the shit out of me, Mischief. You’re too much like me. Good thing you got so much of her in you, because if you didn’t, I’d have to lock you down and throw away the key.”
“What does Demon want from you?”
He’s silent for a long moment. Then he says, “Long story. But I will never let him get you, or her.”
“I know.”
“You know when you were born, you wrapped your little finger around mine the minute I met you, and you didn’t let it go for so fuckin’ long I was the one who held you until you went to sleep. When your momma told me she was pregnant, I was scared out of my mind. I was young, fuckin’ wild, barely had a clue what I was doing. Then I saw you...” He swallows. “You gave my life meaning. You still are my meaning.”
“I love you, Dad, and I know you think Travis will hurt me, but he loves me. I wish you could see how much.”
He glances at me. “Think I don’t know that? The boy has been in love with you forever.”