Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Pet?” Rory says my nickname like it’s a question, and I realize I must have been lost in thought.
“Hmm?”
“It was my gun.” He holds it up, then sets it on the side table, before leaving Ollie’s lap to straddle mine.
Rory kisses me, everyone in the room ignoring us, continuing their video games and schoolwork, while we make out and Rory makes sure I know I’m his. I do know, just like he’ll always be mine.
“The four of you should just fuck already,” Dean says when Rory and I come up for air.
“Oh my God. Why are we always talking about my sex life?” Ollie asks. “How is this my world?”
Cillian tosses the controller and pulls Ollie’s face into his chest. He whispers something in Ollie’s ear, and I swear Ollie’s whole body vibrates against Cillian’s.
“He’s probably calling him a dirty boy,” Rory says softly to me. “He’s Cil’s dirty boy.”
I never would have thought it when I first met him, but now I have no doubt. “I bet he is,” I say just as quietly. “Sounds hot, but I just need my cherry.” I cup his ass, and Rory practically purrs against me.
“We have to go to work,” Ollie says, reluctance in his voice.
They’ve started scheduling Ollie and me together when possible, and we’ll ride together to work, or Cillian or Rory will drop us off. If Rory doesn’t have stuff to do for Tiernan, he’s always there watching me anyway; sometimes I’ll see him sitting at a booth inside, but others he doesn’t come in, yet I always know he’s there.
“You should quit your job and be my house husband,” Rory tells me. Still, he climbs off my lap and lets me up.
He goes with me upstairs while I clean up, then says we’ll take Cillian’s car to work, and later, Rory will be down to see me. Ollie gets off an hour before me, so Cil will take him home and Rory will wait for me.
The Pizza Palace is busier than usual. I’m running around the whole time, don’t even have the chance to speak with Ollie much or keep an eye out for Rory. Still, I feel the shift in the room when he arrives, this invisible connection between us, this frequency in the air that only Rory and I can feel. I look up as he and Cillian walk in together, Rory laughing at something Cillian says, just before Rory’s gaze catches me.
God, the way he smiles at me. There’s absolutely nothing like it. He makes me feel like I can fucking fly.
“I can’t believe it’s ten already.” Ollie tugs off his apron, then gives me a hug. “I’ll see you at home.”
“See you soon,” I reply, knowing Cillian and Rory are watching us.
I bring Rory some pizza and a soda.
“Fuck. Best boyfriend ever.” He grins widely before digging in.
The restaurant has slowed down now, the last hour of my shift dragging on. When Chet finally lets me go, I remove my apron, clock out, then wash my hands, before heading out to meet my man.
“Thirty seconds too long.” He grins.
“I didn’t want to smell like pizza sauce.”
We laugh, and I take his hand, heading for his BMW, and everything is perfect, so fucking perfect.
We’re not in the car two minutes when my phone rings. No one ever calls me except Rory and my mom, so I know without looking who it is. My heart sinks, fear making the back of my neck prickle. That’s not a normal response, but no good ever comes from my mom calling. I’ve adjusted to the fact that her calls have been less frequent lately.
“Mama Kat?” Rory asks.
“Yeah.”
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Rory reminds me.
“I know, but something might be wrong.”
There’s an ache in my gut, this deep foreboding trying to pull me under. It’s an overreaction. It must be. I keep telling myself that as I answer the call, but the soft, broken, “Shai…sweetheart, I fucked up,” muttered before I even say hello, tells me everything I need to know.
Those five words cut my anchor, sever the ties to what’s been keeping me steady since this whole thing with Rory started, and now I’m lost, adrift. I don’t even know what happened, but it’s bad. I feel it on a level I can’t explain.
“Where are you? What happened?”
I hear the tears in the way she’s breathing, the fear in each sharp intake as she tries to speak. “I’m sorry. Why do I always do this? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she keeps saying over and over again.
“Mom. Where are you? What did you do?” I can’t keep still in the seat, feel like my body is going to break apart, and then I feel it, Rory’s hand on my nape, steady and strong, letting me know I’m not alone, while he pulls over into a parking lot.