Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 82010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“I love him, Sawyer.”
“From the way he reacted the other day, I’m pretty sure he loves you too.”
“Scary shit though, eh? This love business.”
“Fuck yeah it is.”
“So you love Jake?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, smiling just from the thought of him. “Yeah I really do.”
“I’m so happy for you, Sawyer. He’s a good guy. He must be if he’s managed to extract that permanent scowl from your face.”
“Fuck off. I’m not that bad.”
“Actually, yeah you kinda are,” she said playfully, fist-bumping my shoulder. “It’s like we’re finally grown ups.”
“Whoa, let’s not push it.”
“Are you going to tell the guys about Jake?”
“No,” I answered automatically. “I mean yes. But… not yet. What about you and Kip?”
“Gavin already knows. Kip told him when he thought I was cheating on him.”
“He told Gavin?”
“Well he couldn’t exactly come to you now could he?”
“Yeah, I guess not.”
“But we’re going to tell everyone before I head back home. I think you should too,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
“I’m not ready, Elle.”
“Will you ever be?”
“I…I don’t know,” was the honest answer.
“Don’t make him wait forever, Sawyer. It’s not fair to him. Everyone deserves to hang the person they love off their arm. He loves you and he deserves to be proud of you, to show you off. And you know what? You deserve that too.”
“I know.” I sighed heavily, knowing I was being unfair but not being able to summon enough courage to change it.
“How are things going to work while you’re staying here?”
“No idea. Guess I’m just hoping all this shit will be over soon.”
“Claire said the police are working with them. And the police over here have guns and stuff so that makes me feel better. They can shoot the shit out of anyone who tries to get near you.”
“This isn’t Sons of Anarchy, Elle. No one’s gonna be ‘shooting the shit’ out of anyone.”
“Still makes me feel better knowing they can.” Shaking my head, I laughed at her dramatics. “I’m gonna get my head down now. What are you doing with the rest of your night?”
“Kip and I have planned it,” she said excitedly, rubbing her hands together like a teenage girl going on her first date. “I’m going to stay downstairs for a while, have a few drinks with the guys. Then before I know it, it will be really late so I’ll just crash here. When all the others are passed out, I’ll sneak up to Kip’s room.”
“How old are you again? Fourteen?”
“Shut up! It’s exciting.”
“You look really happy, gorgeous girl. And Kip’s like a brother to me, I know he’ll treat you right.”
“I really-”
“ELLE!” Daz’s voice boomed up the stairs, interrupting her. “YO, ELLE? YOU UP THERE?” His voice grew louder as he climbed the stairs.
“I’m in Sawyer’s room!” she called back. “The one with the mirrored ceiling!” she added, giggling.
“They’ve all got mirrored fucking ceilings,” Daz grumbled when he found the room we were in. “You coming down? We’re gonna play strip poker!”
“I’m coming down, but I’m not playing strip poker.”
“What’s the matter? Know you’re gonna lose?”
“Bullshit! I could play you guys under the table any day!”
“Prove it,” Daz goaded with a wicked glint in his eye.
“You’re on.”
Elle practically jumped off the bed. Her face was eager and determined. Tonight sounded like it was going to be fun. I missed fun. I missed the guys. My mind has been so consumed with Jake lately I’ve neglected my best friends. The band bears my name and in that moment I realised I was letting them down.
“Wait up, guys!” I hollered. “I’ll join you.”
By 4AM I think it’s safe to say everyone was wasted. Elle never did make it up to Kip’s room, instead passing out in just her bra and knickers on one of the sectional couches. Kip was close by, snoring with his feet right in Elle’s face. Matt was well and truly stoned, sprawled across the coffee table completely naked. I’m sure he was losing on purpose – the dickwad was naked within the first five minutes of the game. Daz and Gavin gave up and went to bed a few hours ago and Pete and Neil were doing the nightshift, keeping an eye on the security cameras. That just left me and Jake.
I’d had a few beers, but of course Jake stuck to sparkling water. There was no way he would let his guard down even for a second right now. He spent the whole night on high alert – back straight, eyes flitting from one window to the next.
“I was looking forward to seeing your family again,” I told Jake, nursing a half empty bottle of beer in my hand. He was sitting so close to me, yet at the same time so far away. A few times my hand reached out to touch him and then I remembered where we were and pulled back.
“I shouldn’t be telling you this,” he began, making my ears prick up. “There’s a flight scheduled to Sydney next Tuesday. Together we decided getting you guys out of the country might be best right now. We needed to keep it off the books so to speak. Only essential people know right now and it needs to stay that way.”
“So when were you guys planning to tell us?” I sounded pissed off, probably because I was. “You don’t think we’re essential? That this doesn’t concern us?”
“Come on, Sawyer. You really think Matt would be able to keep this to himself? This is for your protection.”
“I don’t get what difference another country is going to make. They got to me in the UK. How do you know they won’t touch us over there?”
“I don’t,” he said simply, shrugging. “But right now, the whole world knows you’re here. We’re going to try and make the trip as confidential as we possibly can. Plus, we’re talking the other side of the world. We’re hoping whoever’s doing this hasn’t got the time, inclination or resources to follow us out there.”
“So who’s coming?”
“As it stands, you and the guys obviously. Pete, Neil and I will travel with you and David and Sayid are hanging back here to continue working with the police. Claire isn’t sure which option she’s taking yet.”