Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
“It looked pretty clear outside to me,” Aurelia retorts.
“Wait a while,” Khalil tells her.
“Today was the first time we’ve seen the sky since we found you,” Thorin informs. “The weather here can turn in an instant.”
“I can still be rescued,” she argues. “I found this cabin. Search and rescue will, too.”
“That’s true,” I say with a sniff while stretching my legs under the table. Thorin and Khalil glare daggers at me, but I ignore them.
I mean, goddamn.
This girl is clinging to the tiniest scrap of hope that her old life isn’t lost. Why not let her have it? Why not give her something to fight for? The three of us being willingly stuck on this mountain is depressing enough without her adding to it.
“They’re looking for you, you know. The Canadian Armed Forces is all over it, coordinating with the local authorities and search and rescue team. It’s been dicey with the storms, but they’re out there day and night. You didn’t leave a lot of tracks when you fled the crash sight on account of the storms, but the men leading the teams, telling them exactly where to look, know these mountains better than anyone. They’ll find you no matter where you go.”
Aurelia’s gaze brightens as she leans forward, completely unaware that she’s flashing us her gorgeous tits. “Really? How do you know this?”
She’s practically panting for the answer, so I give it to her.
“Oh, because we are search and rescue.”
I get the sense that I fucked up monumentally.
Khalil leaves no room for doubt when he hits me with a mean right hook that has me tasting my own blood and stumbling to stay on my feet. Laughing, I spit the blood into the snow before wiping my mouth as I face them. Khalil and Thorin stood shoulder to shoulder, armed with twin glowers.
I should be used to it by now. The two of them standing against me instead of with me. Thorin and Khalil are Zeke’s friends. I’m just the freak show with a high threshold for pain and no memories that exist outside of it.
Oh, boo-hoo.
The three of us came outside to “talk” after Aurelia tired herself out from screaming and throwing shit at us. Namely me. Once she passed out on the couch, Khalil carried her to his bed, and we hadn’t heard a peep from her since.
Huh…
I guess I hadn’t brought her hope after all. I think I just made it worse.
Well, she hurt my feelings, too, when she called me emotionally stunted. Actually, I guess that’s a fair assessment.
Thorin grabs my coat in both fists and gets in my face. “You’re done. Wake Ezekiel up. Now.”
“Fuck you.” I shove him away. “We both know neither of you wants him awake right now. Can you imagine how far it will set him back once he finds out what you’re doing to that girl?” I laugh again. “Shit’s going to hit the fan, and you know it, so yeah, I think I’ll stay a while longer.”
“Cut the shit, Seth. Why did you do it?”
I shrug a little petulantly as I stare out into the wilds, drowning in darkness. The darkness never seems to end. Even way out here.
“I get the feeling that Aurelia is all alone in this world.”
She’s like me.
She doesn’t have anyone who cares enough to risk their own neck to save her. Not like Zeke did. She needs to accept that now so she can move on.”
Khalil latches on to what I let slip and inches closer. “You’re not alone, Seth.”
“Fuck you!” I explode while stepping back to keep the distance between us. I can’t let them confuse me like Isaac did—like they’re trying to do to Sunshine. “You’re Zeke’s friends, not mine. You don’t give a shit about me. You keep trying to make him better.”
“Because you keep trying to kill him!”
“So? What’s the big deal? He wants to die,” I tell them. Thorin and Khalil both look so pathetically heartbroken over it. Disgusting feeling creatures.
“You’re supposed to protect him, Seth.”
“I am.” When they just shake their heads, I feel myself getting defensive. “None of you know him like I do. You’re not in his head. You see it, but you don’t feel it. It hurts. More than any of the shit they did to us.”
“Then stop fighting us, and let us help you, Seth. Both of you.”
I scoff and look away. “Whatever.”
It’s quiet for a while, and then Thorin asks, “What makes you think Aurelia is alone? She has her uncle.”
We’d grilled Sheriff Kelly for as much information on Aurelia as we could without seeming suspicious.
Orphan.
Raised by her father’s brother.
Won over the world with her voice at the tender age of fourteen.
And from the looks of it, she’s been under her uncle’s control ever since.
“Take it from someone whose own brother tried to kill him. Marston George doesn’t give a fuck about his niece.”