Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“It’s okay, Zero. I see you.”
She relaxes, breaking away to grab a shower. I find a T-shirt and some basketball shorts, leaving them just outside the bathroom door. I take some medicine and then lie down on my bed, willing this headache to go away. After twenty minutes or so, I feel her presence in my doorway.
“I can hear them fucking,” she groans.
“Best close the door behind you then,” I say with a chuckle. “Hit the overhead light too.”
I reach over and turn on the lamp as she closes the door. Her blond hair is down, wet and messy as though she finger combed it after her shower. My clothes swallow her but fuck if she doesn’t look cute as hell in them. I track her as she turns off the light.
She crawls onto the bed, stretching out beside me. The silence is nice. Neither of us feels the need to fill it with unnecessary chatter. Her phone lights up as she swipes it on. She starts scrolling through it, reading something. I roll onto my side so I can stare at her.
So pretty.
Always so damn pretty.
“You okay?” I whisper.
“I am now.”
Her words fill me with fierce, male pride. My girl—even if she hasn’t admitted it to herself yet—feels content with me. It’s more than general happiness, though. It’s like she’s relaxing in my presence.
“What are you reading?” I ask, letting my eyes fall closed. I settle an arm over her stomach, fully expecting to be pushed away. Surprisingly, she allows the touch.
“Researching.”
“Sex with your hot coach?”
She snorts. “Gross.”
I don’t take offense. Not this time. She’s letting me comfort her and isn’t pushing me away. Her words sometimes feel like whips, but I’m learning it’s a defense mechanism. She’s soft inside, you just have to take a verbal beating in order to get to know that part of her. I can handle a little mental whoop ass.
“Not you,” she clarifies when I don’t respond. “I’m being a bitch again.”
“Nah, Penny, you’re just being you. Don’t apologize for it.”
Her hand rests over my arm that’s cuddling her. Such a small move, but it means so much.
“I’m trying to help you find Lacey,” she says. “We have to find her. What if she’s…hurt.”
Images of Lacey hurt assault my mind. I don’t like them.
“We’ll find her,” I murmur. “I’m pissed at her, but we’ll clear the air and fix everything.”
“You’ll be her hero,” she whispers.
Her hero.
Not Penny’s.
“I’d rather be yours.” I brush my thumb over Penny’s stomach, just under her breast.
“You two have history. She’s Zella’s mother. What if…” She lets out a heavy sigh. If I’m not mistaken, she sounds upset. Jealous even.
“I don’t want to be with Lacey,” I assure Penny. “There’s only one girl I want in my bed and I have her in it.”
She sets the phone down and then cradles my head in her palm. It’s the strangest yet most affectionate thing anyone has ever done to me.
My headache starts to fade and I fall blissfully asleep with the most unusually perfect girl I’ve ever known. I have to figure out a way to keep her here and never let her go.
Penny
I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.
I’m suffocating.
Ryan is on top of Charlotte, choking her, but I’m the one who can’t suck in air. I’m frozen, unable to move. I manage to gasp in a huge breath but am still stuck. Crying and now screaming, unable to make it to her. I go to raise my gun—Aunt Karen’s gun—but it’s no longer in my hand.
“Looking for this?” Ryan taunts as he now holds the gun to my sister’s head.
“No!” I cry out.
Bang!
“Penny, baby, wake up,” Terrence murmurs, dragging me from my nightmare. “I’m right here. You’re safe. Breathe.”
It’s pitch-black in the room and my heart is racing inside my chest.
I fucking hate Ryan nightmares. He didn’t even touch me and yet he haunts me. I can only imagine what Charlotte endures because of him. Tears burn at my eyes, but I blink them back, swallowing down the sob that threatens to escape.
A shudder trembles through me, shaking the bed. Now that I’m awake, my thoughts drift back to earlier this evening. I’d babysat Zella for a couple of hours. There was nothing of use in his house. I was sneaky, but managed to hunt in a few spots while Zella and I played Hide N Seek. I’d been inside Jack’s office, looking in the closet when I’d heard the door slam shut. Scared the shit out of me at almost having been caught. He immediately sent Zella to bed and then asked me to stay for a drink again. This time, I was smart and sat in the recliner, but his creeper vibes continued.
“Relax,” Terrence rumbles, hauling me to him and kissing my head. “Go back to sleep.”