Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
The sooner I come to terms with that reality, the better off I’ll be.
DELILAH
It’s the harsh sunlight against my eyelids that has me reluctantly surfacing from a restless sleep. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, hoping Austin would slip into the room.
Back to the bed we’re sharing.
He never did.
With a blink, I roll over and stare at the other side of the mattress.
It looks the same as it did last night.
Empty.
Untouched.
Where did he end up?
In someone else’s bed?
God knows there are enough girls clamoring for a piece of him. The thought of Austin touching someone else after giving me an orgasm makes me sick to my stomach. With a huff, I collapse against the pillows and stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out if there’s a way to repair the damage that has been inflicted. That continues to be inflicted at every turn.
Unwilling to dwell on the tangle of emotions, I toss off the covers and gravitate to the window before pressing my face against the cool glass. Even though it’s early, the sun is shining as it climbs higher in the cornflower blue sky, glinting over the water that rolls toward the sandy shoreline. There’s something mesmerizing about the whitecapped waves as they lap at the beach. It must be magical, because it manages to settle everything that riots dangerously inside me.
I glance up and down the long stretch of coastline. There’s not a soul in sight. Could there be a more perfect time to grab my camera and head outside?
With any luck, I’ll snap a few photos that can be used for the art exhibition at the end of the year. Other than graduating and getting the hell out of Hawthorne, it’s the only thing I have to look forward to.
Dressing quickly, I throw on a hoodie and jeans before gathering my hair into a high ponytail. Even though the weather looks picture perfect, it’ll probably be windy. I pull Dad’s old Nikon from the bag and sling the strap across my chest so it hangs loosely in front of me. Once my shoes and socks are on, I slip from the room and tiptoe down the long stretch of hallway. All the other doors are closed, making the space dark and shadowy in spite of the sunshine. My guess is that everyone partied until the wee hours of the morning before passing out. They probably won’t show their faces until early afternoon.
As I bounce from the last tread in the entryway, I swing a left and make my way to the back of the house. Not expecting to see anyone else, I skid to a halt in the sun-splashed kitchen when I find Summer leaning against the marble countertop with a cup of coffee in her hand. It’s midway to her lips when our gazes collide.
For a second, we both freeze. If it were possible to slowly back out of the room and erase this moment from our minds, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
But that, unfortunately, is not possible.
Her green eyes turn hooded.
Unsure what to say, I clear my throat. An image of her last night in the woods flashes through my head and my cheeks heat as I hastily shove it away. Thank god she doesn’t know I saw them. It would only give her more ammunition to hate me with.
“Morning,” I say.
When she grunts out an answer, I inch toward the backdoor, only wanting to escape her suffocating presence.
“Where are you off to so bright and early?”
I lift the camera that hangs across my chest. “To snap a few pictures. It’s beautiful out.”
She arches a well-sculpted brow. “Or maybe you’re meeting up with someone?”
Tired of her accusations, I straighten to my full height. “No, I’m not.”
“I’m sure Jasper mentioned that he’s only a couple houses up the beach.”
A burst of anger rushes through my veins at the insinuation. Unable to stop myself, I take a step toward her. “I’m not going to have this conversation with you again. I broke up with Jasper and don’t want anything to do with him. If you choose not to believe me, there’s nothing I can do about that.”
Her eyes narrow as if she wasn’t expecting me to clap back. “After the way the last couple of weeks have played out, it’s hard to believe anything that comes out of your mouth.”
My shoulders wilt.
It’s so tiring.
Tiring to constantly be proving your innocence.
“I know, but I’m telling you the truth.”
She sets the mug down on the gleaming counter with enough force to have coffee sloshing over the rim. “Do you seriously think I’m just going to stand by and allow you to hurt Austin?”
My heart clenches at the fierce expression that settles over her pretty features. There’s no denying the love she feels for her brother.