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)
That question is all it takes for his easy-going expression to vanish. “Why are you bothering with him?”
My eyes widen.
When I remain silent, Duke steps closer, swallowing up some of the distance between us. “Look, I’m not trying to tell you what to do, just that you need to be careful. Especially after what he did this afternoon.
Heat floods my cheeks as I gnaw my lower lip. From the outside, I suppose that’s exactly the way it looked. Like he’s no better than Jasper. But that’s not true, and I wish Duke could see that.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, and I can’t explain it right now,” I say carefully.
His eyes narrow as he cocks his head. It’s obvious that he’s frustrated by my response. “Why not? Every time I see him, he’s got his hands on you, forcing you to do things you don’t want.”
The truth of the matter is that Austin hasn’t forced me to do anything. Maybe I’ve pretended not to want it, but deep down, I crave his touch. If I’m unwilling to admit it to Duke, I’ll at least acknowledge it privately to myself.
What he can’t possibly understand is that I enjoy the hot rush of blood spiking through my veins and beneath my skin when Austin lays hands on me. Or stares at me. He makes me feel alive.
Seen.
And this afternoon, when he demanded that I crawl to him…
He was only calling me out on a promise I’d made. No one twisted my arm to go through with it.
I shake my head. “That’s not true.”
His brows skyrocket across his forehead and he gives me an are you crazy look.
Unsure what to say, I blow out a slow breath and glance away.
“So this is what Stockholm syndrome looks like, huh?”
A snort escapes from me. “Austin isn’t forcing me to do anything. I’m in total control of my decisions. Okay?”
Even though he jerks his broad shoulders, a dubious expression settles across his face.
Instead of arguing, I redirect the conversation back to my original question. The one that forced me down to the beach in the first place. “Have you seen him or not?”
Duke’s whiskey-colored eyes turn guarded. “Yeah. Just a little bit ago.”
My muscles relax as the corners of my lips lift in relief.
Good.
I want to find him and get the hell out of here. It only takes one glance to realize that this is just the beginning of the craziness sure to ensue, and I don’t want to be anywhere near it.
“Where?”
There’s a moment of hesitation.
“With Aubrey.”
My heart stutters a painful beat before pounding erratically against my ribcage.
He breaks eye contact and scans the crowd. “I saw them together earlier, but it’s been a while.”
Almost reluctantly, his gaze returns to mine. The look he gives me is chockful of pity. Even though he presses his lips together and doesn’t say a word, I hear his thoughts loud and clear.
You’re being played.
I straighten my shoulders and force a lightness to my voice. “Thanks.”
Just because he was spotted with Aubrey doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Although, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that doubt is creeping in at the edges and some of the happiness I’d found in his arms earlier has evaporated. The questions that lurk in Duke’s eyes continue to circle through my brain, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
Aubrey might have spent the past couple months turning her nose up at Austin, but clearly, her thoughts on the matter have done a one eighty. She’s been hanging all over him, vying for his attention.
The urge to find him and lay my concerns to rest rushes through me and I point toward a group of students. “I’m, ah, going to take off.”
I don’t get more than a few steps when he says, “Don’t go. Just chill here for a while.”
With a glance over my shoulder, I force a smile. “I’m fine. No worries.”
By the concerned expression that flits across his handsome face, I can tell his mind has tumbled back to the party at Kingsley’s.
“Are you sure? Want me to help find him?”
Hard pass. Having these two boys together is a recipe for disaster. “Seriously, I’m good.”
I’m almost out of earshot when his raised voice meets my ears. “You can always bunk in my room with Everly, and I’ll sleep on the couch. You don’t have to stay there.”
Duke is a good friend who only wants the best for me. I rush forward and throw my arms around his neck before whispering, “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”
I give him a quick peck on the cheek and hurry through the thick crowd. Now that I’m in the middle of it, the number of revelers has swelled and there are even more people packed onto the beach.
All I care about is finding Austin and clearing the air. The idea that he would hop from my bed to someone else’s makes me sick to my stomach. How is it that the fragile peace we managed to find is already crumbling around our heads?