Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Downstairs, Remy’s lacing up his sneakers, getting ready to go on his morning run. He tilts his head my way. “What’re you doing up so early?”
“Going to hang with the girls at Hayden’s before everyone leaves.” It’s rare we’re all home at the same time. I should’ve stayed at Hayden’s last night. Then I could’ve avoided running into Griff again.
Remy nods at the television. “Did you give that any more thought?”
He doesn’t have to specify what that he’s talking about.
A mix of anxiety, confusion, and guilt bubbles in my chest. “Why?”
“Because I care about you.” He stands and rests his hands on his hips. “And I should warn you, I asked Griff to move in. He’s probably going to take over the basement.”
“Ew, you’d make him live in your sex cave?”
His jaw drops. “What are you talking about?”
“You think I don’t know that’s where all the ding-dongs you bring home sneak out of in the mornings?”
At least he has the decency to blush. “It’s not a ‘sex cave.’ Grandpa and I fixed it up when I moved in with him and Nana. So I’d have my own space.” He frowns for a second. “Or maybe so I wouldn’t hear them in their room,” he says slowly as if this is the first time that possibility has occurred to him. “They were always kinda frisky.”
“Ew! Remy!”
He shakes his head quickly. “I only moved upstairs when Grandpa was sick, so I could hear him if he needed me.”
Picturing them alone in this house together, with Remy taking care of our grandparents all by himself hurts. My eyes burn. The little bit I did help Remy doesn’t seem like nearly enough.
“Anyway, it’s not a sex cave, you little smartass.”
“Whatever,” I say. It stings that Remy would ask Griff to move in after what happened. Almost like he’s taking his friend’s “side” over his own sister. But that’s unfair, so I shove the feeling away. “Just give me a heads-up if he actually does.”
Remy’s forehead wrinkles with concern. “You won’t stop coming home, will you?”
I hesitate for a few seconds. Stay on campus instead of coming home just because I might run into Griff? “No.”
He still seems uncertain but since I’m miffed about the new possible housing arrangement, I don’t offer him any more reassurances.
“I…” Remy holds up his hands. “He came back really fucked up, Molly. Juliet, Vapor, and I took turns checking on him the first few days. I drove him to his doctors’ appointments.” He hesitates. “He looked so bad, I was legit worried he might drop dead.”
A hot poker of fear jabs me in the ribs. “He was that bad?”
Remy nods. “He’s been banged up at The Castle plenty of times. But this…this was like the ref was looking the other way or something.” He shrugs. “That’s why I asked him to move in.”
Great, now I can’t even be mad at my brother. “Then why the hell was he at Zips last night?”
“To see you.”
Instead, he saw me with Torch. “Oh.” I frown. “You should’ve warned me.”
“I didn’t know Torch was going with you.”
“He’s always at Zips.” I can’t keep the exasperation out of my voice. “We planned our costumes together.”
“Yeah. I’m sure his wolf mask from the Dollar Tree took lots of planning.” Remy’s voice drips with sarcasm.
“Because your Ghostface mask was so original?”
One corner of his mouth lifts. “It served its purpose.”
“Ugh. I don’t even want to know.”
He chuckles. “You want to go for a run with me?”
“The only way I’m running is if I’m being chased by a herd of flesh-eating zombies.”
“By then it’ll be too late,” he teases. “You won’t have the stamina to outrun the zombies.”
Despite myself, I end up laughing.
Guilt and a few other complicated emotions snake their way through my chest as I drive over to Hayden’s house. Maybe I’ll stay with her tonight and go back to campus early tomorrow. Then I can avoid Griff and my brother.
Hayden’s driveway is packed. I must not be the only one who couldn’t sleep. Or some of the girls are leaving early for their longer drives back to campus.
Hayden answers the door in bright-pink, satin pajamas with her hair still coiled around one long, pink silk-covered foam roller draped over the top of her head like a crown.
“Morning, Goldilocks.” I tap one end of the long curler. “This is a cute look.”
“Ugh, Jenn said I can’t take it out yet. Come in.” She stands back and holds the door wide. “It’s freezing out.”
I hustle inside and close the door behind me.
“We’re in the kitchen. Kyla’s making blueberry pancakes,” Hayden calls over her shoulder.
“Ooo, I got here just in time.” A sweet, sharp scent stings my nose as we close in on the kitchen. Is Kyla making pancakes or burning them?
“Hey, Mollllleee,” Darcy sings as soon as I step into the kitchen. “Where’d you disappear to last night?”