Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I sort of feel like I’m losing my mind.
Am I losing my mind?
It’s long past the time I should’ve made dinner, and Logan’s Tahoe is in the driveway when we get home.
My mom and Logan are sitting down at the kitchen table eating pizza straight from a box.
“Where in the hell have you two been?” Logan demands. He looks at me, making his tone slightly more polite. “Rayne, if you’re not going to be able to make dinner you need to give your mom a heads up. She was starving by the time I got some pizza into her.”
“It’s okay. Rayne, honey, where were you?” My mom barely stops stuffing the pizza in her mouth to speak. Then she catches sight of the bakery box in my hands.
I watch as her eyes widen. She freezes like she’s figuring out what the date is. “Oh fates, Rayne! It’s your birthday! Oh, honey.” She leaps up from the table and comes rushing over to me.
She’s obviously distraught. So distraught that I feel it necessary to comfort her. “It’s okay, Mom.” She takes the cake box and slides it on the table and then crushes me in a hug. Her baby bump grinds against my ribs.
My mom bursts into tears, which makes Logan leap up from the table like he’s going to rescue her from something.
“It’s fine, Mom.” I give her an awkward pat on the back. “Wilde bought me a cake after giving me a driving lesson.” I want to be sure he gets points for doing what he’s supposed to be doing.
I can’t stand living with the toxicity between him and Logan.
“Oh. Thank you, Wilde.” She throws herself at him, now, making him freeze under her crushing, watery embrace.
“She’s not usually like this.” I feel like I have to explain my mother’s bizarre behavior. I’m not sure whether I’m offering the excuse up to Wilde or his dad or both. “It’s the pregnancy. She’s usually very chill.”
My mom releases Wilde and returns to me. “Rayne, honey. I’m so sorry I forgot. I mean, I knew it was coming up, I just forgot that today was the day. I have your present. I just need to wrap it.”
“You don’t have to wrap it.”
“Let her wrap it,” Wilde grumbles behind me.
I shrug. “I mean…you could throw it in a bag or something.”
My mom disappears, and Logan and Wilde both stand awkwardly.
“I…didn’t even know when your birthday was,” Logan offers.
Not sure if that really helps, but thanks, Logan. Really.
Wilde walks over to the pizza boxes and picks up the one on top. There’s only one slice left in it. He passes it to me.
My stomach rumbles, but the sugary scent of chocolate and Oreos has been filling my nostrils since we left the grocery store. “I think…I’m just going to have my cake.”
It feels very selfish. My mom would disapprove–she’s always trying to push more protein on me. But Wilde just told me to take up more space, and it makes me feel a bit rebellious and daring.
Makes me want to sit down and eat my cake all by myself. Not even offer anyone a slice until I’m done.
“Do it.” Wilde, king of rebellion himself, flicks a brow as if to dare me.
I grab a fork and a knife and sit down at the table, flattening the bakery box down to expose the cake.
As my mom sails back in the room with a little wrapped box, I slice myself a giant piece of cake and eat it right there from the carton.
It tastes good. Not just the cake.
The moment. I’m the center of attention, indulging myself with a giant piece of my favorite cake. The one my wicked stepbrother bought me after yelling at me to take up more space.
It’s not the birthday I imagined. It sucked in many ways, but I actually don’t hate it.
I also don’t hate the Apple watch my mom and Logan bought me, either. Something my mom couldn’t have afforded on her own.
I don’t even hate the way Wilde watches me as I eat. Like he has plans for me.
Wicked, terrible plans. Plans I definitely will hate.
Chapter Nine
Wilde
After checking in with my professors about doing my work remotely while my legal problems are sorted out, I go to the auto shop and talk to Bo’s great-uncle about a job. He’s either desperate for help now that Bo and Cole have moved away, or he feels sorry for me because he pretty much says I can work there any time, on my own schedule. I work the entire school day, and then I go to see Coach Jamison the next day right when school gets out. In addition to being the football coach, he’s also the PE teacher, so I find him in his office.
“Wilde. What can I do for you?”