Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
This time though, I don’t have my friends with me.
I didn’t want to involve them and potentially get them in trouble when I knew I was going to be breaking curfew. Plus they still don’t know the whole story. And until I come clean to them, I can’t in good conscience keep accepting their help and support.
So I’m on my own and about an hour later, I reach my destination.
Even if I didn’t know that this is where the party is happening, I’d still figure it out. It’s the only house on this quiet street that’s making that much noise, and taking a deep breath, I head inside.
My plan is to find Lucas and not let anything — anything at all — deter me.
I search for him in the crowded foyer, in the living room, dining room and all the other rooms that I can find among the throngs and throngs of bodies. When I can’t find him though, I head to the back yard and oh my God, there he is.
And for a second or two, I simply stand in my spot and stare at him.
At my boyfriend — ex-boyfriend.
He stands in a group, holding a red cup in his hand, smiling at something someone is saying, and he looks so handsome. So familiar.
His blond hair and blue eyes.
God, I miss him.
I miss him so so much.
I don’t know how I spent the last two years without him. Without seeing him, talking to him, laughing with him. And the fact that I may get to talk to him tonight is leaving me all breathless and excited.
Also terrified.
You can do this, Echo.
Yes, I can.
Another deep breath later, I start toward him. But then I come to a halt again because one second Lucas was laughing at something and the next, he’s… busy doing something else.
Something like kissing.
This girl who came out of nowhere.
I mean, what the…
I was so busy staring at my ex-boyfriend that I never noticed her sidling up to him. I never noticed her trying to steal his attention until he turned away from the conversation and gave it to her. And then before I could even blink, he was bent over, claiming her mouth.
And holy fuck, before I can even blink, there’s another girl in the mix.
Again, who knows where she came from but she’s here now and Lucas is making out with her while the first one watches. And the group that he was standing in seems to be very happy about it. They’re laughing and clapping and cheering him on, egging him on to do more, like this is some kind of a show.
And he’s loving it.
He’s giving them what they want.
Switching between girls. Kissing them both at once.
Pumping his fist in the air.
Obnoxious.
That’s fucking obnoxious.
Distasteful, offensive, objectionable, and it reminds me of him.
It reminds me of something that he’d do, my ex-boyfriend’s best friend, and I’m going to throw up.
I am going to seriously vomit right now. I’m going to…
I squeak when suddenly, I feel someone grabbing my arm and pulling me back, dragging me back actually, hauling me away somewhere. The only reason I let them is because my relief is so big.
At being forcefully taken away from that horrific scene.
From Lucas kissing not one but two girls.
Who were they?
Was one of them his…
Before I can finish my thought, I’m being pulled into a room.
An unknown room that at first is dark but then floods with bright, almost neon, harsh light before I hear a door snapping shut.
Making me realize that I have bigger problems right now.
Potentially dangerous problems.
I whirl around, ready to scream murder, but my gaze locks with a pair of familiar eyes.
Reddish brown and glowing.
And so pretty that all my screams die down.
Which I think shouldn’t have happened. I should still scream. I should still call for help.
Just because I know him, the stranger I’m locked in a bathroom with — this is a bathroom; I can notice that much even though I haven’t been able to look away from him — doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous.
He’s a bandit.
Of course he’s dangerous.
So I gather my wits about me, ready to scream when he growls, his features set in displeasure, “The fuck are you doing here?”
Scream, Echo.
But all I do is blink, my mouth parted. Then, “What… What happened here?”
I point at his jaw.
Apart from his brightly glowing eyes, that’s the most conspicuous spot on his face. This blooming red and purple bruise on the left of his very scruffy and very sharp jaw.
Which clenches at my question.
“How’d you know he was going to be here?”
His growl is even thicker than before and I realize that his questions are probably more sensible and important than mine. More urgent and relevant to the situation at hand.
Still I can’t seem to let his bruise go.