Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“You were runnin’ around town talkin’ about stuff that didn’t happen, Briella. You were runnin’ King down. You thought I wouldn’t defend him?”
“You didn’t even try to understand what I was saying,” I whisper hiss. “You didn’t even want to hear it.”
“Because it was bullshit. Because I knew it was bullshit. You didn’t understand and you didn’t try to.”
“If it was bullshit,” I whisper angrily, “then where the fuck is Aviana? Hmmm? Where the hell are they? King broke her and what she saw was real. I know it was. I believe her when she tells me. You didn’t even look into it. You didn’t want to believe me. Then after mom died, you didn’t want to believe me then, either.”
“Her family got themselves into fuckin’ trouble, they got knocked for their own wrong doings. Nothin’ to do with you. As for Aviana, I don’t know where she fuckin’ is. We looked, we couldn’t find her. As for your mom, don’t ever blame King for somethin’ you don’t understand.”
I shake my head and shove at his chest with my free hand. “Let me go. I’m not going over this again. I’m not having the same argument with you. You want to know why I ran? This is exactly why. You didn’t believe me. After everything we had, you didn’t fucking believe me. You still don’t. You’re just proving to me exactly why I stayed away for fucking five years. The man I loved didn’t fucking have my back, now let me the fuck go.”
His face changes, just slightly. I never told Alarick I was in love with him. Back then, I was young and lusty and we just had this connection that spoke for itself. He never said the words either, so I was always too scared to say it in case he didn’t feel the same. Plus, I was young and thought that’s how it all worked.
When I left, and my heart broke, I knew that my whole heart belonged to him.
Every single inch of it.
“Briella,” he tries to say, his voice low and husky.
I keep pushing him away.
For all the pain caused.
For the explosion I feel in my chest.
For the way my whole body hurts when I look at him.
I’ll lose it if I stand here another second.
“No,” I growl, shoving him until he steps back. “You do not get to come in here and act like a dick, you do not get to pretend like what we had never mattered to you. Now, leave me the fuck alone while I find my sister so I can get the hell out of here and never have to see you again.”
My words are angry and spiteful, but I can’t stop them and the way they flow out of my mouth like a violent whip.
“Stay the hell out of my life, Alarick.”
I turn and walk off, my hands trembling, my body shaking, my heart feeling like it’s going to beat out of my chest.
As soon as I get to my room, my eyes water and tears flow down my cheeks.
Damn him.
God dammit.
Fuck you, Alarick.
Fuck you.
Germy launches off the couch and follows me happily down the hall and into my room.
I sit on my bed and wrap my arms around the big German Shepherd and he wags happily.
“I love you, Germy,” I murmur, pressing my face into his face. “I’m glad you’re here.”
God only knows I need someone right now.
Everything feels like it’s falling apart.
11
THEN – BRIELLA
“I’m a cripple,” I whine to Aviana as we kick back on her bed, me shifting around all over the place because I’m so freakin’ uncomfortable.
It has been four weeks since I fell out of that tree and broke my wrist. Luckily for me, I didn’t break anything else, though at the time, I was certain every bone in my body was broken when I landed on the ground. Turns out, it was only my wrist. I did, however, bruise my ribs, fracture my collar bone, and there were a good deal of cuts and scratches all over my body.
I was in agony for weeks.
I’m feeling better now, but I’m still uncomfortable. Going out with a bound-up wrist isn’t how I expected to enter my world as an eighteen-year-old, but, it could be worse. I’ve only got two more weeks and this cast will be removed, and I’ll finally be able to get back into the swing of things. I can’t wait.
“You’re not a cripple, stop your complaining.” Avi laughs as she checks her completed nails that she just decorated. “It’ll be over soon and we’ll be back out and at em’.”
“It can’t come soon enough, I swear.”
She nods. “Have you seen much of Alarick?”
I shake my head. “Nope, not after our little fight. He was really worried obviously and came to see me in the hospital a few times but after I gave him a few too many cold shoulders, he stayed away. It’s my own fault, but I was just so ... embarrassed.”