Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Wiping the water from my face, I swallow a gulp of salt water when someone lifts me from the water and tosses me in the air. Pushing up from the seabed, I snicker when I surface. I kind of thought it was Cooper but knew the arms that lifted me were far too hard.
“Shi, you made it?” Ruin smirks from below the water, his dark-blond hair flopping over his forehead. Ruin is, for lack of a better word, my plaything.
“I did.” I swim closer to him, latching my legs around his waist when I’m close enough. He lifts me from the water and carries me back to shore, lowering me down onto the sand while swiping my hair away from my face. “Kind of hurt it took Cooper to drag you here and not me, but…” His blue eyes light up mischievously.
I lean up and swipe his fallen locks away from his head, wrapping my fingers behind his neck and pulling him farther down. “Are you going to tell me what this game is everyone is talking about?”
“Game?” His smile never falls.
He doesn’t know anything. If he did, he would be just like Cooper and throw up his barriers, but it’s the one thing I’m drawn to about Ruin. He’s painfully normal.
Eminem plays loudly in the background, and I shuffle backward when Ruin settles between my thighs, his hand traveling up my outer leg. He lowers his lips to mine, dragging his tongue over the edge.
“Should we leave?”
I push him back slightly, putting distance between us. Ruin is fun, but everyone knows he’s public property. That doesn’t bother me. Clearly.
Picking up my maxi dress, I pull my long braids out from the back before shoving him back down onto the sand. “Nah, uh…I don’t think so—” Spinning around, I jog forward when two deep-blue eyes cement my feet to the sand.
My stomach coils into knots the longer we stare at each other. Heat rushes through my ears when his eyes fall down my body, before resting back on my face as he brings the bottle of whatever he’s drinking to his lips. The fire burns between us as a girl falls onto his lap dramatically. Does he remember? Not likely. Last month he was the youngest to ever be added to the Hall of Fame. His music ranges from heavy rock to angry metal to a soft flow of rap.
Fingers entwine with mine, pulling me out of my hate gaze to the first person I’ve ever hated. “We can leave, baby girl.” Cooper pulls me into his chest, resting his chin on my head. “Don’t let my cousin mess with your night, though.”
I wrap my fingers around the cup he’s holding, swallowing it in one go. “I’m fine.”
Cooper drags me behind him as we make our way to the other side of the party. Now that I know it’s Dion’s, I don’t want to leave.
“Actually,” I say, tiptoeing up and leaning into Cooper’s ear. “I’m going to leave.”
My eyes drift back to Dion just as he whispers something to one of the guys sitting beside him, his eyes remaining fixated on me. Fear prickles down the base of my spine and I know that I need to get out of here. I know that I shouldn’t be here, because as much as I want to let loose for once in my life, this isn’t how I want to do it.
I hadn’t forgotten everything. I knew in the back of my mind that I was treading on dangerous territory. Dangerous because I could accidentally fall and kill him. Did I want to? Sure. Would I? Undecided.
The party had mellowed out, but I was in the same spot. I moved from one side to the other continuously but kept my attention on him. I needed to get them to understand, right? To see me for me. At least, I’d start with him. Just him.
His eyes drifted up as he was lost in talk with another girl beside him. We connected for the briefest moment, and in that moment, I felt time stand still. Did he know? I wasn’t sure. I turned back around to find another drink. The ship was set up as a bar, we all knew it here in Hades Hollow. We all knew that this was the bar to be at. The one with lanterns, pirates, and unlimited rum.
I felt his eyes on my bare back as I wrapped my fingers around the glass. I chose this dress in particular. I knew it would do as it was supposed to.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was low enough for just me to hear and close enough to feel against the nape of my neck.
I turned to face him slowly, ignoring the movements around us. I cast glances around the place out of habit. Were people watching? Was he watching? Maybe. Maybe he was, and this was all a bad idea.