Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“There will never be a time when I let someone treat you like trash,” Draco said, lifting his hands, palms up. “It’s not the way I’m built, Kara.”
That was exactly what terrified me. It was the entire reason that I’d kept my distance for as long as I had.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles,” I replied.
“You’re missin’ the point,” he said stubbornly.
“I don’t think I am.”
“If someone was goin’ after me,” he said, throwing his hands in the air with irritation, “you sayin’ you wouldn’t do anythin’ about it?”
“That’s different,” I snapped. “I’m not six-foot-five of solid muscle.”
“So you wouldn’t be able to physically stop someone,” he said, his lips twitching. “But there’s plenty of ways for you to use your brain. You sayin’ you wouldn’t?”
I didn’t reply.
“Fuck,” he said with a sigh, running his hands trough his hair. “You know you would, Kara.”
“Did you know that he got in trouble?” I asked. “You can’t distribute naked photos of a minor, even if you are a minor.”
“Yeah, I heard about it,” Draco replied.
“He was arrested and everything,” I said. “You didn’t have to do anything. He got into trouble.”
“That motherfucker got probation,” he scoffed. “And had to clean up garbage on the side of the road.”
“Can we just please stop talking about this?” I asked in frustration. “It was years ago. Do we really have to go over it all again?”
Draco’s shoulders dropped. “Yeah, baby,” he said, pulling me toward him. “You keep sayin’ it was years ago, but I’m just findin’ this shit out for the first time.”
“I’m fine,” I replied, leaning against him. “It all worked out in the end, right?”
Draco nodded, kissing the top of my head. “Thank Christ, you didn’t have any problems while I was inside. Curtis would have a real hard time ridin’ his bike with a coupla broken legs.”
I closed my eyes and forced myself not to react to his words. If he had any idea what I’d gone through, I was afraid that his relationship with his brother would be broken forever. I wouldn’t let myself be the reason for that.
For what had to be the millionth time, I told myself to forget it all, to push it down so deep that it never came up again. I was fine. I no longer had to see anyone I didn’t want to see. I no longer had to endure situations where I was uncomfortable. If that made me look boring, or weird, well, I was okay with that.
Chapter 10
Draco
As I ran my fingers through Kara’s hair, I tried not to focus on anything but her. I was there, in her apartment, with her arms around me, finally, and I was fucking it up because I was so livid with my family.
I wasn’t sure how Kara expected me to just ignore the fact that they’d treated her like shit while I was gone. Even if I hadn’t asked them to watch out for her, they’d still known how I felt about her and they’d cut her out. Had they thought that I wouldn’t find out? What had their long-term goal been? They’d known that eventually I’d be out, and if I was lucky, we’d start back where we left off.
“I need a shower,” Kara grumbled. She tipped her head back to look at me. “You can watch TV or something?”
“Sure,” I said. I wondered how pissed she’d be if I left while she was in the bathroom. I could take care of shit quickly, but there was no way I could be back before she got out of the shower.
“You’ll wait?” she asked suspiciously. “It’ll only take me a couple minutes.”
I sighed. She knew me too well.
“Yeah, I’ll wait.”
“You can take one when I’m done,” she said as she pulled away.
“You sayin’ I stink?” I asked, smiling as she immediately started shaking her head.
Kara rolled her eyes. “You know what?” she said, putting her hands on her hips when she realized I was teasing. “You do stink. I mean, I wasn’t going to say anything, but whew.” She fanned her hand in front of her nose. “Ripe.”
She screeched as I lunged for her.
“You better grab some clean clothes,” she yelled, racing for the bathroom.
“Why don’t I just shower with you?” I asked, lifting her from the floor with one arm around her waist.
“No,” she said, laughing as I nipped at her throat. “I’m trying to get clean, not dirty.”
“We gonna get dirty after you get clean?” I asked, setting her back on her feet.
“If you play your cards right,” she joked. “And, you know, get rid of that stank.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise and she laughed as she bolted for the bathroom.
“I thought you were joking,” I called through the door, sniffing under my arm.
“Everyone stinks like smoke, you big baby!” she called back. “Go grab some clean clothes. I’ll even let you use my fancy shampoo.”