Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 61169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Another knock.
I stand and walk over, opening the door. Ace’s eyes widen, and I see relief flash across his face. I’ve missed Ace, and I didn’t realize how much until now. He looks good, as gorgeous as ever and giving me that dazzling smile that has no doubt captured the hearts of many.
“Well, hey there, girl, how are you?”
I smile. “I’m okay.”
I glance past him.
“He’s gone.”
“I know. I heard.”
“Want to tell me what’s goin’ on?”
“It’s complicated. He’s all over the place. I don’t know how much more of it I can take,” I answer honestly.
Ace steps inside, and I close the door behind him.
“You look like shit,” he says. “You’re not sleeping, are you?”
“No,” I tell him, truthfully.
“You haven’t come to visit me,” he points out, leaning a hip against the kitchen counter.
“I was going to, it’s just ... hard.”
“Well you better soon, because She-devil is driving us all crazy.”
I raise a brow. “She-devil?”
“Bitch troll, She-devil, woman with horns ... You know her as Sharleen.”
I burst out laughing. God, I’ve missed him. “I thought you guys liked her?”
He frowns. “God no, she’s fuckin’ awful.”
“What is so bad about her?”
“I don’t trust her. She’s always been someone I don’t like, and I don’t think she’s up to anything good. Anyway, enough about her, are you coming to Angel’s party tomorrow night?”
“Apparently I get no choice,” I mumble, crossing my arms.
“You know it’s a dress up?”
I raise a brow. “Seriously?”
Ace grins. “Yep, goin’ to be a blast. Jagger is goin’ as a half-naked cowboy. You can guess what bitch troll is going as?”
“Slutty cowgirl?”
Ace chuckles. “Yeah, and guess what you’re going as?”
I raise my brows. “I think you’re about to tell me ...”
“Sluttier cowgirl.”
I laugh. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
I give him a look.
He reaches over and takes my shoulders. “Snap out of it, you’re tougher than this. Besides, I have an outfit picked, your sister and I found the perfect one ...”
Oh. Wait a damned second. “My sister? Tell me why you have a sudden interest in my baby sister?”
He winks. “We’re just friends.”
“I doubt that,” I mutter. “If you mess with her ... I swear ...”
He puts his hands up. “Not a player. We’re cool.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Tell me about this outfit you picked?”
He pulls out his phone and shows me a picture. My eyes widen as I stare at the screen. It’s a picture of a woman dressed in knee-high cowboy boots, a short, short black dress, cowboy hat, and fishnet stockings. There is nothing that describes sluttier cowgirl more than this outfit right here.
“Since when do cowgirls look like that?”
“Since right now.”
I frown. I’m not really the type of person to dress up like that just to prove a point.
“I don’t know, I’ll think about it.”
Ace gives me a look, but nods. “As long as you’re there, I’ll be a happy man.”
I roll my eyes. “We’ll see. How has Jagger been, truthfully? Nobody can give me a straight answer. I ... I shouldn’t care, but I do.”
“How has he been since Sharleen returned or since you left, because those are two different things.”
I purse my lips. “Since I left, both, I don’t know.”
“He’s fuckin’ angry, moody, and a right pain in the ass, if I’m being honest. He doesn’t know what he wants, he’s all over the place, but when you were gone ... Fuck me, that was the worst I’ve ever seen him.”
That makes me sad.
I try not to let it, but it does.
“Well,” I mumble, “he made his choice.”
He wraps an arm around me, pulling me into his side. “You two have been through a lot, don’t forget that. Go easy on him; he cares about you.”
I smile, weakly. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’m going to leave you to get some sleep. You be there tomorrow, girl. You’re family, remember?”
I nod. “Thanks for saving me tonight.”
Ace leans in and kisses my forehead. “Don’t be a stranger, kid.”
Kid.
I can’t help but shake my head with a smile.
He leaves, and I lock the door behind him, feeling a little better.
I plod into the room and turn my phone off.
I’ve dealt with enough for one night.
Tomorrow is a new day.
4
“Hell yeah, girl, you’re smokin’!” Ava grins, spinning me around, her eyes running over my costume.
I made a few alterations to the outfit they picked for me. There was no way I was going to wear fishnet stockings. Hell no. Not a chance. But, I kept the black dress and instead paired it with a pair of cowboy boots I had in my closet. I kept the hat and decided to leave my hair down in curls. It’s actually really cute, and even though the dress is really tight, and really revealing, I like it.
“Here, let’s get this party started. You’re going to knock him dead,” Jenny says, handing me a shot.