Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Nice and slow, I sneak behind the other side, trying to listen for her. When I don't hear anything, I peer around the back. Where the hell did she go? Ten minutes pass, and no one has said they’ve found either of them. I head out to check all the secret spots. Nothing.
This is stupid. I’m about to give up when I spot a pair of Converse peeking out of the neighbor’s bushes. Cheater. Outside of boundary lines. I can’t wait to bust her. I walk over to the bushes and shove them apart. “Busted, duckling.” To my surprise, it’s only a pair of shoes. “What the?” That little brat. I turn around, my eyes focusing in the dark. Then I see it: a dark object on top of the shed. Smart, I’ll give her that.
I work my way around in search of how she got her ass up there. A ladder lays on its side, and I’m pissed I didn’t notice it before. I bring it upright and climb up. “Looky, looky what I found.”
She’s laying on her back as still as a board until she hears my voice, and her head pops up.
“Did you fly up here, duckling?”
She scoffs at me and sits up.
“Not so fast. We all know Hannah wants to be found first.”
“Yeah, and stay up here with you longer? Not a chance.” She tries to maneuver around me, but I grab her arm. “Let me go, or I’ll scream.”
“That I found you and you lost? You really want to give up that easily?”
“Well, you found me. Game’s over.” I stare down at her. It’s dark as hell, but the moon’s reflection shines off her glasses, illuminating her fierce eyes.
“Maybe I’m impressed by your hiding skills.”
“Is that a compliment, Ben Wallace?”
“There’s a first for everything, Makayla Jacobs.”
There’s a shift in the way she looks at me. A flash of something unfamiliar. It’s gone just as quick, and she pulls her eyes from mine and stares ahead. “Anyway, we both know this is just so Levi finds Hannah. You wouldn’t want to ruin that for her, would ya?” She knows I’m right. Anyone can tell Kip’s little sister has it bad for my boy. Well. . . everyone besides Kip.
I adjust myself to sit next to her. “Why the pout?”
“Wow, why do you even need to ask? Look at my company.”
I chuckle at her attempt to bash me. “Oh, please, don’t deny this is what you want—to be alone with me.” She doesn’t take the bait. I scoot closer, tucking my legs to my chest and resting my crossed arms on my knees. “It’s probably not safe for you to be climbing up here in the dark.”
She laughs. “Now you’re. . . what? My savior? Protecting me from the dark?”
I scoot even closer, just enough that my leg brushes against hers. Her body trembles against mine, and she tucks her knees tighter to her chest. “Hey, everyone needs a hero. Would it be the worst thing if I was yours?” I already know the answer. I have no idea why I even asked. It was stupid. I should prepare for her to whack me. Instead, she turns her eyes on me, digging away at my cool demeanor. I may want to strangle her half the time, but more often than not, I want to know what goes on in that head of hers. Maybe it’s just me having a weak moment. Feeling sorry for the poor little duckling who always looks sad behind her tough skin. Not that I should care. She’s certainly not my problem.
“Everyone has a villain too. I think you fit that role a lot better.”
Her words stand true. They actually make me feel like shit. Behind our banter and games, maybe I don’t want to be the villain. I hate that she hasn’t taken her eyes off me. She never stands down. Her gaze penetrates through me, and I don’t like the way it makes me feel. What it’s doing to me. She does this thing with her bottom lip, and I hate that too. My chest tightens, and I clench my fists. At no point does she release my gaze. My brain malfunctions. It’s the only explanation for what I do next. My only hope is she smacks me before I make a huge mistake. The problem is, she doesn’t look like she’s going to, and for some insane reason, I don’t want her to.
Fuck it. Get it out of my system. Blame it on teenage hormones. Her eyes flutter closed, and she extends her neck as I lean in—
“Ghosts in the graveyard!” Levi’s voice blasts across the backyard. We both freeze. Her eyes widen at what almost happened.
She shoots to her feet, scoffing at me. “Ew. Not a chance, turd breath.” Then she steps over me and disappears down the ladder.