Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 114936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“So you are moving in?” I ask with a high brow while squeezing toothpaste onto my toothbrush.
He winks at me while turning to leave. “Yup! Be ready in twenty.” In twenty minutes, I have to have my makeup done and be dressed for the day. I still don’t know what it’s going to entail today, and part of me doesn’t really want to think too much into it. I’m seventeen, but I think I always knew at the back of my mind that I would never have the privilege of an average teen life. Not that I’m complaining. Average bores me. I need to drown in excitement and live for the thrill, or what is the purpose of living at all?
I slap on a basic makeup look, dress in double time, and manage to take a quick selfie for the Gram. My followers grow every day, but I’ve found that the more I post of me riding, the more engagement I get. I have to repost old photos because I’ve found no space to ride since I haven’t been to The Village in weeks.
Jogging down the stairs, I pull my hair out from beneath my scarf and grab an apple from the fruit basket. “I’m ready.”
Eli holds the door open, looking me up and down. “Does your brother know you’re not a virgin?”
“Have you met my brother?” I waltz past him, patting him on the chest. “But yes, he knows. He just doesn’t know who punched my card.”
“Oh.” Eli shuts the door behind him, tapping his sunglasses over his eyes. “Story time for our trip?” I punch the code to get us down to the residents’ parking lot.
“Hmm.” I lean against the wall. “Maybe once I know I can trust you, Playboy.” Truth is a lot worse because I think I do trust him, which is insane because I barely know him and he’s not part of our world. He’s some rich preppy kid that attends a private high school probably filled with snotty jocks, and he—“A Ferrari?” I look between him and the sleek black vehicle sitting in the private parking. The elevator doors close behind us, and just as I step forward, he tosses me the keys.
“You can drive.”
I smirk, rolling my lips beneath my teeth. I’ve never driven on the roads before, mainly because the opportunity has never arisen. Twirling them around my index finger, I press the alarm button and the doors open.
“I’m excited. We have to pick up Nial.”
“…and who is Nial?”
“The person I mentioned who went to your school—that’s Nial.”
Eli’s fingers click together as we both slide into our seats. “That motherfucker is the smartest kid at Riverside Prep.”
“Really?” I’m not surprised. Nial is the smartest person I know personally, but it feels good to hear someone else talk about my closest friend that way.
“Yeah, really.”
I push the button to start the engine and sigh when it rumbles against my butt.
“SpaceX wants to recruit him for some NASA project they have going on. He’d be the youngest to have ever been given the opportunity.”
“He does want to be an astronaut.” I pull out of park, swinging our ass end out and then tapping the gear into drive.
“You’ve driven before…” He smiles broadly.
I hit the music on. “Of course. Do you not follow me on Instagram?”
“Well, no…” he answers honestly as I drive up the ramp and press my finger to the little fingerprint machine to let us out.
“Change that—” I bat my lashes at him before putting it into first gear, shooting us forward and onto the road.
“So—” He stops talking, his smirk evaporating when his eyes land in the side mirror.
“What is it?” I ask, my skin prickling with unease. I may not have known Eli for very long, but even I can see something has set him off.
“Keep driving.” He points to the road, shuffling farther up his seat.
“Well, I wasn’t going to stop…” I tease, looking between him and the road ahead. “What’s wrong?”
His mouth flatlines. “Nothing. Just keep driving until I say so.”
“To where?” I try not to look at him too long before going back to the road, swerving us onto the highway on-ramp and flooring it until the speedometer leans over toward one-twenty. “Is someone following us? Because I don’t want to take them directly to Nial.”
Eli stares at the side mirror, bringing his fist to his mouth. “Fuck. Take the third exit.”
“What?” I screech, flexing my fingers around the wheel. “No, I only get a few hours a day to myself before I have to work—”
“—Cartier, baby, take that exit.”
“Okay!” I swerve between cars and do what he says, passing the exit that I needed for Nial. I should have stayed in bed longer.
“They’re gone…” he murmurs, more to himself than me.
I peer into the rearview mirror. “You sure?”