Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
I could walk through the halls with my head held high as people greeted me, waving and saying hi as I passed. I was popular. I had friends. People wanted to be near me, the local celebrity on her way to the Olympics. I never saw myself that way. I wasn’t anybody special. If anything, I used to wonder if all those people who wanted to be my friend would lose a little bit of their excitement if they saw how grim and tough life as an aspiring Olympic gymnast could be. I didn’t have much room for fun or parties, or all the other things kids were into. But it was nice, feeling their approval as I walked to my locker and looked forward to chatting with my best friend before class.
Until somebody slammed into me from behind hard enough to knock me against a row of lockers. “Whoops,” a male voice said, nasty and cold. I barely had time to shake off my surprise before being jostled again by a second person.
“Stuck-up bitch.” Colt Alistair sneered at me while his brother laughed. Nix was already on his way down the hall, snickering over his shoulder. But Colt continued staring at me, almost like he was challenging me to fight back. I was too stunned and confused to offer anything but a puzzled stare.
I couldn’t understand why they didn’t like me. Everybody liked me. I had never done anything to them, either, not even close. We had hardly ever spoken to each other, and when we did, it was usually because they were saying something nasty to me, and I was asking what I ever did to deserve it.
They hated me, and nothing has changed in three years.
And now, my mother is marrying their father. Dread plants itself in my stomach and starts to spread through my body, sending waves of icy disbelief down to my fingertips and toes.
I wish I had never gotten on that bus to come home.
CHAPTER 2
“Have you been here before?” my mother asks, closing the car door behind her.
“No.” I shake my head, a bit confused by the question. “Why would I have been here before?”
“You went to school with Colt and Nix. I thought you three were friends.”
I almost laugh at the idea. Us, friends? We couldn’t be further from it. Of course, if my mother would have listened to me back then, she would know that. But just like my mother has always been, she only listens to the part she wants to, and her daughter being bullied wasn’t something she was interested in.
Tilting my head up, I take in the large three-story family home. Of course, the Alistairs live here. A beautiful, luxurious, and well-taken care of home. A perfectly manicured yard and a garage big enough to hold three cars. Everything is flawless on the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that I’m worried about.
I sling my backpack over my shoulder and follow my mom up the small path leading to the front door. My heart beats irrationally fast against my ribs, and my stomach churns at the thought of what awaits me behind this door.
My mother doesn’t knock. She simply reaches for the brass handle and pushes it down. The door opens, and we step into the large foyer. The old sneakers on my feet squeak on the polished tiled floor while my mother’s high heels click and clack, both sounds echoing off the walls.
An eerie feeling festers in my gut. Something tells me I’m not supposed to be here. I don’t belong here, and I still don’t believe my mom does either. Nothing about this feels right.
“There you two lovely women are,” a deep male voice fills the space. My head snaps to its origin, and I come face-to-face with James Alistair.
I have only seen him once before, at a school event, but I’ve never actually talked to him. He is leaning against a doorframe, his body language relaxed. His light blue eyes are soft as he smiles at me with genuine fondness. His demeanor takes me by surprise.
James looks very much like an older version of his sons. His short hair is graying, and his masculine face weathered, but he clearly still works out. The white polo shirt he is wearing stretches over his muscular chest and arms. Most people would say he is a handsome guy.
“James, meet Lenora—my beautiful daughter,” my mother coos.
“She is beautiful, indeed. Just like her mother.” He grins at my mom like a lovesick puppy.
Wow. This is so weird.
“Oh, stop it with your compliments. You’re such a charmer.” My mom giggles and swats the air. “Let me finish dinner. Why don’t you show Leni to the dining room?”
“Don’t you need help?” James seems nice and all, but if his sons are around, I’d rather not see them.