Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 186756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 934(@200wpm)___ 747(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 934(@200wpm)___ 747(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
“Which is why you went to him.” He pauses then, “Didn’t you?”
And I realize I’m still very much in danger.
Because again I become thoughtless and speechless.
I freeze.
And not from the cold.
“The reason you went to him in the first place is because I didn’t want you. Because you wanted me to want you. You wanted me to look at you, so you gave me something to look at. Isn’t that right? You danced with him that night. You danced in his fucking arms. You laughed with him, flirted with him. You made it look like he’s the center of your fucking universe. Because I was the center of yours.”
“That’s not…” I burst out, but words fail me. “H-how do you…”
“You use men,” he says, his voice low. “Isn’t that what you told me? That night. You use them to get what you want. You throw yourself at them to get them to do what you want. And you wanted me. So you used my twin brother to get to me. Wasn’t so hard to put together if you look closely. I just wasn’t looking. That’s why you came after me that night at the charity event. Not because you’re some spoiled little rich girl who can’t make up her mind, who flits from one twin to another, but because you want just the one twin and you’ve been using the other to get him.” Then, “I have to admit it doesn’t feel very good. Not being able to recognize what was right in front of me. I’m usually better at paying attention than this.”
“You—”
“On the other hand, though, maybe you should take solace in the fact that this bodes very good things for your acting career. If you can fool me with your stellar acting skills, you could fool anyone.”
I clutch the phone with both hands, my belly churning. “Please don’t… Don’t tell him. Don’t… I’m… I’m not using him anymore. I’m not… I want him, okay? I want to be with him and—”
He hums. “Very touching.”
“Please, I’m begging you.”
“I thought you didn’t beg.”
“God,” I burst out again. “Can you just… Look, yes, I wanted you. Back then. I wanted you badly. I wanted you so much that I used Shepard. I made it look like I was into him. Because I wanted you to be jealous. I wanted you to want me back, to eat your words from that night. I wanted you to regret not kissing me, for rejecting me. I just… I don’t know what had gotten into me, okay? I’d never felt this way about any guy and… I thought… God, I actually thought you were my destiny.” I shake my head. “It sounds so stupid when I say it now, but… I thought you were the one I dreamed about. But I was stupid, okay? I was petty and immature. It was before I knew how big of an asshole you are. I don’t want you anymore. I want him. I want to be with Shepard. So I need you to stop messing with him and put him back on the team.”
“I will,” he says.
“You—”
“But I want something in return.”
Dread is hard and cold in my stomach.
Because I know. I know what he’s going to say.
I know it.
“Don’t,” I warn him. “Don’t do this. Don’t—”
“You.”
“No.”
“Because I think such devotion and persistence should be rewarded, don’t you? I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere: be careful what you wish for or more like, don’t play the game with someone who can play it back harder. But let’s focus on the reward rather than the punishment, shall we? You’ve been dying for me, haven’t you? Well, congratu-fucking-lations, I’m putting you out of your misery.”
“I don’t—”
“So this is how it’s going to go: when we come back for the home game, I want one night.”
“O-one night?”
“With you,” he goes on. “One night to do as I please. To do whatever the fuck I want with you. To give you what you’ve been begging for. One night where you belong to me. Where you’re mine and mine only. You agree to that and in exchange, I’ll give you what you want. I won’t mess with him. Or you. I won’t abuse my power. I’ll keep your dirty little secret so you can live your happily ever after with my brother.”
“Don’t do this,” I beg again. “Please don’t do this.”
“I kinda have to. I’m the asshole in disguise, remember? But unfortunately for you, Dora, I am also your fucking destiny.”
Chapter 8
The Wildfire Thorn
I’m gripping my phone so hard that I know if I don’t let up, I’ll break it.
I also know if I let it go, I’ll break everything else in the room.
So in a way, this phone is my lifeline, my grounding object.
There have been many occasions in my life when I could’ve lost all control and given in to my fiery urges. A lot of times where I could’ve broken my promise and succumbed to my genes. But I’ve held fast.