Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 142728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“The place with all the rock sculptures and stuff?”
“Yeah, it’s nice this time of year. Libby might like it—there’s a whole stage made out of stone.”
“You remembered she likes theater?”
“Uh, yeah.” Does she think I don’t listen to her?
“Well, I’m in. I don’t know if Libby has something else planned but I’ll ask her.” She reaches out and touches my arm. “Thank you for wanting to include her.”
I’d give anything to know what’s going on behind Emily’s thoughtful eyes. I lean down, touching my forehead to hers. Maybe I can absorb the information that way. “Yeah, of course. I’ll get my hands on a cage.”
She raises her eyebrows.
“You’re not both going to fit on the back of my bike.”
“Oh.” She wrinkles her nose. “Cage?”
“Never heard that before? Bikers don’t like being caged in. Anything that’s not a motorcycle is a cage.”
“Cage,” she repeats. “Interesting.”
From her tone it’s hard to tell if that’s a good interesting or a you-must-be-psycho interesting.
I can’t wait to learn everything about her.
CHAPTER TEN
Emily
I sigh as I watch Dex back his bike out of my driveway. He waits until he’s rolled it into the road before firing it up. The rumble reaches the house and can be heard long after he’s left my quiet street.
I drop the curtain, turn off the lights downstairs, and head toward Libby’s room. Her door’s slightly ajar but it’s dark inside.
“Libby?” I whisper, tapping lightly.
“I’m awake,” she mumbles.
“Do you want to talk?” I ask, crossing the room to sit on her bed.
She lets out a long, dramatic sigh and rolls to her back, staring at the ceiling. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She glances at her phone. “Mac hasn’t even bothered to text and ask where I am or if I’m okay. She probably doesn’t even realize I left.”
“I’m sorry. So, what happened? Were any of your other friends there?”
“Caroline but she was all over the creepy older guys who brought the booze.” She tugs the covers up to her neck. “One of them kept trying to put his arm around my shoulders and talk to me, but he stunk like beer and cigarettes. I dunno. He kept trying to give me an open beer and he was gross.”
My heart thumps with fear. Did some asshole try to roofie my sister tonight? “You know not—”
“To ever take an open container from a stranger or leave my drink unattended. Yes, I know, Em.” She sighs. “I could tell Mac was getting mad at me and Caroline thought I was acting like a baby, but everything about it felt icky.”
“That’s your intuition. Don’t ever ignore it, okay?” I’m in a tough spot. If I shit-talk her friends too much, she’ll just want to defend them and probably hang out with them more. But I can’t help adding, “And real friends don’t pressure you into doing things you’re not comfortable doing.”
“Ugh. I know.”
“Sorry.” I hold my hands up in the air. “I’m proud of you. You listened to your gut. Didn’t let your friends bully you. And you got out of what sounds like a bad situation in a smart way.”
“Thanks,” she mumbles.
“I mean it. I didn’t always listen to my inner voice. You know, Dad was so strict with me, I was afraid to call Mom and Dad when I was in a bad situation.” I swallow hard and look away, my gaze landing on the bright-pink, gauzy curtains that have covered her windows since she was a little girl. Maybe it’s time to update those. “You can always talk to me about anything, Libby.”
She shoots upright and throws her arms around me, squeezing tight. “Thank you, Em,” she whispers against my hair.
Emotion tightens my throat. I love my little sister so much and want to protect her from every bad thing in the world. “You’re welcome, pudding.”
“Ugh.” She flops back against her mattress. “Was that Dex’s bike I heard leaving?”
“Yeah.”
“He didn’t have to go because of me.” A sly smile twitches at the corners of her mouth. “He could’ve stayed over.”
“I don’t sleep with a guy on a first date.” No, you just let him finger-bang and eat you into oblivion.
Thank God Libby’s room is too shadowy for her to see that my face is probably bright red.
“Well, my class trip to the city is coming up soon. You can have the whole house to yourself.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Oh, that reminds me—Dex asked if we wanted to go to Origin Park on Sunday.”
“We?”
“Yes, he invited both of us.”
She’s quiet for a few seconds. “I don’t want to be like a little kid tagging along.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Will you be mad if I say no?”
“Of course not.”
“I really just want to chill on Sunday.” She twists the sheet between her fingers. “Study for a test I have and maybe read a little.”