Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Storm only grinned with amusement when his mom pointed out the bags and boxes of items she’d said I must have and told him to load them in the car.
• Eight •
This world I live in isn’t one that builds strong relationships. It rips them apart.
Rumor
I wanted the security and solitude of the little white cottage, but I understood that it was for my safety that Maeme had Storm bring me and all my new things inside her house. I felt bad that she wouldn’t let me help him carry it all inside. When she was done telling him where to take everything and walked off, I turned to him.
“I’m sorry about all this stuff,” I whispered. I couldn’t go anywhere, so all the clothing seemed pointless.
“I have two sisters, and you just spent quality time with my mom. No need to apologize,” he assured me, then winked as he turned and headed back out the door for more of my things.
I stood there, unsure what to do with myself when I heard a car door slam and voices outside. Walking over to the still-open front door, I looked out to see King’s truck. My heart did a flutter, then remembered his fake engagement, and sank.
“Stay out of it!” King shouted as he came stalking up the walkway.
What had Storm said to him?
I backed up and thought about running to the blue room, but I wasn’t sure I’d have time. Instead, I headed to the library. I could hide in there. I didn’t want to see him or talk to him. Not yet.
There was a soft click as I closed the door and backed up farther into the room. I’d left the lights off in hopes he would see the room was dark and pass on by it.
“Where is she, Maeme?” I heard King demand.
“I know you’re not coming in my house, yelling like a hothead.”
“Maeme, I love you, but if you don’t tell me where she is right this minute, I’m going to start breaking shit.”
“Jesus, King!” Storm said. “Stop with the yelling.”
“Where is she?” King said with a growl that startled me.
“You take one more step inside this house, and I WILL be the one breaking shit.” Maeme’s voice had taken on an edge I’d never heard before. She was angry … really angry.
“I need to talk to her.” King’s dark tone had softened somewhat.
“Not like this. She knows about your engagement. I reckon she needs some time to process all this,” Maeme told him.
“FAKE! It’s a fake engagement. Maeme, I’ve been forced to follow around a woman I don’t particularly like. I’m being kept from talking to the woman I do want to be around, and I am real fucking close to snapping. SOMEONE is going to tell me where she is. Now!”
Unable to let this go on any longer, I decided I had better face him before this escalated any further. I hurried back out of the library and into the foyer while King was now yelling at Storm.
“Stop it!” I said loud enough to be heard over the noise.
King spun around, his eyes locking on me.
“Rumor.”
He said my name with such relief that I felt guilty. I had no reason to feel such an emotion, but the mental abuse I’d suffered from my marriage warped me. My immediate reaction seemed to be to blame myself for whatever was wrong.
“I’ll talk to you if you stop yelling at everyone,” I replied.
He started walking in my direction, and Maeme stepped in front of him with her hands on her small hips. “She said she’d talk to you, not that you could invade her personal space.”
King’s nostrils flared as he looked down at his tiny grandmother.
“It’s fine, Maeme. Really. We can go talk in the library,” I said.
She glanced back at me, then sighed. “Very well. But this”—she turned back to King—“this’d better not blow up in our faces. You have a job to do.”
King’s eyes swung back up to meet mine, and he stepped around Maeme, then started toward me again. I didn’t want to stand there and let him reach me. I preferred we talk about whatever it was he was intent on saying in private. Going back to the library, I mentally coached myself on how to handle this. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. But whatever it was, I would deal with it. I had to.
The door closed with more force than necessary behind me, and I spun around to see King looking at me as if I were his last meal before he closed the distance between us.
“Your phone is off and has been since last night. I’ve tried calling and texting all fucking night and day,” he said as he grabbed my chin, tilting my head back. “It’s not a real engagement. They told you that. It’s fake. So, what is wrong?”