Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“But how? There are so many downed trees…”
“It’s a multi-step process, but apparently, there’s some little Hobbit of a man who delivers groceries, right?”
“Yes, Winston. But he can’t get through.”
“Apparently, he thinks he can. He can’t get to the grocery store to pick up the food for you with the roads still being so messed up, but he thinks he can get to you.”
It seemed unreal that after all this time, there might be a way out of here. But why did it have to happen now?
“Anyway, he’ll take you back to his home on his ATV, and then one of his buddies thinks he can get you as far as a large clearing in the woods. They’ve used it for a helicopter landing site for emergencies in the past, so we’re going to hire a helicopter to take you to the airport in Denver. The cost is unbelievable, but if we’re to have any chance of getting on top of this thing, you can’t be holed up at a frozen Walden pond.”
I couldn’t imagine leaving. With the worst thing I could possibly imagine happening, I wanted to be near Tristan, Carter, and Drew, not thousands of miles away from them. “Let me think,” I muttered under my breath.
“What? What did you say? Sierra, this is serious. This is your career. Your reputation. You need your agent and a team of publicists, not mountain men.”
“Just let me think about it.” The tears blurred my voice. “I’ll call you back.”
The phone slid out of my numb fingers as I sat on the edge of the bed. Then there was a soft knock on the door. I didn’t answer, just stared straight ahead but eventually, it opened.
“I brought you some water,” Drew said. “or I can get something stronger if you’d like.”
“Just water,” I whispered hoarsely. I took the bottle he handed me and downed at least half of it.
“Sierra, I am so incredibly sorry.” He sat down next to me on the bed and put his arm around my shoulders, but I pulled away. If I let him hold me right now, most of the water I’d just gulped would come right back out in the form of tears.
“I just—I just need to sleep right now.” My voice was still a rasp.
I didn’t look at him, certain that I’d seen concern in his eyes, and worried that I’d see pain.
“Please,” I begged. I needed to be alone before I broke down again.
“All right.” He stood up and stroked my hair. “But please know how sorry we are and how worried we are. All three of us.”
The second he closed the door, I collapsed onto my pillow, tears already starting to soak it.
I prayed for sleep. For a break from this nightmare. And maybe even for a chance to find out it was all a bad dream when I woke up.
But for right now, I’d just take the break from consciousness.
The light was different when I woke. It was obviously early, and when I finally found my phone deep under the covers, there were dozens of messages for me.
My muscle were so stiff that I could barely get to my feet. I shielded my eyes as I opened the door to the living room and it dawned on me that at some point, the snow on the skylight had melted.
The guys were at the worktable, hunched over a computer. At least they were getting some work done. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to write again.
Each step was painful as I forced myself forward. The guys were so intent on what they were doing that they didn’t hear my labored approach.
And then I heard something. A moan. A woman’s moan.
It was my voice.
Revulsion hit as I stared at Carter, Tristan, and Drew. I took a staggering step back and banged my hand into the lamp on the end table next to the couch.
All eyes turned to me, and Drew snapped the laptop shut.
“Sierra.” Tristan sprang to my side, but I put my hand up, holding him off. “You watched it?”
“Sweetheart, we were trying to find something that proves it’s fake. Drew’s so good with technology, we thought maybe he could find something,” Tristan said.
I stared over at Drew, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. He looked almost as sick as I felt.
“Or we thought maybe we could find some trace of the original shoot so we could force the studio to admit that the sex scene originated there,” Carter added.
“You watched it.” My voice was barely a whisper.
“It’s not even you, Sierra. We just wanted to help.” Carter’s voice was pleading, willing me to understand.
“You watched it,” I said one last time, the betrayal a bitter taste in my mouth.
“We’re sorry,” Drew said as I backed away.
“No, I am.” Carter stepped in front of Tristan, as if shielding him and Drew from my gaze. “This was my idea. I’m the one to blame, not Drew. Not Tristan.”