Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
And it keeps happening.
The blasts keep coming until they’re are a continuous, nonstop cacophony of sounds. Mixed in with shocked gasps and screams from people. I’m about to scream too when something lights up.
Up in the sky.
Red and green sparkles.
Hundreds and hundreds of tiny twinkling sparks showering down from the sky.
Like the rain.
So thick and bright that night turns into day.
Fireworks.
He lit up fireworks.
It’s so unexpected after what I’d been just thinking, this magnificent display of light and sound, that I do something unexpected as well.
I let out a lone but loud laugh.
“This is…” I whisper over the crackling sounds of fireworks, and shocked gasps and screams of people. “This is beautiful.”
“Yeah.”
His softly spoken word makes me look at him.
Only to find that he’s already watching me, shadows dancing on his face, his eyes sparkling even more. And I realize two things at once.
First, that he isn’t talking about the fireworks. His quiet ‘yeah’ was meant for something else.
Someone else. Someone like me.
And as shocking as this revelation is — kinda like when he called me cute — the second realization is much more shocking to me.
The fact that those dancing shadows make him look… beautiful.
And sexy.
God, he’s sexy.
I’ve never thought that about a guy before. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of cute guys, handsome guys. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy who’s equal parts beautiful and sexy.
This is crazy.
Isn’t it?
But wait, there’s more. There’s a third realization.
That his eyes are dark, yes — chocolate brown to be specific — but that’s not all. There are hues of red in them too. That I only notice now because I’m so close to him and the night sky seems to be on fire.
“And I didn’t,” he says, watching me.
“You didn’t what?”
“Ruin your party.”
“You —”
“Because this isn’t your party, is it?”
My eyes go wide. As does his smile.
But before either of us can say anything, a strange voice distracts us both.
“Found him.” Some static comes on before that voice continues, “Yeah, bringing him in now.”
His words sound ominous, and when he comes into view, with his walkie talkie and all, I don’t like the look of him either. He’s big and broad and from the looks of it, a security guard.
He comes to a stop a few feet away from us and addresses the guy who just set the sky on fire. “Having fun?”
At the guard’s irritated question, he turns toward him and shrugs. “You could say that.”
“You scared a lot of people, kid.”
“I heard, yeah.”
The man shakes his head. “Your father wants to see you.”
“Thought he might.”
“You going to come easily?”
“I could,” he muses, “but since I do like to have fun, I’m gonna say no.”
The man sighs. “I’m not running after you, kid. They don’t pay me enough for that shit, all right?”
“Yeah, my father is a penny-pinching asshole. Despite the popular belief.” Cocking his head to the side, he continues, “Fortunately for you though, I don’t take after the old man. How about you let me go and I’ll pay you double whatever it is they pay you for a month.”
The man stares at him for a few seconds before stepping forward. “Come on, Reign. Let’s go.”
“Reign…”
That was me.
I said that.
His name is Reign.
I know that name. I know who Reign is.
I know.
I snap my eyes up to him and again, I find him already staring at me. He completes his name for me. “Davidson. That’s me. Probably not for long though. Since my dad wants to see me.”
“This is…”
Again, he finishes the sentence for me. “My party, yeah. Well, my brother’s.”
I swallow, horrified, blushing. “I… I didn’t…”
His eyes, so unique and interesting and still on fire, roam over my features. “Yeah, not helping, Bubblegum.”
“W-what?”
“If you don’t want me to call you Bubblegum, then you should stop being so pink.”
Before I can say something else, the guard speaks. “Let’s go, kid. I don’t have all day.”
The guy — Reign — doesn’t move though.
He keeps staring at me. “Tell me your name.”
“Echo.”
Something moves over his features then.
Something like… relief mixed in with a mysterious emotion.
Whatever it is, it makes my breaths choppy. It makes me feel relief too.
That I said it. I told him.
Which is weird because I didn’t want to.
“Echo.”
I nod and now that I’ve told him my name, the rest of my story comes out. “Adler. Echo Adler. I… My parents work for your parents. They just started. M-my mom’s on the cooking staff and my dad’s the groundskeeper. I live —”
My words come to a jerking halt when the man steps forward and in a shocking display of aggression, grabs hold of Reign’s arm.
“Hey, what the hell?” I go, all loudly and angrily. “Let him go.”
The guard throws me a dismissive look before he jerks on Reign’s arms and begins to drag him away.
I open my mouth to protest again but Reign doesn’t let me. “Where do you live?”