Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 142764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
I can feel Seb's intense gaze on me even if I can't make out his features with pinpoint precision. "Don't look at me like that!" I scrape out, then cross the room to the bedside table, where I climb out of the sheets and slap my hands around, feeling for my glasses.
My hand brushes a glass of water and a couple of pills before landing on my glasses. Once I slip them onto my face, I stare down at the water and pills, my heartbeat quickening. He knew between the way he fucked me and the amount of alcohol I drank last night that painkillers would be a necessity the next day, so before he went to bed, he made sure I had them. I look over at him, but he doesn’t look back at me. He’s locked in a staring contest with Sebastian with his jaw set tight, hard enough to cut stone.
I wonder what they win by not blinking first?
On the other hand, Sebastian has no issues dishing out his cold, callous anger to everyone. His glare darts between the two of us. Then he locks on Drew with a narrowed gaze. "She's good enough to fuck, but not good enough to know your secrets. Yeah, I feel the respect and the desire for forgiveness. More games, more bullshit. Same Marshall drama."
I try not to flinch at each of his spewed words and even worse at the way Drew's fists tighten more and more at every word he speaks. His veins bulge, like they might explode out of his forearms.
What is this all about? Some stupid piece of paper? I step up to the bench, gather the sheet tight around my chest, and pinch the card between my fingers, inspecting it.
It’s an invitation of some sort from Drew's dad. That’s all I can make out before the invitation is ripped from my hands rudely and crumpled into a ball. Drew tosses the invitation at Sebastian’s feet and smirks.
"What the hell, Drew?” I yell.
“He came here to stir up trouble, Bel. That’s all this is.”
“You’re lucky she gives a fuck about you, or you’d already be in the ground.” Sebastian growls, all teeth, and honestly, this is far too serious of a conversation to have before nine o’clock.
"Okay, pause." I step between them and sigh. "If you two must argue, can it be done without me being rolled up in a sheet?”
Sebastian's fingers slice through his hair, and he curses while Drew gives me a long, sweeping gaze that turns my insides to molten lava, even given the situation.
Damn him.
"Can I put some clothes on so we can talk, or are you two going to kill each other while I brush my teeth?"
No response. Go figure. They continue to glare at each other but remain silent.
Great. I snag my clothes off the floor and stare at the ripped tights and mud-stained skirt. Shit. Instead of gathering them up to salvage what I can, I cross the room to the dresser on the other side. However, before I can dig into his drawers, I spot a small stack of clothing on top. An Oakmount T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. Shit. No underwear.
While I trek back to the bathroom, I refuse to look at either of them. I will not be shamed by this or any of my choices ever again. Men do whatever they want all the time and are never judged. I refuse to be judged.
Dressing quickly, I do my best to ignore the fact that the clothes I’m wearing are not only Drew's but smell like him and search through the bathroom drawers for another toothbrush. I find a bunch of extras in the third drawer and snag one. I brush my teeth and check my reflection in the mirror. I look like me, but happier and stronger. I can do this. I can handle these idiot cavemen.
When I finish brushing, I leave the bathroom and walk back into the bedroom to find them exactly as I left them, staring at one another like statues. Their jaws tense, and each is a pot of boiling water ready to boil over. I hope I won’t have to referee them forever.
That’s if Drew and I can get through all this bullshit and find happiness on the other side. I want to find a solution to this...tension between us, but I’m afraid we won’t ever be able to overcome our trauma.
Turning my attention to Sebastian, I ask, "Can you please give us a minute to talk?"
Sebastian sighs long and loudly, then glances over my shoulder at Drew, even though his words were for me. "I'll be waiting in the hallway to take you home. Make it quick."
“You aren’t my boss or my parent, Sebastian. Stop acting like you are,” I say as he leaves the room.