Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“Who you date and spend your time with is everything. It’s the view of yourself that you give to your neighbors.” Her voice is so deep.
“I don’t care what people think of me!”
“Well you should!” She smooths down her apron. “You’re just like your momma, she never listened either!”
“What about Matthew? Huh? He does what he wants when he wants. You don’t even moan at him about chores! How is that fair?”
“Matthew is a boy. Boys have a different purpose in this life. He needs to rid his body of his demons so when he finds a nice woman to settle down with, he can repent his sins and be a stable family man!”
“You sound insane! Because I have a vagina I’m meant to be perfect my entire life? Well I’m not perfect, Mee-maw. I’ll never be perfect. I don’t want to be perfect!”
“I will not raise two harlot daughters! It was shameful enough with the one. By God it took me a long time to win back the trust of my community. And then she just had to get pregnant with you two at sixteen.” She whips a hand through the air and shrieks, “SIXTEEN!”
“You were seventeen when you had mom.”
Her hands ball into fists by her sides, stretching out the few wrinkles and making her knuckles white. We all do that when we’re angry. It’s a Hardy thing. “I was married and to a good man! Your mother was sixteen and hadn’t finished school! Your daddy didn’t want nothin’ to do with his bastard children.”
My deadbeat dad doesn’t even live in town anymore, he and his family moved not long after the scandal that was him knocking up my mom. He never came back for me no matter how often I fantasized about it as a kid.
“That’s not my fault.”
“No, you’re right, it’s not, but the least you can do in return for me taking you in, is behave and hang with pleasant and wholesome people. I only just tolerate Poppy. But I will not tolerate Kane Jessop. No, I will not.” She points up the stairs. “Go to your room. You’re grounded until further notice.”
“For dating Kane Jessop?”
“YES!” she shrieks, losing her cool again.
Grumbling under my breath I stomp up the stairs and slam the door behind me, knowing how much she hates it.
Imogen: Marshall’s parents outed us to Mee-maw and now I’m grounded!
Kane: Sneak out. What’s the big deal?
Imogen: I’m not deliberately disobeying her, Kane.
Kane: So what, you’re just not gonna see me no more?
Imogen: I didn’t say that… I’m just saying I’m going to let her cool off. I’m not trying to be a bitch to her. I only run when she hits me. You know this.
Kane: You put up with way too much, Immy.
Imogen: What choice do I have? Just gotta keep saving for college and get my ass out of here the moment I graduate.
Kane: Sounds dope.
Imogen: Don’t sound too enthusiastic, Kane.
Kane: Ain’t nothin to be enthusiastic about, Imogen Hardy. If you fucking leave me I’ll have to move onto a basic bitch. I don’t want a basic bitch.
Imogen: There’s a compliment in there somewhere and maybe an admission that you like like me.
Kane: Don’t be racing ahead there. I’m just saying if I’m gonna be stuck here with my dad, I want to be stuck here with you.
Imogen: We should text more often. You’re much nicer and easier to understand.
Kane: See, I didn’t think that was nice.
Imogen: In comparison to your usual. It was nice.
Kane: Fair point.
Kane: So are you sneaking out or what? I need to get my dick wet.
Imogen: Give me an hour.
Kane: Babe I’ll give you whatever the fuck you want if you swallow my junk again.
Imogen: No. So gross. You can put it on my tits.
Kane: That’s good too.
Imogen: ;-)
26 years old
“Wait!” Felicia calls, rushing after me, her blonde hair getting tangled in her lips. She spits it out, making me smile despite my sadness and links her arm through mine. “Don’t run. Not again.”
“You gonna keep questioning me?”
She shakes her head. “Only about everything I’ve missed.”
“Promise?”
“Of course. I’m not mad with you for shit you did as a kid. We all make mistakes. I want to know what made you the gorgeous woman you are today.”
“Me too.” Kane’s voice has my bottom lip quivering. “Shit, Immy… I’m fucking mad but… don’t leave without telling me what I’ve missed.”
“Can we do that?” I ask him, not releasing Felicia’s arm. “Can we talk without fighting?”
“Worth a shot,” he puts in, tucking his fingertips into the pockets of his jeans. The breeze picks up his hair and throws a few tendrils across his face. They cover one of his eyes as he looks down at me, hatred swims there but it’s not as prominent as it was.
“Okay. Good because I want to know about you guys too.”