Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I feel fitter. I feel healthier, and I’ve even been in good spirits.
One night a few weeks ago, at dinner, I brought up the subject of me being able to speak to my family on a regular basis. And it went a little like this.
Nervously moving my food around the plate, Boo asked, “Everything okay, Dee?”
That’s the cue!
Placing my fork down, I cleared my throat and announced, “Actually, no.”
Nox and Rock stopped eating and gave me their full attention. Mind you, this was all planned beforehand. Rock and Boo knew exactly what was going on. They even had lines to remember.
Rock encouraged, “What’s the problem, Lily?”
I began, “Well, I was hoping to talk to you all about my family.”
Immediately, Nox shook his head and I added in a rush, “I’m not asking for anything huge here, Nox, just a little talk-time here and there. That sounds reasonable. Right?”
Looking to Boo and Rock, they both answered at the same time, loud and animated.
Boo nodded vigorously, “Yeah, of course!”
Rock agreed, “Sure. I mean, it’s not like you’re asking to see them or anything.”
Boo added, “It’s definitely not unreasonable.”
Rock muttered, “Not unreasonable at all.”
Then all three of us turned our pleading faces to Nox.
Looking at the three of us through narrowed eyes, he grinned when he knew he’d been had and announced, “I’ll think about it,” then left the dinner table chuckling.
The three of us huddled together, talking in a hush.
I whispered, “Okay, you know him better than I do. Was that a good chuckle or a no-way-in-hell chuckle?”
Boo said quietly, “I’m not sure. It definitely wasn’t a no, but with Nox, you never know what’s coming.”
Rock grinned, “Oh yeah, babe. You got it. I know him well enough to know he was impressed that you took initiative. He might not give you a lot, but he’ll give you something. Ya know? For your efforts.”
And wouldn’t you know it, just the next night, Nox came to my room to tell me that he’d let me talk to my parents once every two weeks, and to my sister every week.
He said the calls were to be five minutes and no longer.
Now, I don’t know much about negotiating, but I know you gotta start high.
“Half hour. Minimum.” I offered.
Nox shook his head and made a sound of disbelief. “Um. No. Five minutes.”
I tried harder, “Gimme somethin’ I can work with, Nox. Twenty minutes.”
A small smile tugged at his lips, but he said firmly, “Five minutes.”
My bravado failed slightly when my next offer sounded more like a question, “Eighteen minutes?”
His voice turned soft. “Lily.”
My heart pounded and my nose tingled, the stupid shake in my voice sounded as I asked quietly, “Fifteen minutes?”
More softness. Softer than soft. “Lily.” His voice pleading me to not push this.
Defeat evident, I dipped my chin to stop my quivering lips from showing as I whispered, “Okay. Five minutes.”
Moving closer to me, he caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting it. My watery eyes met his icy blues. I was momentarily stunned when I saw something akin to sympathy there.
Using his free hand, he stroked my hair once, dropped his hand to his side and explained, “I’m not an unreasonable guy, Lily. I know you think I’m a dick and that’s cool. But I need you to know, I’m not unreasonable. Not ever.”
It took me a whole thirty seconds to get what he meant.
Meaning if there was leeway to give, he would consider what I was asking. But he can’t offer me leeway when there is none.
Breaking my thoughts, he offered, “Calls made once a week. Five minutes with your parents.” Holding my chin firm, his eyes bore into mine. “Fifteen minutes with your sister.”
When I flung myself at him and buried my face into his neck, he held me tightly. My stupid tears flowing freely.
He never rushed me.
He wouldn’t drop me.
He was my shield.
He would protect me.
Against almost anything.
***
So I guess you could say that things between Nox and I have both improved and declined. In the month that passed, I managed to pry some information out of him.
Regardless of how minimal the stupid facts are, I feel victorious.
Fact.
Nox loves iced tea. It reminds him of home.
Once, I made the mistake of asking him if he wanted sugar. He responded immediately, “Sweet tea’s for pussies,” then walked away.
Fact.
Nox is fluent in three languages and passable in six others.
He won’t tell me which ones.
Fact.
When Nox was sixteen, he was caught drunk as a skunk at a strip club. The owner called his mama and she dragged him home by his ear.
Fact.
Nox hasn’t been with a woman in close to two years.
According to Boo.
Fact.
Getting Nox to reveal pieces of himself is harder than pulling a tiger’s tooth.
Fact.
Delilah Flynn prefers to sleep with a strong arm around her waist.
A few weeks ago I woke in a cold sweat with my heart pounding out of my chest. When I opened my eyes, I looked to the doorway and for once, I wished I’d seen Nox sleeping there.