Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
He laughs. “Good. Keeps me on edge.”
Aspen
“Did anyone see me?” I ask Grey.
“No. They’re far too busy with something else,” Grey mutters as he looks around at all the people who are talking behind our backs.
“What are they gossiping about?” I hiss.
“Apollo, announcing to the entire school he’s fucking us both.”
The blood leaves my face so quickly I swear I might faint. “He did what?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t stop him. He moved that quickly.” Grey swallows. “He even kissed me in front of everyone.”
I pause. “Oh my God. People know about our foursome?”
No.
Oh God no.
If people know, that means Felix will find out, and then my mom and dad will find out too … and kill him.
“No, no, no,” I mutter to myself.
Grey grabs my arms and sets me down on a bench. “Don’t panic. He only mentioned the three of us. No one else.”
I breathe out a few panicked breaths. “So … No one knows L is involved?”
I don’t know how else to say his name without having people find out.
“No. And I think Apollo just did it to take the focus away from you two,” he says. “That … or he’s really done with suppressing himself.”
“Both,” I say, snorting to myself. “If I know him well enough.”
Suddenly, my phone buzzes, and I whip it out only to do a double take when my half sister Melody’s name appears on the screen.
Melody: Mom wants to talk over dinner tonight. Are you bringing over Grey like you promised??? I wanna meet him.
My eyes widen.
Shit. The family dinner is tonight? How did I forget?
“What’s wrong?” Grey asks.
“Mom’s family dinner. I totally forgot she moved it to today. And I promised them I’d bring you too.”
Grey’s face turns as white as his hair. “Oh … damn.”
“What do I do?”
I pull up my messages and find Levi’s phone number which I only recently unblocked and message him.
Me: Sorry, I can’t do tonight. Totes forgot about family dinner. Tomorrow?
“Can we cancel?” Grey asks.
“No, God no,” I say, hacking up a laugh. “There’s no canceling on my mom. Ever. Don’t even try.”
He looks worried. “Who’s gonna be there?”
My eyes widen as courage sinks into my shoes. “Everyone.”
Apollo
Evening
“What’s this with you and Grey and Aspen?” My half brother Heath asks as he suddenly walks beside me while I’m on the way to the gym for a quick evening workout.
“Where did you come from?”
“Sneaking up on people is my favorite thing in the world,” he says, winking. “Word spread like a wildfire, so give me all the juice.”
“There is no juice. At least none that I haven’t already given to them.”
“TMI,” he replies.
“You asked for it.” I head into the locker room and open one up.
“You should’ve told me sooner,” he says. “I didn’t know you were interested in guys too.”
“Wasn’t it obvious?” I show off my muscles.
He laughs. “I know how it feels.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah, wanting to announce to the world that you’re all together just so people will accept it and all the secrecy stops,” he says, planting his hand against the locker.
I throw my towel over my shoulder and gaze at him. “What … don’t tell me you’re also in a polycule?” I say sarcastically.
He rolls his eyes and he steals the towel, then slaps me on the ass with it. “I’m just saying, if you need any advice, come to me.”
I snatch my towel back. “Now why would I do that?”
“Family always helps each other out,” he says, walking after me into the gym area.
I sit down on the bicycle my Freckles sat on too and savor the memory of seeing her fat cheeks splayed all over the edges of the seat.
“I am wondering, though … why Aspen?”
Why won’t he give it a rest?
“Because I’ve always had her on my radar,” I reply. “End of story.”
Heath sits down on the bike right beside me. “Right … And then you just happened to catch her boyfriend too.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you fishing?”
“I’m just wondering where all this suddenly came from. You’re a goddamn playboy. You never settled down, and now you hook two of them at the same time and declare you’re solely going to fuck them in front of the entire school?”
“Why does it matter? I’m a happy man,” I say, focusing on my cardio.
“I’m just saying, the people are talking.”
“Then keep talking. I don’t care.”
“You might not, but our parents do,” he replies. “And when word reaches Aspen’s family, do you think they’ll be kind?”
I pause biking for a second. “Are you just saying this because I’m a Torres?”
He shrugs. “You know as well as I do what happened.”
“Our families aren’t fighting,” I reply.
“Yet.” He glares me down. “Sooner or later, this whole thing is going to blow, and either the Caruso’s or the Torres are going to demand loyalty … the only question is which side you’ll pick.”