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)
“I’m gonna be sick,” Aspen mutters.
“Oops. Got a little too excited.” Apollo scratches the back of his head.
He’s not even sorry.
Guess I’m lucky to have him on my side.
Absolute psycho.
The dean pulls out his cell phone and makes a quick call in the corner of the room where none of us can hear what he says, but I bet it has something to do with the Serpent’s body. Not to mention all of the injured people here.
Their fucking fault because they decided to come here and smoke me out.
The tension between the group is palpable, and I don’t even move an inch because I’m sure one of those fuckers will try to jump me.
When the dean finally returns, he says, “It’s taken care of. Everyone with wounds, report to the clinic on campus. I’ll have the nurse stay extra hours to fix this.”
“Are the cops gonna come to campus now?” Max asks.
“That depends on the parents’ reaction,” the dean responds. “We’ll deal with it when it’s time. Until then, none of you talks about this. Not with anyone. Got it?”
Everyone remaining in the room nods.
Heath gulps. “Maybe coming here wasn’t such a smart idea.”
“We should’ve taken him the fuck out,” Silas says, still glaring at me. “At least then he wouldn’t have died for fucking nothing.”
“Fuck you,” I growl back.
Silas tries to get up and have at me for a second time, but Ivy blocks his way. “Enough, Silas.”
“Get out of my way.”
“No. I don’t want you to get into more trouble.”
“The trouble will end with him,” Silas grits.
“You can’t keep doing this,” she says.
“No fucking problem,” I say. “I’ll take myself out of the equation.”
“I will talk to you all later in my office.” The dean looks around the room at all the other Skull and Serpent members Silas brought with him. “None of you are off the hook.”
I march off before anyone can say anything else to frame me as the cause of this mess, and I shut the door behind me so I can let the fresh air into my lungs and replace the smell of death lingering in my nostrils.
I was this close to exiting the stage.
Judging from the way people react to my presence, the sand in the hourglass of my life is slowly running out.
It didn’t sink in with me back then what would happen after the choice I made. That I’d be slowly chipping away at my own soul in order to have that last slice of life before it’s all ripped away from me.
That I’d be ready to die at the hands of Silas Rivera … if only it wasn’t for her.
That fluttering fucking butterfly with her fiery hair and green dress, always keeping me aware of the fact that she’s still here, still looking for the part of me that’s already gone.
And that if my time on this earth would cease to exist … so will she.
The day of the funeral
“Don’t ever speak to her again,” Mom growls at me. “Do you understand?”
What?
We just got back to our family home after that excruciating funeral reception, and she’s already ready to destroy everything she’s ever known?
“You can’t be serious. She’s my—”
“I know you two were friends,” she interjects. “But it’s over now.”
“Lana’s right, you can’t be seen speaking with them,” Dad says.
“Why?” I grit. “What did Aspen ever do?”
“It’s not about her.” Dad folds his arms. “All of them are off-limits.”
“No, you can’t ask this of me. I can’t just ignore her.”
“You can, and you will,” Mom replies.
I shake my head. “No. I’m not gonna do it.”
“Yes, you will, Levi.” She grabs my wrist. “You must.”
“Give me one good fucking reason,” I say.
Dad scoots his chair back as he stares at me from across the table. “They will kill you.”
The gravity of his words doesn’t land until he gets up and grabs coffee from the kitchen. It already felt like I got stabbed, but those words twisted the knife until it split open my heart.
“You have to stay away from her. I can’t bear to lose you. Please.”
Mom’s begging puts me on the edge.
“They won’t hesitate,” Dad says as he scoots the coffee toward me. “Trust me.”
My jaw clenches. “So? Let them fucking try.”
“I know you don’t care if you die. But we do,” Mom growls.
“Listen to me, Levi,” my dad says with the sternest voice I’ve ever heard. “Do you think Aspen could take it if you died too?”
My lips slowly part.
“If you care about her …” Dad says. “You will never talk to her again.”
I stare at the swirling, steaming black sludge. A perfect synonym for what my life has become.
I can’t. I can’t fucking do this.
I could be their monster.
I could take their hatred.
I would take it all a million years over if it meant I could shield her from the pain I caused.