Total pages in book: 193
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
“Fuck!” I slap my hand over my eyes and turn around to face the door again. “Shit. Sorry. Ah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to…sorry.”
Thorin and Khalil start pounding on the door—the rhythm in sync with my racing heart.
“That’s okay,” she says, sounding amused. “But do you mind telling me why those two sound like they’re about to have a heart attack?”
I expected screaming and hysteria from my barging in. Instead, the light and lyrical sound of her giggling at my expense has me lowering my hand as I cautiously peek over my shoulder. Aurelia’s covered now with a yellow silk robe that makes her glow that much brighter.
I look away again before I can get caught in a trance.
“Sorry about that,” I say as I stare at the floor. “I should have knocked.”
“Stop apologizing, Seth. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”
My teeth clench a second before I correct her. “Zeke.”
Aurelia winces, and I immediately feel like a dick. It wasn’t a slight. She’ll obviously need to acclimate to me being back. “Right…right. Sorry. I…I’ve never known anyone with DID before, and Seth is the only alter I’ve met so far. Please tell me there’s a learning curve?” She bowls on, shaking off her fumble before I can reply. “Hi, Zeke. Nice to meet you…again. I’m Aurelia…again.”
I peek at her curiously through the strands of my hair that Seth let get too long. He’s usually more particular about his appearance, but haircuts are a sore spot for him. A few more inches and our hair will be long enough for those douchey topknots that Thorin wears. “So…you know about me? About…us?”
“Mm-hmm.” She tucks her lips while nodding like she wants to say more but no longer trusts herself to say the right thing. “Yuuuup.”
“And…” I frown. “You’re not afraid?”
“Not to get competitive, but between the two of us I’m pretty sure I’m scarier.” I take an involuntary step back, and she slaps her forehead with her palm. “Fuck. Zero for two.” When I force myself to get a grip, she offers me a wobbly smile. “I keep putting my foot in my mouth, huh?”
I take a few moments to practice the breathing techniques Khalil helped me with until the worst of my anxiety passes and I no longer feel like fleeing. “It’s not your fault, Aurelia.” She winces at the sound of her name, but I don’t fixate on why. “I should probably unclench.”
“I didn’t exactly leave you with a great first impression. And I’m sorry about that kiss earlier. If I’d known it was you…”
It was jarring as fuck. When was the last time I’d kissed a girl or even wanted to?
Tatum?
No. But she was the last time it meant something and that kiss from Aurelia earlier had certainly felt like it meant a lot to her. I just don’t feel the same. Since I don’t want Aurelia taking my rejection personally, I take a page from her book and choose not to remark on it. “So, you and Seth?” I ask instead.
“Uh-huh. Is that weird?”
I shrug even though I want to say yes. I don’t know how far Seth has gotten with her, but it’s possible I’ve already been inside her and I don’t remember any of it.
Not. Important.
Aurelia makes a sound of distress, and then she’s clutching her stomach and looking horrified. “I’m sorry. I just realized how that must make you feel.” This strange and beautiful girl covers her face with her hands and groans. “God, you must feel so violated.”
Yeah, they definitely had sex.
Nothing less would spark that kind of remorse and shame.
My lips twitch from the smile I keep at bay as I stare down at her. “It’s okay. It’s Seth’s body too. He never really understood that, but I guess he finally found the right motivation.”
I let my smirk fall when Aurelia slowly lowers her hands. She still has trouble meeting my eyes. “You’re not mad?”
“I’d have to be blind,” I mumble.
“What’s that?”
“No.”
“Oh. Good.” She gathers the mass of her blond curls in her hands and a claw clip off Thorin’s nightstand. The movement causes the gap in her robe to widen, and I’m momentarily distracted by the inner curves of her breasts while she twists and clips her curls. The natural brown roots are already starting to chase away the gold, creating an unintentional ombre that makes her skin look more bronzed.
When my gaze returns to her face, I find her arms by her side again as she silently contemplates me with a crestfallen look. “Are you okay?” I ask.
“Huh? Oh. Yeah. Honestly, today was nothing.” She waves me off, misreading my concern. “You’ve missed a lot. There’s been nothing but drama since I arrived.” Sighing, she drops down onto Thorin’s bed and leans back on her hands to consider her statement. “I’m pretty sure I am the drama.”