Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Me: Eh, not exactly. It’s good to be home.
He’d been joking. He had known I wanted to go back to Mississippi. He understood. He’d feel the same if he had to leave Alabama.
“You got a piece of ass back in Bama?” Gathe asked.
I shook my head. “No. I don’t do anything clingy. Too much work.”
“Right?”
Watching the others all hooked up looked boring as fuck. At least that was what I was going to keep telling myself.
“Keep talking. It’s coming for you one day,” Than said, grinning like he knew something we didn’t.
But I did. I knew. I’d felt that way about a girl once. Nothing came before her. She had been all I lived for. And when it was ripped from you, it was excruciating pain. He didn’t know about that. Only I did.
My phone went off again, and I looked down at it.
Butler: Dixon and Jazz started fucking again. That’s good news for you. At least she’ll leave you alone. Other than that, the only thing happening here is Mullens knifed a dude at the Doghouse last night for mouthing off. Guy ended up being the Baptist preacher’s son.
This wasn’t unusual. Mullens had a temper and a mean streak. I’d had to get him off folks more than once so we didn’t have a messy cleanup. He’d seen his father killed when he was five, and Butler had said he was never the same after. Messed him up in the head.
I didn’t want to respond right now because I just didn’t care. I wanted to forget Alabama for the time being and just enjoy this. Being where I belonged.
Nine
Cressida
Six Years Ago
“You ready to go?” Kash asked, leaning down close to my ear.
I turned my head so that I could look up at him. “If you are.”
These were his friends and their place. I was just happy to be with him, although having him alone was my favorite. Older girls, college-aged, were hanging on the other guys around our table, and the way they looked at Kash made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like it, but he kept his arm around my shoulders and me tucked close to his side, never once acknowledging any other female. Well, except Saylor. She was with Crosby though and didn’t feel like a threat.
“If I get to keep you another hour, I’d rather have you all to myself,” he replied.
I hated my curfew. It was a Saturday night, and I wanted to stay out later, but my parents had insisted I be home by ten.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready to go.”
He winked at me, then stood up, holding out his hand for me to take. I slipped mine in his and followed him by standing.
“Y’all leavin’?” Crosby asked.
“Yeah,” Kash replied.
“You comin’ back after you take her home,” Than said it more like a statement than a question.
“No,” Kash told him, draping his arm over my shoulders. “Night,” he said to all of them with a nod.
“I’m about to head out too,” Forge said.
“Not going with us,” Kash told his older brother as we began to walk away.
Several of the girls called out, “Bye,” to Kash, and one told him to call her, but he didn’t respond or even glance their way.
It was still difficult to listen to. Although Kash never made me feel as if I had any cause to worry that he might prefer someone else, I still felt as if this fairy tale I was living in, where the handsome prince had chosen me, would be snatched away at any time.
When we stepped outside, I wanted to sigh in relief. Kash stopped walking and turned his head to look down at me. He placed a finger under my chin and tilted my head back slightly. When our eyes locked, his brows drew together with concern.
“You know I’d never call another girl. I’ve got no fucking interest in any of them. I just see you.”
This wasn’t the first time he’d said this to me when we left somewhere that other females had openly hit on him. But it was good to hear. It made all the fear fade away, and I became warm and tingly.
“Yes,” I replied. Because I did know that.
Even if I got insecure at times, I trusted Kash.
“Good,” he said in a husky whisper as he began to lower his head for a kiss.
“You got some cash?”
The deep slur stopped him.
We both turned to see a man walking up to us from the parking lot. Although he sounded as if he might be drunk, he wasn’t staggering as he approached. When he stepped into the light, I moved back slightly. His eyes looked weird with large pupils, and his long hair was pulled back in an oily ponytail. When they went from Kash to me, a creepy smile spread across his face.