Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 597(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Ellis laughs. “My beast came in handy, though, didn’t it?”
“Your winch did, anyway,” she quips, reaching for her drink.
“Isn’t that charming.” The strain in Scarlet’s voice steals my focus away from the happy couple. She’s usually pretty pleasant—even around Ellis—but tonight she’s all poison, and I’m not really sure why.
“Why don’t you go and grab us a pitcher and ask for them to start us a tab?” I ask, trying to get this night back on track.
“I could definitely use a damn drink.” She stands from the table and stalks off toward the bar without so much as a backward glance.
“Who in the hell pissed in her Cheerios?” Ellis asks as soon as she’s gone.
“I think I did,” I admit, running my hands through my hair.
“I know she’s a spitfire, but tonight she’s more like a fucking bonfire doused in gasoline.”
Callie props her elbows on the table, balancing her chin on her fists. “I just figured she didn’t like me.”
Ellis laughs. “I don’t think Scar likes anyone.”
I nearly laugh, but swallow the sound back before it can escape. I’m already on thin ice with her, and despite being unsure about the future of our relationship, I can’t stand by and let him talk shit. “She’s not that bad. Honestly. Scarlet’s typically pretty nice, if a little high-strung. Our night got off to a bad start because I forgot we had plans.”
“In the doghouse, huh?” Ellis laughs, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Woof!”
My best friend is a complete and total jackass.
“Shut up.”
“No, seriously, what’d you do?”
“Well…” I glance toward the bar and see there’s still a few patrons ahead of Scarlet. “I found Nora’s diary in our mailbox, and—”
“I’m sorry, what?” Ellis cuts me off. “Why in the hell would your little sister’s diary be in our mailbox?”
“She’s not my sister,” I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose. “And I haven’t figured out the why yet, but she left a sticky note on it asking me to please read it.”
“And you’re actually doing it?” Ellis’s whole face screws up. “Like, you’re reading all about her little teenage crushes and shit?”
Callie cuts her eyes at Ellis and then to me. “Yes, because that’s all girls are capable of, right?”
“Hey, whoa!” He holds his hands up, backtracking. “I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… weird.”
“Yeah, well, Scar thinks so, too.” I shift my shoulders, trying to shake off my growing frustrations. “But with how Dad’s been acting, I need all the help I can get.”
Ellis looks thoughtful as he takes a sip of his drink. “Still haven’t heard from him?” he asks, after he swallows.
“Nope. He’s been off since Grace died, like more so than usual, and now…” I trail off as I try to find the right words. “He’s not exactly a warm guy on the best of days, and on the worst, he’s an outright asshole, and Nora’s so small and her mom was all she had, and I guess I’m just… fuck.” I sigh, unable to articulate my concern.
“You’re worried, man, and that’s okay.”
“Yeah, I am. I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. I was actually going to ask if you could do a welfare check?”
“Yeah, of course.”
His easy agreeance instantly has me feeling ten pounds lighter.
“Thanks, man.” I hold my fist out toward him, and he bumps his knuckles to mine.
“It’s what friends are for.”
I turn to Callie, feeling slightly embarrassed, having just spilled all of that in front of a virtual stranger. “Sorry about that…”
She smiles and knocks her shoulder into Ellis’s. “No apology needed. Promise.”
Ellis quirks his brows at me and then leans down to press a kiss to Callie’s temple. “She’s a good one, man.”
“Seems like it.”
“Aw, am I interrupting a moment?” Scarlet asks, thrusting the pitcher down onto the table. A little beer splashes over the side, but Callie grabs a napkin and sops it up before I can.
“Just catching up,” I tell her, pouring myself a glass.
“Catching up?” She blinks and then laughs humorlessly. “You live together, what is there to catch up on?”
“Scarlet—” I start, but the sound of a loud guitar riff cuts me off, stopping our fight before it can even start as the band takes the stage.
“I’m so excited!” Callie shimmies in her seat. “I’ve heard they’re so good. C’mon, El, let’s dance.”
He slides out of the booth and extends a hand to her, which she readily grabs, and together they head out onto the packed dance floor.
Scarlet still looks sour, but maybe once the music starts and she’s had a few drinks, she’ll forget all about being upset with me.
I top off her drink as the band’s frontman addresses the crowd. “What’s up, Fortune, Georgia? We’re Iron Resurrection, and we’re fucking stoked to be here tonight!”
The bar erupts into cheers, as the drummer counts them off, launching straight into their first song.