Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 90972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
The light in her eyes goes dim, and the corners of her mouth droop. “Forget it,” she mumbles, shaking her head before taking a sip of her drink. The pale pink lip balm she’s wearing ends up on the white lid, snagging my attention when she places the cup on the table.
To have her brother back? Is that what she wanted to say? Deep down inside, there’s this faint wish she felt comfortable enough to tell me everything she’s thinking. “This isn’t a joke, like I said. There’s too much going on. If you drop out, a lot of your problems could be over.”
Looking me up and down wearily, she sits back in the chair, folding her arms, giving me a hell of a time not staring at her tits when she pushes them together without knowing it. “You mean the problems you started?”
“I didn’t start it.” Her dad did. “I’m just telling you. Either drop out on your own, or you’re gonna be forced out. One way or the other. I’m trying to do you a favor.”
Her eyebrows shoot up before a soft laugh bursts out of her. “Doing me a favor? Thank you so much. But guess what? Going to school is the only hope I have of getting the hell out of this town forever. At first, I thought I was only doing it for Dad,” she mutters through clenched teeth. “But now I know I’m doing it for me. If I want a future, this is the first step. I’m not letting anybody get in the way of that. Including you,” she adds. It’s like acid is dripping from her voice, burning through me, sizzling my skin and everything underneath.
“You’re making a mistake.”
“It wouldn’t be the first one.”
She doesn’t get it. It’s enough that I can see myself flipping the table, maybe throwing it through the fucking window. Would that clear things up? Would she understand then?
“Last chance, Dragonfly.” It’s not easy to speak, shaking like I am, trying to control my breathing before everybody in this shop knows exactly how suddenly my rage can explode.
“Why?” she whispers, eyes going watery. “That’s the one thing I’ve wanted to know from the beginning. Why? Why did you do any of it? Why do I have to drop out of school? What the hell did I ever do to deserve any of this?”
“It’s not about deserving.” If it was, it would be her father getting all the punishment. “There’s shit going on that’s above your pay grade. And all I’m trying to do is follow orders.”
“Orders? From who?” She scoffs and shakes her head. “Who do you think you are, anyway? What makes you so special that you get to walk around and tell people they can’t get an education?”
“I never said you couldn’t get an education. You just can’t get it here. Would you trust me?”
“Now why the hell would I do that? You’re going to come at me and make this ridiculous demand, and I’m supposed to trust you?”
I’m losing my grip here. Bitter, burning fury is building like lava in a volcano. Ready to explode. “Do it on your own, or I’ll have to force you to do it. Because I’m going to make your life hell.”
“Exactly how would that be any different from what you’ve already done?” She raises the cup—gaze never leaving my mine—and takes a long drink before setting it down. “Are we finished here?”
We are, and it sickens me. I shove my chair back forcefully enough to make the legs squeal against the floor. A few people turn their heads to look at me as I stand up, glaring down one last time. I could snap her neck. It would take nothing, and she would deserve it for what she’s put me through. Here I am, trying to help her, and all she can do is refuse that help. She might as well have spit in my face.
Fuck this. Some people can’t be helped. “You brought this on yourself,” I mutter. One last reminder as I walk away, shoving the door open hard enough to break the hydraulic arm that keeps it from slamming. It bangs shut behind me hard enough to make people on the sidewalk jump, but I ignore it, marching straight to the truck, then slamming the door closed once I’m inside.
Forget it. Some people aren’t worth it. She’s one of them. This is all my fault, letting myself get too close to her. After everything that’s already happened, she still thinks she can win. Like she’s untouchable.
Maybe that’s my fault, too. I let her believe it because I never had the balls to take things all the way. I should’ve left her in the closet. This could all be over by now.
I don’t know where I’m going, driving down rain-slick streets at random. Home is the last place I want to be. The Archer’s Den is second on the list. I’m not really in the mood to hang out with friends, but Briggs is having a party. My phone is blowing up this very minute as I come to a stop at a red light.