Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” I say.
“I thought so,” Tiernan answers.
“You’re such an asshole,” I tease my brother before cuddling close. He wraps an arm around me, my head resting on his shoulder.
“If you leave us behind, I’ll understand.” His voice is so soft, so full of emotion that it nearly steals my breath. “I want you close. I always want you close, but I want what’s best for you even more. We’ll watch you and Zuri from a distance and make sure everything is okay.”
Tears fill my eyes. I try not to let them spill over, but it doesn’t work. I sniffle, and Tiernan reaches over and wipes my cheek.
“It’s hard because there’s a part of me that knows I shouldn’t want this. And I don’t, not in the same way you or Cil or Rory do, but it’s in my blood, too.”
“Yes.” He nods. “But you still have a choice in ways I didn’t, in ways most of us didn’t, because you always have Mom and me. We will always do what’s best for you, Ash.”
And they will. Just like how my mother killed my father for Tiernan and Dean—she and T will do whatever it takes for me to have whatever kind of life I want. I can leave this behind, get a new identity, and know that Zuri and I will always be safe. That’s mostly because of Tiernan. That even if our father were alive, he would find a way to give me this.
“I’ll do whatever she wants,” I finally answer after an unknown amount of time passes.
“I know you will, and that’s one of the many differences between you and our father. He would have never done that for Mom. Cil would do it for Ollie. Rory would do it for Shai.”
“And you for Dean,” I say, because he never will. As much pressure as Tiernan puts on himself for the rest of us, if he had to give it all up for Dean, he would…and I want that for him.
“That’s because I’m a really great boyfriend,” he replies, making me laugh before we both sober again. “Talk to her. Tell her whatever you need to. I trust your judgment more than anyone I know. You believe in her, and I believe in you.”
I sit up, and T does the same. He groans when I pull him into my arms, holding him tightly. “You’re an even better brother,” I tell him. “I love you, Tiernan.”
“I love you, too,” he says.
“Now, can we go downstairs and eat, please?”
I laugh. “Yeah, I’m starving.”
He and I go back to the kitchen, where the three of us have a late breakfast together.
I know Zuri’s school schedule by heart, which is why I was waiting for her this morning, and when I know she’s home for the day and should be finished with her homework, something she always does immediately after class, I text her.
Me: Can I come over?
Zuri: Sure.
I’m going to get my girl back and prove to her I’m worth it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Zuri
I can’t decide what I think Ash will say when she gets here. Will she try to be some kind of martyr and break things off with me “for my own good”? Because if she tries to pull that shit, she doesn’t really know me at all. I’ve been on my own, taking care of myself for years, and I don’t need someone to start making decisions for me now.
I head straight for the shower, braids tucked up under my shower cap. There’s nothing like standing under the hot spray of water to help clear your head. Unfortunately, I don’t have things sorted out any better than I did before.
After using my favorite body oil, I pull on a T-shirt and a pair of sleep pants, and a few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door.
I was lucky enough to get a single. It’s small and can be lonely, but the space feels more and more like both me and Ash now—just like her dorm room does. There’s a bottle of her perfume and some of her makeup in my bathroom. She has a toothbrush here, and I have one at her place, too.
The romance novel she’s been reading sits on my nightstand, and her favorite sneakers are by the door.
I like sharing a space with her. I always want to share a space with her. As I stand here, on one side of the door with Ash on the other, I’m taken over by a new wave of frustration about being so in the dark about what’s going to happen; that she might throw us away before we even have the chance to see what we could be.
I tug the door open, trying not to get distracted by her beauty, and the first thing I say is, “I’m going to be really fucking pissed if you’re here to break things off with me.”