Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“We’re paying,” I say.
“Like hell you are.”
“Shh,” Dean warns. “Who needs to keep their voice down now? And yes, we are. It’s nonnegotiable.”
“That’s not how this works,” Ollie argues. “You’re my friend. You should respect my decision.”
Dean squeezes his eyes closed, and I know he’s struggling with what Ollie said. He wants to help him but also give him the respect he deserves.
“Well,” I say, “I’m not your friend, and you’re fucking staying. One night. We’ll sort out the money later, but it’s happening.”
“Am I supposed to listen to you? Will you hurt me if I don’t?”
His question stabs at the part of me that knows the shit we do is wrong…even though I’ll never stop.
“Ollie…” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We’re worried about you. We’re just trying to help.”
He tries to turn again, but his face breaks in pain. He goes for his head and his chest, showing that both are hurting in equal amounts.
“Stay,” I say more quietly this time. “You said you don’t want your dad to find out? Then you need to get better for that to happen. If you don’t, there’s no keeping it from him. If you’re not willing to stay for yourself, stay for him.”
His expression changes, and he sinks back into the bed, the fight in him tamped down because of his love for his father. What would that be like, I wonder? To have that kind of loving relationship with your father? I would hope the man deserves it, that he would sacrifice for Ollie the way Ollie is doing for him.
“One night,” Ollie says softly.
“I’ll stay with him.”
CHAPTER SIX
Ollie
I don’t understand what’s going on, why Dean and Cillian are here. Dean makes more sense, considering we’re friends, but I don’t get why Cillian came with him, why he’s trying to stay the night with me, and why in the hell he told everyone he’s my boyfriend.
But I don’t have it in me to ask right now, to sift through the clouds in my brain to find the truth. My head is throbbing, my body aches. My vision is all screwy. I can only see out of one eye, and my glasses are broken. Luckily, I have another pair in my dorm.
I was attacked tonight.
Oh God. I was jumped and beaten by three masked men, and I’m in the hospital. I could have died. My dad could have lost me like he lost my mom, and I know he wouldn’t have survived. That and the fact that I can hardly move right now are the only things keeping me in this bed.
I was attacked, I was attacked, I was attacked.
My good eye falls closed, but when it does, I see them. The three men looming over me, the hate in their eyes when they looked down at me. How can they hate someone they don’t even know? They can’t, so that means they were only getting off on what they were doing, reveling in someone else’s pain.
I tremble, a small sound coming out of me.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Cillian touches my hand, and I jerk it away.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” Cillian takes a step back, holding his hands up as if to tell me he won’t touch me again.
“How is he?” I ask, worried about the old guy, just as Dean says, “Maybe I should be the one to stay.”
Cillian answers before I can. “If you stay, T is gonna stay. It’s easier if it’s just me.”
“Neither of you has to stay,” I cut in. “Stop making me argue. I don’t have it in me.”
“Then stop arguing because I’m staying.” Cillian crosses his arms.
“God, you’re such a conceited jerk.”
He grins. “Thank you.”
I stare at him, wondering if my brain isn’t working properly after the hits I took tonight. “There’s something wrong with you. And how is he? The man?”
“What man?” Dean asks.
“The old man I told you they were beating up. Is he okay? Did he…?” Blood. There was so much blood.
The machine beeps, my heart rate speeding up. “Hey, you’re good. Calm down.” Cillian reaches for me, but then stops, as though remembering what happened a moment ago.
A blonde nurse comes into the room. “Are you doing okay?” She looks between Dean and Cillian.
“The guy who was brought in with him. How is he?” Cillian asks, surprising me.
“I’m sorry, we can’t share that information.” She’s glancing around as if unsure, and then lowers her voice as she says, “But you probably saved his life.” She gives my arm a gentle squeeze.
I saved his life? But I didn’t do anything other than jump into a fight I wasn’t prepared for and get my ass kicked.
“We have a room for you,” she adds.
I nod. The nurse begins disconnecting machines from the wall, but I don’t take my eyes off Cillian. He runs a hand through his brown hair. It’s lighter than his cousin’s black locks. While both have it styled so it hangs over their foreheads, Cillian’s straight while Tiernan’s has a wave.