Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
On our way out the door, I had everyone put their phones into the microwave and set it on high for twenty minutes. There was no way it would take half that long. Everyone thought that was inspired idea. My only regret was that I wouldn’t get to see the outcome.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Colton directed, and it took me a moment to focus on him and remember where I was, and more importantly, when. All that had happened nine, going on ten, years ago now. It seemed like another lifetime. “Go back.”
“To what?”
“So you just got on a plane from LA to Chicago?”
“Yeah.”
“Why Chicago?”
“Originally, I wanted to go to New York because it was the farthest away, but the guy who drove us to the airport was super nice, calmed us all down because we were scared and a bit manic, and even drove us through In-N-Out on the way. He told us all about Chicago and how great it was and how much he missed it. So I thought, yeah, Illinois instead.”
“Wouldn’t Maine have technically been farther away?” he muttered.
I shook my head. “Not enough people in Maine. My plan was to blend in.”
“Of course.”
“Why do you sound mad?”
“Because it basically came down to a coin toss that I have you in my life at all!”
He yelled the last bit, and that quickly I was crying.
“Why’re you doing that now?” He could not have sounded any more exasperated if he tried. And I loved that.
Anyone else, listening to the story I had just imparted, would have been gentle and careful, but not him. He was supportive, ready to stand between me and the world, but still annoyed when there were tears out of nowhere.
It was that, as well as a million little things, like ordering food he knew he’d never finish so I could take the rest home. Walking slowly on purpose so we could talk, and always putting his hand on the corners of his desk when I was on the floor getting something. He was exceedingly vigilant, and I counted on him for that.
Unlike Gen, who had told me he loved me a hundred times and then gave me away, like trash, Colton had never uttered anything close to those words, but I knew he would never allow any harm to come to me. And he was madly possessive of my time. There was no big surprise that I loved Colton Gates. As battered and bruised as my heart was, and having given up on loving anyone a long time ago when I was jumping at my own shadow, still, I loved him. When I looked at him, and only him, I always thought…home.
And now what? I was supposed to drag him into danger?
“Oh God,” I moaned, and bent over so I could breathe.
“It’s okay,” he crooned, rubbing my back. “We’ll deal with whatever this is.”
But how could we? And why on earth would I ever put a target on my home?
FOUR
When I straightened up, my first thought was, Well, Chicago’s been great, but it’s time to go.
“Stop,” he said immediately.
It really was something how he could read my face like that. “I will not have you in danger, and if Gen is out, I—”
“Come here,” he ordered, tugging me after him, walking us halfway down the block to duck under an awning that got us out of the falling snow.
Once there, he brushed me off, fiddled with his hat that I was wearing, and adjusted it so it was no longer sitting slouched and stylish toward the back of my head, but was now pulled down so it covered my ears.
Standing there, letting him arrange me to his satisfaction, I almost laughed.
“What?”
“I don’t…nothing.”
He cleared his throat. “I need you to listen now.”
I inhaled shakily, and the exhale was just as labored.
“Are you listening?”
I nodded fast.
“You are not going to run away. After living all this time with your real name, building a life, a reputation, a network of people who depend on you, as you do them, and working hard to fix the damage that this piece of shit and all your foster parents carved into your soul, you will not take this moment to give up because you’re worried about me.”
“Yes, but—”
“God,” he yelled, letting his head fall back. “Can you for once give me some goddamn credit?”
My eyes opened wide in surprise because…yeah. This was new.
“I’m not stupid. You always think you’re so much smarter than me, but fuck you, I’m the lawyer. I went to school a helluva lot longer than you.”
I waited a moment.
He crossed his arms.
A few people walked by, glanced over at us and then sped up. I was guessing that if we had been yelling, they would have known how to react, but the standing in silence was probably creeping them out.