Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
It’s a crushing sight. She’s always been all fire and bite, and seeing her like this makes everything between us feel small.
Insignificant.
I take a step forward, her pain drawing me in like a magnet.
A twig snaps under my foot, cutting through the ragged sounds of her heartbreak.
Her head jerks up on a gasp, eyes flaring with alarm.
I pull up short, hands lifting. “Just me.”
Surprise skates across her face, chasing away the fear before irritation takes over completely.
“God, of course it is,” she chokes out, a bitter laugh escaping her. “Go away, Linc. I’m not in the mood for your shit tonight.”
It’s pretty much the welcome I expected.
“Relax, I’m not here to cause you any grief.”
She scoffs, clearly not buying it—not that I blame her.
“Look, I heard your fight with your parents and just wanted to check on you. You shouldn’t be here alone, especially during peak season.”
Most of the time, the wildlife is harmless, as long as you don’t do anything stupid. But mating season is different. Even the unprovoked can turn dangerous.
She stares back at me, skepticism etched into every sad line of her face. “Since when do you care what happens to me?”
If only she knew how much I care, and how much I wish I didn’t. But I keep that truth buried.
“Despite what you think of me, I’m not enough of an asshole to let you get mauled by a bear.”
It must be the right thing to say, because her posture eases, if only slightly.
“Yeah, well…I’d rather live with the bears than my family right now,” she mutters, gaze dropping.
“Don’t hold your breath.” I smirk, leaning against the nearest tree. “From what I hear, they don’t care for mouthy girls. And let’s be honest…you’re no Goldilocks.”
That’s a major fucking understatement.
With dark hair, warm eyes, and sun-kissed skin, she’s nothing like the soft, innocent girl from that story.
She flicks me another look, this one all side-eye and sarcasm. “You’re so lame, you know that?”
I chuckle, not the least bit offended. It’s familiar territory, easing some of the awkward tension between us. Enough that I risk taking a seat next to her.
She doesn’t acknowledge the move, but she doesn’t push me away either, so I take it as a win.
“Wanna talk about it?” I ask, careful not to push too hard.
“With you?” She snorts. “Not on your life.”
Figured as much.
I shrug, settling back against the tree. “Fine. We can just sit here in silence and wait for the bears to invite you over for some porridge.”
I’m hoping for another smile, but it doesn’t come. Her gaze stays locked on the dark stretch of night in front of us, miles away from here.
A slight breeze kicks up, sending a shiver through her. That’s when I notice she’s only wearing a thin tank top and cut-off jean shorts.
Without thinking, I tug my hoodie over my head and hold it out to her. “Here. Put this on.”
Her gaze flicks to the black fabric, lingering on the small Passion Falls Fire crest stitched on the left side of the chest before sliding away. “I’m good.”
My jaw tightens at her stubbornness. “Take it, Harlow.”
Her eyes narrow at the order. “I said I’m fine, Linc.”
Our glares lock in a silent battle of wills, one I refuse to lose.
She realizes it and finally caves.
With a huff, she snatches the hoodie from my hand and yanks it on. The thick black fabric engulfs her small frame, the hood shadowing her face.
“Happy?” she snaps.
Not even close. Seeing her in my clothes stirs something in me, something I don’t dare name.
Of course, I don’t admit that. Instead, I flash her a grin and lie through my goddamn teeth. “Happy as a pig in shit.”
She turns away, muttering something under her breath. I don’t catch every word, but I’m pretty sure “stubborn” and “bastard” are in there somewhere.
Silence settles again, heavy and unrelenting, pressing in like a third presence.
I let it linger, figuring she’ll talk when she’s ready.
Minutes drag by before she finally does, and the bomb she drops is one I never see coming. “We’re moving.”
The words land like stone in my chest, snapping my gaze to hers.
“Moving?” I repeat, hoping I heard her wrong.
She nods, her expression shadowed with sadness.
“Where?” The question comes out raw, like it had to scrape its way up my throat.
“Vancouver.”
A whole other fucking province?
That tightness in my chest turns mean, crawling higher until it sits like a fist at my throat.
I don’t know why, this should be good news, but for some reason it isn’t. It leaves me feeling off-balance, like I just got the ground ripped out from under me. Like a chance I didn’t even know I had has been stolen from me.
“My sister got accepted into medical school,” she continues, her voice breaking through the spiral of my thoughts. “And of course, my parents can’t let their most prized possession be so far away from them.” Bitterness cuts through every word. “So, my dad put in for a transfer and got it. We leave in just a few days.”