Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
ISLA
I firmly shook my head again, trying to get my point across to Julius. He didn’t let up, not that I expected him to.
“You need a phone, and it’s prepaid,” he insisted. “Not that you’ll be using any of the minutes to talk,” he teased with a grin. “But at least this way, we can text.”
He was working a lot more, taking on odd jobs. Getting to the house later and later. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the idea of being able to text him whenever I wanted, not because I wanted to keep tabs on him or anything like that, but more from the fact that I’d be able to actually talk to him without having to write it down on a piece of paper.
This made it seem easier to communicate, and something about that made me smile back at him.
“I already paid for it, Mouse, and my number’s already in it. It’s yours, please accept it.”
After a few seconds, I reluctantly sighed and grabbed it from him. Swiping over the screen, I found his number and texted him. His phone pinged, and I nodded to it.
He chuckled, reading my message.
This is my first phone. Thank you.
He winced for a second, trying to hide it from me. I texted him again.
I don’t want you to feel bad. I just want you to know how much this means to me.
After he was done reading, I didn’t hold back. Stepping closer to him, I inched on my tippy-toes and softly kissed his cheek. My lips lingered there for a moment, and I was about to pull away, but my eyes caught Kraven’s, who was glaring right at us. Whether it was filled with hatred, I couldn’t tell.
And like clockwork, there were those somersaults he sometimes caused. It was a back flip, triple twist with a perfect landing in my gut.
I bowed my head, leaning back into Julius’s sight. Extending his hand out for mine, he led me down to the river, and we sat there on a blanket for a little while. He said they were taking a break, and I got there at the perfect time.
Being with Julius made my stomach flutter for entirely different reasons, knowing he could see right through me. And as much as it terrified me, it also thrilled me. Finding someone who could see past the girl I was supposed to be.
Not just someone.
Him.
Despite the awareness in his eyes, I looked away. I had to. Sometimes Julius was just too much to take. The truth in his eyes was too much to take.
Reaching into my bag, I turned my attention to a piece of bubblegum I was pulling out, avoiding the look in his eyes that I wasn’t ready to feel. I put it in my mouth, needing some distraction from the sudden realness between us.
“Care to share?” he asked, nodding toward the packet of gum in my hands I bought with the money he gave me.
I looked down, realizing it was empty. I peered up at him through my lashes, smirking, shrugging, and chewing my gum. As if on cue, my stomach did that somersault thing again. Except this time it felt like it was never going to end; twisting, turning, and flipping.
Before I gave it too much thought, I tore the piece from my mouth in half, handing it over to him.
Never taking his eyes off mine, he leaned over with a mischievous grin and bit it right off my fingers. The second his lips touched my skin, I felt this spark of what could only be described as electricity. This immediate jolt made my mouth dry and my face flush, a burning sensation all over my body. I never experienced anything like it before, yet I couldn’t wait to feel it again.
He smiled as if he knew exactly what I was feeling, thinking, wanting.
A chuckle escaped his lips, clearly enjoying the fact that I was dumbfounded by what just happened between us. Reaching up, I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me toward him.
“You look good in that shade of red, Mouse,” he whispered, causing heat to ignite over every inch of my skin.
I just wanted a day to be free.
To act my age, to enjoy being outdoors, and to be by Julius’s side. To not have to worry about tomorrow. Where nothing else mattered but living in the moment with him.
Letting go of his hand, I teasingly pushed him before I hauled ass away from him. I was grateful that I was at least wearing the red Chuck sneakers he bought me last week. My boots had seen better days, and according to him, these new shoes matched my hair.
They were the first colorful items I owned in my wardrobe, and I cherished them. It wasn’t that I preferred black. It just made it easier to blend in that way. I wasn’t a fan of standing out, and my natural red hair already did that enough for me.