Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
I stood there, listening intently to what he was saying.
Leaning against his dresser, he coaxed, “You can stay here as long as you want. And not just in my room, but the house. Don’t worry about Kraven. He’s my problem, not yours, alright?”
Unsure of where this was going, I held his gaze.
It was enough for him to understand. “I’ll sleep in my parents’ room.”
I pursed my lips with another silent question on the tip of my tongue.
“It’s just Kraven and me,” he reassured.
There was so much I wanted to confess, to ask, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised he wasn’t attempting to find out the very same information his brother sought.
Instead, he continued, “Feel free to use any of my clothes. Everything’s clean, too. And uhhh…” He rubbed the back of his neck.
Is he nervous?
“The bathroom is across the hall. There’s not much girl stuff in there, but I got you a few toiletries at the store. The towels are located under the sink. If you need anything else, please let me know. I can run out and get it for you.” He paused for a moment, giving me time to process everything he offered. “There are some snacks in the drawer of the right nightstand and there’s food in the pantry and fridge. You’re welcome to whatever. Anyway, we’re heading out to the subway on 8th Street for the rest of the day. Sleep, eat, wash up, or whatever. You can relax here.”
Can I? Do I believe him?
My mind might have been conflicted, but my body didn’t miss a beat. My feet were about to run. To seek its own escape, protecting me from a future that would eventually destroy us all in ways we never could have imagined or predicted.
I should have left.
I should have hauled ass out of that house and never looked back.
I should have done something other than allowing him to grab my hand.
An electric current flicked through our skin like it did back at the subway when he first held my hand.
“Listen,” he insisted with sincerity in his tone. “You’re welcome to leave whenever you’re ready, and you can even leave now if you want. Nobody’s forcing you to stay.”
I fought against his words, not wanting to believe him.
To have hope.
To have faith.
To have friends…
It wasn’t something I ever envisioned.
As if reading my mind, he explained, “I don’t expect anything from you. You just look like you need a friend.”
My heart beat rapidly, and the longer I stood there not saying anything, the more I felt the truth of that statement.
I bowed my head, unable to look into the depths of his soul any longer. It was too confusing, and I was emotionally drained.
It wasn’t until he confessed, “I need a friend too,” that our eyes locked again.
A wave of overwhelming gratitude washed over me, leaving me feeling almost breathless and vulnerable. The world had only shown me cruelty, and this was the first time I experienced pure kindness from a stranger who hadn’t even asked me my name.
With my grip still holding his, I silently thanked him for everything. Squeezing his hand while my eyes brimmed with fresh tears, I fought back the unrelenting emotions he was stirring inside me as if they belonged to him.
I openly showed him a vulnerability I never shared with anyone, wanting him to know how much his compassion meant to me. I couldn’t stay there forever…
Yet there’d come a time when I’d never want to leave.
And not just because of Julius. He was only half the reason.
Half my heart.
Half my soul.
The other half was reserved for his brother. The one who was supposed to hate me yet ended up falling in love instead.
Kraven
What. The. Fuck.
To say I didn’t think this whole unexpected situation was bullshit would be an understatement. Now, this chick was staying in my house, in the bedroom next to mine, and I absolutely had no say about it. She was literally a ticking time bomb, ready to explode in our faces.
I couldn’t believe Julius was blowing me off, like what I was saying wasn’t true or didn’t matter. How the hell were we going to explain to the cops why we had an underage runaway staying under our roof?
I mean, I’d brought a sketchy person home a time or two, though nowhere near this disaster.
To see my older brother, who was always the responsible one, the golden boy, making all the right choices, no matter how hard they may be. Him becoming careless wasn’t something I ever expected to happen, let alone witness. He wouldn’t see reason. I spent the past two days trying to reason with him, but it was useless.
He'd made up his mind, and she was staying in his space, no less. We hadn’t touched our parents’ room, leaving it like it was some sort of sick shrine, and now he’d basically moved in there when she could have easily crashed on the couch.