Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“I don’t remember,” I say truthfully. “I passed out right as we were being rescued. They tried to revive Luke, but…” I clench my eyes shut, shaking the images of his lifeless body out of my mind. “They took me to the hospital, fixed my arm, and treated me for hypothermia for a few days.”
“Dare, you have to know—”
“Here’s what I know, Logan,” I interrupt, the harshness in my tone causing her to flinch. “I know that I delivered the kick that sent my brother, for all intents and purposes, into that water. I killed him. It’s a fact. There is no gray area here, so stop looking for one.” There’s no other way around it. I killed him. I took another life. I stopped a heart from beating.
“You tried to save him,” she argues, and I finally look at her face, hating the mixture of pain and pity I see looking back at me.
“But I didn’t. I couldn’t. And it’s my fault.”
“It was an accident,” she presses.
We’re quiet for a beat. Both of us trying to navigate what this means before she asks, “What set you off?”
“I saw Sarah and her dad at Sissy’s. This time of year always fucks me up, but I hadn’t seen them since that day, and it all came flooding back.”
Lo nods, understanding. “I didn’t believe it, you know. Even when I saw the article, right there in black and white.”
“And why’s that?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Because, since I’ve met you, you’ve been nothing but good to me. You became mine and Jess’s family when our lives were falling apart. You’re good, even if you can’t see it.”
“So, what does this mean for us?” I ask the only question that matters, brushing a thumb across her slightly swollen lip.
“It means we get to be together without any secrets between us.”
My eyes close, reveling in the relief I feel from her words. “Sometimes, it’s hard for me to come out of the darkness. But I’m trying.”
“I’ll sit with you in the dark. I’m not a fan of the sun anyway,” she says, yawning.
“You are the sun.”
* * *
I CRUNCH THROUGH THE TWIGS and pinecones that litter the soft ground. June in River’s Edge means the snow has finally melted, giving way to lush greenery. Lo sent me a text telling me to meet her at my spot. Don’t ask me what the fuck she’s doing in the middle of the woods at dusk.
It’s been seven months since Lo came to River’s Edge and fucked my world up, in the best possible way. Five since the night all my sins came to light. Eric went to jail for a whole five seconds, much to my dismay, but when he returned home, the police were waiting for him. Surprisingly, his wife actually did get help like he told Lo, but his wife had also concocted a plan. Turns out, Eric had a history of hurting women, his wife being his primary victim. She set up a video camera, documented a couple of months’ worth of abuse, and filed for emergency custody. Rumor has it, she and Cayden moved away to start somewhere fresh. Meanwhile, Eric won’t be getting out of prison any time soon.
It isn’t always easy. There are still days when I’m convinced I’m going to hell for what I did, but that’s okay, because Lo brings heaven to me when I get to come home to her, to sink inside her, every single night.
When I finally get to the clearing between the pine trees, I see her standing there, looking nervous as hell. Cut-off jeans so short that they show off a hint of the ink I gave her, her favorite shirt—a baggy D.A.R.E. shirt she found at Goodwill—dirty white tennis shoes, and wild hair in a high ponytail. She twists her hands together, teeth caught between her bottom lip.
“What’s all this, Sally?”
There’s a large wooden crate on top of a blanket and a bunch of throw pillows tossed around. Lanterns hang overhead from a line between two trees, and she has a spread of food and candles on top of the crate.
“Happy birthday,” she says, sounding unsure, her big eyes waiting for my reaction.
“Why do you look so nervous?” I ask, walking toward her. Her shoulders sag, and she rolls her eyes at me.
“Because you hate surprises.”
As a rule, I do hate surprises, but this one I can make an exception for. I chuckle, wrapping an arm around her. She jumps up, her legs circling my waist, both hands on either side of my face. “I love you,” she says before she slips her tongue between my lips. I groan, turning to prop her up against a tree as my hands find her ass. I’ll never get tired of hearing her say those words. I kiss her back, already hard for her. I grind into her heat, and she moans, fingers clutching the back of my neck. I slide a hand to the front of her shorts before slipping a finger inside. She lets me play with her pussy for a minute before pulling away, breathless.