Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
* * *
JACE
* * *
“Shane, meet me out back by the pool.” I hung up the phone knowing that he’d be here in ten. That’s one of the things that has helped to forge our bond over the years. Not one of us has ever blown the other one off. Whether in an emergency or something else.
It’s the kind of friendship they try to emulate in cheesy movies, and I guess pretty unexpected for people in our financial bracket. We don’t do any of that dumb shit most heirs get themselves involved in, but we know how to have a good time.
As the uninitiated leader of our little crew, I’ve always gone out of my way to keep a moral leash on everyone involved. If one of us fails, then we all do. Ergo the fucked up situation I now find myself in.
Had I listened to them, none of this would be happening, because I wouldn’t have gone near Mandy. At the time all I cared about was the fact that I wasn’t breaking any laws, or committing any crimes. Little did I know that there’s no greater crime.
It’s a fucking sin against my soul to have ever been tangled up with her diseased ass. But the buck stops here. I won’t allow her to have any part of me once this is done. I won’t even mention her name. Which I wouldn’t be doing now had she not fucked with Sian.
No doubt her demented ass has been doing all this shit in part to remain relevant. But I didn’t kid myself that she wasn’t serious about getting rid of my girl. See, right now, even with my ring on her finger, Sian is still just my fiancée.
There’s a big fucking difference between that and being my wife. In the end, I had to weigh the balance between wanting her to enjoy the rest of her high school years as normally as possible, and giving her all the protection that having my name would bring.
It hadn’t been that difficult to make the leap after all. It’s not like she’s going to graduate high school and marry someone else, so what difference does it make if we do it now, or a couple years from now?
I broke off my thoughts when I heard Shane pull up outside. I looked at the folded piece of paper in my hand and took a deep breath. I know Sian claims I like to run everyone’s life, especially hers. But this is the first time I’ve ever felt guilty of that shit.
“What’s up brother, something happen?” He came around the gate into the backyard and took the lounger next to mine. I passed him the piece of paper without answering and watched the look of confusion cross his face as he read it.
“What is this?”
“The law regarding age of consent in this state.”
“Huh?”
“You and Tammy. If you’re having sex with her, that law says that if she’s under eighteen and you sleep with her even though you’re also underage, you can face charges.”
“No one ever really uses this law except maybe in a case of statutory rape, but here’s the kicker. If you’re both underage, you can both be brought up on charges. Like I said, no one ever uses this approach, but all it would take is one enterprising judge.”
“Fuck! I didn’t know.”
“I know you didn’t, not many do. So here’s my question for you. How serious are you about her?”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean you need to think about it. If you’re not in it for the long haul walk away.”
“One, because of what’s written on that paper, and two, because she’s Sian’s friend and you’re mine. If this shit goes south it can cause problems for Sian and that’s not allowed.”
“I hear you, but that’s a big fucking step bro.”
“I’m not telling you to get married now, I’m telling you to think about it. And if you’re not serious about her you should leave it alone. But if you go that route, make sure you do that shit right.”
“I’m not breaking up with her. I promised…”
“That’s that then. You should ask Jared when he plans to propose to Belle.”
“What?”
“Do you fuckers ever talk to each other? How do you not know he’s been planning that shit for weeks?”
I won’t tell him why I’m making him do this, but I won’t leave him open to any kind of attack. I’m battening down the hatches and getting all my ducks in a row. Just in case she has one last gasp of breath and uses it to go after any one of them, I want to snuff that shit out.
The conversation had gone better than I expected and we were soon talking about the trip. It was only after he left that I realized the enormity of me telling my seventeen almost eighteen-year-old friend that he should get married, or something damn near like it.