Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 131789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“I think I want to go out with him again.” I feel dumb even having this conversation out loud. “Is that a horrible idea?”
Silas is quiet for a while, approaching the senior dorms. The longer the silence persists, the more certain I become he thinks I’m an idiot. But I’m not looking for his approval so much as his advice. And when the advice comes, it startles me.
“If you want to see him again, do it,” Silas finally says. “Who’s stopping you?”
Me, I guess. And at the moment, I can’t think of a good enough reason why I shouldn’t go out with RJ.
So what the hell.
“Yeah, okay,” I say slowly, my cheeks feeling weirdly hot. I hope I’m not blushing. I never blush. “I will see him again.”
And then, proving he has the worst possible timing on the planet, the front doors of the dorm swing open and my ex-boyfriend strides out.
“Babe,” Duke says, his face lighting up. “Fucking finally.”
Silas looks like he’s trying not to laugh.
“Sorry to break it to you, but I’m not here to see you,” I tell my ex. “I was just walking Silas home.”
Duke shrugs, his chiseled features completely unbothered. “Whatever. Now that you’re here, we need to talk.”
Silas glances at me. Want me to stick around? is the unspoken query.
I respond with an all good smile, and he leaves me with a quick hug and ducks inside. Alone with Duke, I give my ex a long once-over. I can’t deny he looks good. Duke is tall and muscular, his broad shoulders filling out his Sandover blazer so damn nicely. But I also can’t help comparing him to RJ. They’re about the same size, same build. Both attractive in their own right. The main difference is, Duke never roused any deeper feelings from me. He was great in bed, absolutely. Funny with the one-liners, sure. But I was never tempted to dig deep with him, to poke around in his psyche, in his soul. I never cared about that with Duke.
With RJ, I want to know everything about the guy. And that’s a bit terrifying.
“Sloane, come on,” Duke says darkly. “How long are you going to hold out on me?”
“I’m not holding out. I told you, I’m done.”
He moves closer, flashing the sweet, disarming grin that once upon a time would’ve worn me down in a heartbeat. “You saying you don’t miss me?” His voice lowers to a smoky pitch. “Not even a little?”
“Not even a little,” I say flatly.
The smile fades. “You’re lying. And in case you were wondering, I miss you too.”
Weariness creeps in and weighs down on my chest. “I can’t do this right now, Duke. We’re not going out anymore, okay?” To soften the blow, I add, “I can’t focus on relationships this year. I’m trying to get a scholarship. So, please, just back off. I can’t do this.”
Before he can object, I give him a patronizing pat on the arm and stalk off, leaving him in my wake. Luckily, he doesn’t chase after me. Which is somewhat of a surprise, because Duke’s not the kind of guy who backs down so easily.
As I’m cutting across the lawn toward home, I encounter yet another obstacle—my dad spots me from the courtyard and waves me over with a scowl.
Stifling a sigh, I jog toward him.
“What are you doing wandering campus?” he demands with far more indignation than seems reasonable.
“I wasn’t wandering. I left the track and walked Silas back to his dorm after practice.”
“You know I don’t like you on campus during school hours.”
“Technically…”
“Sloane.” He narrows his glare and lowers his voice.
“Okay. Fine. But it’s not like I’m vandalizing property or overthrowing the government. Silas and I were just taking a walk.”
The strain in his cheeks eases and he lets out a sigh. “No, you’re right. I know I don’t need to worry about you. Tough as nails, this one.” His expression softens a bit. “Did Casey mention having any more nightmares last night?”
Because it always comes back to her. Wouldn’t want to get distracted from his single-minded concern for only one of his daughters. I feel like most parents might find a way to throw more than a few scraps of attention to both their kids, but what do I know about parenting.
“I don’t know,” I answer. “She didn’t say anything.”
“I need you to keep an eye on it for me. She talks to you. Casey wants to lean on her big sister.”
As if I haven’t been there for her every day since the accident. But in his mind, I’m always failing both of them.
I speak through the lump of resentment obstructing my throat. “Yeah, Dad. Of course. I’ve got it covered.”
Chapter 23
RJ
“What do you think the author is describing here?” On Tuesday, Mr. Goodwyn sits on the edge of his desk, paperback novel in hand. He’s rolled his sleeves up, so we’re really in for it today. The guy gets fucking giddy for class participation.