Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
The second I hear a sound in the hallway, I pull my door open to see Grace standing there. “Morning.” She gives me a smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes. Molly and Grace don’t look anything alike.
“Morning,” I say back.
Molly’s bedroom door opens. She freezes in the doorway when she sees her mom and me standing there.
“Hey.” She flicks her eyes between us. I can’t help but take every inch of her in. She’s in that stupid fucking uniform again. I swear to Christ none of the girls looked the way she does in that thing when I went there. I would have remembered that. My cock starts to harden.
“What’s up?” she asks her mom.
“I was coming to check on you. Normally you’re down at breakfast by now.” She fidgets with her bag hanging over her shoulder.
“Running late,” she lies. Grace’s lips purse, and I know she’s thinking the same thing I am. She didn’t want to come out of her room until she had to. There is only one reason for that. Me.
“Let’s get you fed.” She tucks her arm into Molly’s to guide her down the hallway and away from me. I follow behind, watching them. I can tell that they’re close. It’s in their body language.
I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been wrong about Grace. Maybe I jumped to conclusions about her. Because it’s one thing to put on a face to my father or lure in Emily, a girl who never had a mother worth a shit, but I can tell she’s genuine in her love for Molly. That she truly cares about her. And it’s apparent that Molly loves her mother. I recall my father saying they were close. But I guess I’ve never really experienced this level of closeness between a mother and her child. God knows Emily and I never saw an ounce of that from our own mother.
As a young girl, Emily avoided our mother. With me, our mother would be dismissive, but with Emily there was this jealousy she had which was mind-boggling to me. It was because she hated my father for the most part. He could never do anything right. When she’d see him with Emily, though, the jealousy would pour from her. It’s why I knew she had to go.
I didn’t care how much money it took to get her out of our lives. She wasn’t going to fuck up Emily. As for me, I thought I’d come out somewhat unscathed by my mother, but the reality of that bullshit is smacking me in the face. I have major fucking trust issues when it comes to women.
Molly peeks over her shoulder at me as they descend the stairs making their way to the kitchen. She greets the chef. I’ve noticed she knows everyone. She goes out of her way to talk to the people who work here. In fact, she was more at ease with them than she’d been at the dining room table last night.
“Sir?”
“Grant?” I give him a look.
“Asher.” He smiles. “Are you going to eat?” I’m still standing in the threshold of the kitchen watching as Molly and her mom grab themselves something to eat.
“You brought Molly home yesterday?”
“Yes, when your sister doesn’t have activities, they ride together. Molly only has her permit.”
“Is Emily taking her to school this morning?”
“No, she already left. Had a yearbook committee thing.” She really does keep her life crammed with activities.
I wonder if my sister knows why she does that. When you keep yourself busy, you don't have to pay attention to other shit you don’t want to deal with. You’re too involved to stop and think. And thinking is all I’ve been doing for the past twelve hours, and it’s not about solar power.
“I want to drive her to school.” Grant’s brows lift.
“Asher, don’t fuck with her.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Grant curse. “She’s a sweet girl. She already thinks she doesn’t belong. The girl is a hair trigger from fleeing this place, and her mother would follow her even with how much she loves your father.” Grant unknowingly just handed over how I could get rid of both Grace and Molly. But I find that’s the last thing I want to do right now. “Don’t be an asshole. You haven’t been here. Grace and Molly are what your father and Emily needed.” With that, Grant strides into the kitchen.
Molly peeks over at me again as I linger in the doorway across the room. “Molly, if it's all right with you, Asher will take you to school. I forgot Emily had an activity this morning, and I’m meeting with the landscaper to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow.” I can tell that Grant doesn’t like lying to them, but he does it.
I wish I could see Molly’s face, but I don’t have to because her body stiffens, letting me know she’d rather walk there than have me drive her. “I can take her.” Grace runs her hand down her daughter's back. Had she noticed how tense Molly got and was trying to soothe her? That same irritation I felt when my father called Molly sweet yesterday hits me again. I want to be the one that soothes her. Too bad I’m the thing she needs soothing from.