Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Using my phone flashlight, I scan her room. Beside her sleeping form, on the nightstand, her phone is plugged in and charging. I pick it up and it lights up, asking for a passcode since my face doesn’t match. That’s easily remedied.
I gently stroke away her silky hair from her face and stare down at her parted lips. There’d been a time—long ago—that I’d often fantasized about sex with Aubrey. Just a taste of the forbidden. A tease to get me by.
Forbidden fruit is poisonous, though.
Infects your every cell and decomposes your soul.
I’d barely survived her once, when I was young and fucking stupid. I’m not looking to almost die again.
Using her sleeping face to unlock her phone, I then walk over to her desk chair to sit. It creaks under my weight, but the rhythmic breathing coming from the bed tells me she wasn’t disturbed by it.
Her most recent texts are from Gemma.
Gemma: Are you okay?
Gemma: Spencer and Dempsey were just being asses.
Gemma: Call me tomorrow when you’re not upset.
Aubrey finally replied back to her this evening.
Aubrey: I’m good. Just sucked in water and felt like shit. Didn’t need everyone seeing me puke. Talk tomorrow.
Gemma then went on to send her a million stupid emojis but nothing else of interest.
I scroll down to a couple of days ago to read the texts between her and her dad.
Tony: I’m so goddamn sick of the bullshit, Aubs.
Aubrey: It was a mistake.
Tony: A mistake? Are you for real right now?
Aubrey: Dad. Please. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.
Tony: YOU FUCKED MY BOSS. How in the hell was that an accident?
Aubrey stretches on the bed and then rolls over, the springs squeaking beneath her. I stare over at her, craning my neck and listening for any signal of her waking. When I’m sure she’s still asleep, I turn my attention back to the soap opera that is her life.
Aubrey: I’m sorry, Dad! It just happened! I didn’t think!
Tony: You NEVER think! First your teacher, then my best friend, but my boss? It’s like you’re trying to ruin my life! For fuck’s sake, what did I ever do to you except give you a home when your mother wouldn’t?
Holy shit.
Aubrey’s a little whore.
Aubrey: Please don’t be mad at me.
Tony: Mad? I’m beyond mad. I can’t fucking look at you anymore. You’re just like her. You and your mother are the same. Venomous and cruel.
Aubrey: I’m not like Mom. Dad, please.
Tony: There’s nothing left to say, Aubrey, except get out. Get your shit and take your ass anywhere but here. You’re eighteen now. Go be someone else’s damn problem.
Aubrey: You’re kicking me out?
Tony: Ben left his wife because of you! I had to deal with Kelly’s tears and hatred. About what a monster I must be for raising a homewrecking daughter.
Aubrey: Why would he leave her? It was just sex, Dad.
Tony: You disgust me.
Aubrey: Dad, please don’t do this. I’m sorry. I can do better. Everything’s all messed up in my head since Wes.
Tony: You breaking up with your piece of shit boyfriend doesn’t give you a free pass to destroy my life as part of your therapy.
She sends about ten more texts, all of which go unanswered.
I lean back in the chair, taking a moment to soak in the texts. She left a virgin. I’m a hundred percent certain of that. And somewhere in the past two years between leaving here and showing back up, she turned into a heartless slut who slept with everyone apparently.
Using my phone, I snap a few pics of the conversation between her and Tony before shooting them over to Jude with a request to look into these people. I want to know everything about them. How she got involved with her teacher, Tony’s best friend, and his boss, Ben. I want to know about this ex, Wes, who she needs therapy over. I need to know everything.
I continue my scrolling until I find the last texts Aubrey sent to her mother not long after the fight.
Aubrey: I’m going to come back home so I can go to college at PMU. Their business college is better than the ones out here in LA.
Aubrey: I know you’re mad and avoiding me, but I’m still your daughter.
Aubrey: Mom, I need you.
Aubrey: We can talk when I get there. I want us to have a relationship again.
Not a shocker that she didn’t tell her mother the real reason why she showed back up at Park Mountain. Her missing mother wasn’t why she came back or the fact she wanted a relationship with her. Her promiscuous ways got her kicked out and sent back here. She had nowhere else to go. No one else wanted her.
Not Tony.
Not Wes or Ben.
No one.
And now she’s back, begging for scraps.
Based on the way Dad looked like he was about to bust a nut when she was bouncing around in her bikini this afternoon, it appears she has her sights set on yet another older man. Another life to destroy. This time, my dad.