Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 142833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
I pick up my bag and head for the lobby, trying to figure out where I can go. I could call a cab, but they'll have to bring me home and then my dad will know something went wrong. One look at me and he'll know, and I can't do that to him now when he's right in the midst of working on a new album. If I get him all distracted with my drama, it will interfere with his creativity because he'll immediately feel like he has to do something to fix this for me. I refuse to do that to him.
Rayne would come get me, but she'll want to track Jason down and tell him off and make a big crazy scene.
There's only one other person I know who will come get me in the middle of the night without question.
I count to ten and press his contact image on my phone screen, and it rings four times before he answers.
"Kenzi?"
"Hi..."
"What's up? You okay?"
"Yeah...I just kinda need a ride. Do you think you can come get me? Are you busy?"
"You know I will. I just got home. Where are you?"
I clutch the phone, knowing he's going to blow a gasket. "At the Blue Robin down at Hampton Beach."
"A fucking hotel? I thought you were spending the night at Chloe's?"
"That's what I told my father."
"Kenzi..." Disappointment laces his voice.
"Tor, come on. Please don't make this harder."
His keys jingle in the background, then the distinct sound of his front door opening and closing. "I'm on my way. It's gonna take me about an hour to get there, though. Are you okay? You're not hurt or anything?"
"No, I'm fine. Just humiliated."
"That's fixable. Are you in a room?"
"No, I left the room to get away from Jason"
"Then stay in the lobby, okay? Don't be wandering around in the dark by yourself. The beach can get weird at night. The last thing we need is you getting picked up by a sex trafficker."
"What? What the hell, Tor?" Sex trafficker? As if I wasn't nervous enough already, now I have to sit here and worry about being thrown into the back of a van and sold to someone.
"Just stay in the lobby."
After we get off the phone I huddle in the corner of the lobby with a magazine hoping the manager doesn't come and kick me out or make me go back to the room. The last thing I want is another run-in with Jason.
Tor's truck pulls into the parking lot of the hotel a little over an hour later. I'm so glad to see him that I don't make any of my usual funny comments about him being late. He looks me up and down when I climb into his truck but doesn't say anything until after we've been driving for about ten minutes.
"I'll fuck that kid up if he did anything to hurt you, Kenz," he finally says, his hand tightening on the steering wheel, his eyes not leaving the road.
"He didn't hurt me. He was drinking all night, and I didn't want to put out. He got mad, we argued a little bit, and then he left to go to a party in someone else's room. I didn't want to be there alone after that."
"Put out?" he practically spits the words. "Jesus Christ. I can't stand hearing that shit come out of your mouth. It's fucking degrading."
"Well, what do you want me to say? That I wouldn't sleep with him? Is that better?"
"No."
"He called me a cock tease, too. I never even once hinted that I wanted to have sex with him. I haven't teased him at all."
Tor's jaw clenches and he shakes his head. "I'm gonna turn this truck around and put that kid in the fucking ground. Does that little shit think he can treat you like that and get away with it? Does he have any fucking idea who he's messing with?"
I touch his arm. "Tor, stop. Do you want to go to jail for assault again? Please just take me home. I want to forget all the filthy things he said to me."
"If I hear any more of this I'll fucking kill him."
"Fine." I cross my arms in front of me, wishing I had changed my clothes and gotten out of this ridiculous dress.
He glances over at me. "I didn't mean you couldn't talk. I just meant I can't hear any more of how he treated you without going back to teach that scumbag a lesson on how to treat a woman. And how not to."
"I really don't want to talk at all," I reply, trying not to cry. "Can we just listen to some music?"
"If that's what you want." He connects his phone via Bluetooth to the stereo and starts up my favorite Eagles playlist that he made just for me a few months ago.