Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 60309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Lily finishes with, “I liked the transitions.”
We all laugh.
She blushes. “What? They were good.”
Lo hugs her closer to his side. “So which one of us is going to give the final blow?” he asks, looking around. The air stills.
“I’ll do it,” I say. “I can be diplomatic about it.”
“Without insulting the presentation,” Daisy says.
“It wasn’t effective, but yes, I won’t insult it.”
“We’ll do it together,” Rose says. “Lily and Daisy can say the positives.”
Lily extends her hand out. Daisy put hers atop it like they’re in a football huddle. They’re the only two to do it, and then Daisy says, “Break.”
We all split apart again and face the girls.
Audrey, still doe-eyed, stares at me earnestly. Hands cupped together. Do not fall for your daughter’s doe-eyes.
I take a breath. “We have discussed it. And while some of us have clearly been impressed by the quality of your presentation, our answer remains the same.”
“I’m sorry, girls,” Rose says. “It’s going to be a no.”
Audrey starts to cry. “Really?”
“Really,” I say with the same calm cadence to my voice.
Kinney puts an arm around her. “You all suck,” Kinney snaps.
“Kinney Hale,” Lo scolds.
Lily jumps in. "The transitions were so good!"
The girls don't seem to care about that positive. Winona looks at us. "Obviously not good enough."
Audrey is gutted, heavier tears falling. “I hate you.” Her voice squeaks. She says the tear-stricken words to me. But I know they’ve impaled her mother, too.
Winona looks wounded just seeing Audrey and Kinney this upset. She whirls towards us. “You can’t try…” She trails off, maybe seeing her dad unbending. She sighs out a hot breath that tries to boil to the surface. “We’ll be in our room as protest to this decision.” She catches their hands, and the three of them march out of the door in an angered huff.
“They’re going to lock themselves in there,” Ryke says, knowing his daughter and nieces.
“Yep,” Lo says.
We’re supposed to be leaving for Philly this afternoon. The timing is important and scheduled so that paparazzi can follow our trail once we’re in the city, and it’ll hopefully give the tour bus some time to get on the road without press following.
“We’ll deal with it later,” Rose says. “Let’s just get everything and everyone else ready to go.”
I glance at my watch. “We’re on schedule.”
Daisy rocks on her feet. “But before we leave…how’s everything going, Rose? You okay?”
“Stupendous,” Rose says dryly. “My eldest daughter won’t talk to me. And my youngest daughter now hates me.”
“Technically, she hates me, darling. It wasn’t directed at you.”
Rose rolls her eyes, but she doesn’t combat. Instead, she says, “She’s a smart girl.” Her eyes flit to me. “Stop smiling, Richard. That was an insult towards you.”
“I’ll treasure it forever.”
Lo gags. “Can you two flirt somewhere out of earshot? K. Thanks.”
Rose ignores him and looks to Daisy, who still wears concern for her sister. “I’ll be fine, Daisy.” She stiffens. “Please stop looking at me like that.” She looks to Lily and grimaces. “You, too. Your worry and concern are noted, appreciated, now wipe it from your faces.”
Daisy makes a windshield wiping motion over Lily’s face. They both laugh, and Rose eases.
“And you?” Lo asks me. “You doing okay?”
I slowly nod, words failing me like they did this morning.
I know Maximoff is talking to his parents. He hasn’t iced them out like our daughter has us. She needs time. It’s what she told us. But I want to fix things myself without the help of Time.
Yet, I can’t.
All I can do to avoid making things worse is abide by her wishes.
The three thousand word essay will be the hardest paper I’ve ever written. This one can’t come from my head. It has to be from my heart. And it took me years to believe I’m capable of love. That my heart was more than an organ made to pump blood and keep me alive.
I can write it. For Jane, I’ll do anything.
Elle est mon coeur.
She is my heart.
THREE
TROUBLEMAKERS FIRESIDE CHAT
DECEMBER 2037
AFTER CHAPTER 19 IN LOVERS LIKE US
We listened to "Morning Blue" by Giant Rooks and "Connected" by Stereo MC's plus all the music mentioned in the bonus while writing this scene.
Character List:
Eliot Cobalt - 18
Luna Hale - 18
Tom Cobalt - 17
LUNA HALE
WINTER IS HERE.
It’s a magical time. My favorite time. Winter means something different for everyone on Earth. For me, it’s always meant the end of school.
An achievement unlocked. Winter break has begun.
But this year, I’ve screwed up so much with school that in order to graduate from Dalton Academy on time, I need to be homeschooled. Regardless of school, there are reasons why I don’t love summer break as much as winter.
I like how the chill of a falling snowflake feels like an innocent kiss on the cheek and nose. I love how every December, Xander grows another year older, and some winters, he’s happy about it, too.