Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Livia has even managed to keep us at a distance. I wonder if she did that on purpose, or if she suspects something.
Cane coughs under his breath when he sees her, then coughs louder when he sees who she’s with. Stiles. They’ve been together for the same amount of time as Livia and me.
Why? I don’t know.
She could do better. Livia seems to notice I’m staring because her hands stop in my hair and her eyes search mine. Smiling, I try to lean in to kiss her, but she gives me her cheek instead.
Fuck!
I’m over, aren’t I?
“You know Livia’s boyfriend and friend, right, Saskia?”
She nods her head as she looks up, noticing we’re there as well. Stiles places his hand around her waist, owning her for all to see.
Message received loud and fucking clear, my friend.
“Your mom couldn’t make it tonight?” says Livia’s mother, Stacey.
“No, she’s at work.” Christopher—Livia’s father and also Saskia’s mother’s brother—rolls his eyes and leans down to hug Saskia. I guess if anyone knew what her home life was like, he would because he grew up with her mother. From what I’ve heard, her mother’s never there. Christopher secretly pays for her tuition and lets her believe it’s a scholarship. He helps in ways Saskia doesn’t even know about. One day she will, though.
“And what about you, Stiles. You got much planned for the rest of the holidays?”
He shakes his head, standing tall. “Just finishing up practice and enjoying time with this one.”
Saskia smiles and I try to not pay any attention, but it’s hard being in the same room with only a few of us, and them only speaking. Livia taps my shoulder attempting to get down from the counter. Placing my hands back around her waist, she gets down, being sure to stay glued to me.
“Saskia told us she’s been spending plenty of time at your house. Your parents don’t mind?”
Stiles shakes his head, and Saskia finally looks at me. She doesn’t look for long though, just a glimpse, and it’s all I need. It’s all I want to see that she still thinks about me even when she shouldn’t.
“No, they love her. If they could, they’d have her home more than me.”
Livia’s father smiles. “She’s a good egg, all right.” He looks around, smiles at Livia then his wife. “Let’s eat, shall we?”
We all follow him to the dining room. A maid is there placing food on the tables as we all sit. It’s a feast of food. Livia sits next to me and her father on the other side. Cane’s on my other side. Stacey, Livia’s mother, sits next to Christopher, while Barbie sits next to Stacey, which puts her directly opposite me. Stiles is across from Cane.
“We haven’t seen you much, now you both have boyfriends,” Christopher comments. Livia looks up across to Barbie then to me. “Usually school holidays you two are inseparable.”
“I’ve been working, actually.” We all look up and the only one that doesn’t is Stiles, who doesn’t seem surprised by her words at all.
“Oh, what are you doing, honey?”
Barbie faces her auntie as she answers her, but I think it’s Livia who wants to know most, as she’s basically leaning over the table waiting for her to answer her mother. “Stiles’ sister owns a beauty salon. She’s been teaching me, while I help out around there.”
Everyone’s quiet, except Stiles. “She’s good, too. Very good.” Stiles gushes at her, and I want to punch him in the face. Hard. She blushes but looks at him with appreciation.
“That’s something that interests you?” Livia asks. Barbie looks at her, nodding her head but being super careful not to look at me. “Good. I mean it’s not a lawyer or a doctor, but still it’s good.”
Barbie’s eyes change, just slightly. Her facial expression stays the same, but if you look hard enough, you can see the hurt raging in those beautiful eyes.
“You’ll be a great lawyer, Livia,” I tell her, because I believe she will.
“I know, you tell me all the time.” Livia leans down, touching my thigh.
“I mean it.”
Barbie looks away, picking up her fork as she starts to eat. We all go quiet as we eat, and I wonder if Stiles is happy with what she’s doing. I know he’ll be taking over his father’s business the same way I’m taking over mine. The only difference, his father’s business is legal and straight. Not a dishonest, crooked and dangerous one like my father’s.
“How have your holidays been, Liv?”
Livia looks up to her cousin, removing her hand from my leg and placing her hands under her chin as she smiles. Livia loves talking about... you guessed it... Livia.
“Ryken and I have been inseparable. It’s been great. We even went camping. Bet you never would have guessed in a million years I’d do that.” She laughs.