Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“He’s not…worth it.”
“He’s worth everything, and don’t you ever fucking talk to him like that again!”
“Or what?” Gregory stands tall. The door beside us opens, a woman coming out of the pharmacy.
“Gregory, why did you come out here?” His nurse, maybe, looks back and forth between us. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. He’s the one who’s not worth it,” I spit out as the woman leads Gregory away, and when I turn back to East, he’s standing there like he’s completely disconnected from the world. I’d let go of Pretty Girl and hadn’t even realized it, but she’s with East now, both she and Casanova jumping onto his legs and trying to get his attention.
I push back toward him, cup his face, brush my fingers over his cheeks, my thumb against his lip. “East…sweetheart. Talk to me. Don’t fucking listen to him. Don’t believe a fucking word he says. I’m here. I love you.”
My words seem to snap him out of his trance. “I told you he hates me,” is all he says, those words biting right into my chest.
“He doesn’t fucking matter. He’s wrong. Come on. Let’s go home.”
I grab Pretty Girl’s leash, then take his hand again. East doesn’t hold on tight like he had just moments before.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Easton
El? Ella? I call out to my sister, the other half of my soul, but she doesn’t reply. She’s not been talking to me lately, but I need her. Doesn’t she know I need her? She’s always been there for me before, but now she’s silent.
Archer drives my truck home, and I don’t speak the whole time, not out loud at least. I keep hearing what Gregory said, keep calling out to Ella but she doesn’t come.
It feels like I’ve been emptied out, like there’s nothing inside me anymore. Why does he do that to me? Why can’t I stop it? Today had been…it had been more than I expected. I hadn’t even wanted to go out, but we did, and it was perfect until Gregory had to remind me of all the shit I can’t get past.
“He’ll ruin your life…your career…just like he ruins everything he touches.”
I don’t want to ruin Archer. I don’t want to ruin anything. I want…I want to get better. I want to be better. How do I do that?
El, why aren’t you answering me? Are you mad at me?
It takes me a moment to realize we’re home and Archer’s hand is on my shoulder, trying to reel me back in.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. Stay right there.”
He gets out of the truck, coming around to my side to open the door. The way Archer takes care of me makes me believe that maybe deep down, there’s a part of me that’s worth it if I could just bring it closer to the surface.
“Good boy,” he says when I take his hand and get out of the truck. Heat flares through me, the neediness I have for him growing. I don’t want to be what Gregory says. I don’t know if I am, but I don’t want to be. I want to be the man Archer sees when he looks at me, the one he tells me he loves.
He unhooks the dogs from their doggie belts, and the two of them run toward the house.
Once we’re inside, he takes the leashes off, that emptiness in me a vast echo I need to fill, and the only way I know how to do that is with Archer.
“Fuck me.” I take his face in my hands and pull his mouth to mine. My tongue slips inside, tasting the familiarity I’ve only ever had with him, the comfort I’ve only ever had with him.
Archer kisses me back, hands on my waist, fingers digging into me in the most welcome of ways.
I try to devour him, cling to him like if I let him go, he’ll disappear.
“Hey, slow down. We’re good. I’m not going anywhere. Maybe we should talk.”
We probably should, but I can’t, not now. “I just want to feel the way only you can make me feel. I’m so fucking empty without you. Need to be filled up by you.”
“Jesus. Yes. God yes.”
Our mouths fuse together again, and we find a way to stumble up the stairs while kissing. The second we’re in the bedroom, we pull apart only to kick out of shoes and remove clothes. It hurts not to touch him, to be away from him for one second. I maybe shouldn’t need him the way I do, feel like he’s what keeps me grounded, but I do, and I don’t ever want to lose that, to lose him.
To lose myself.
Archer’s arms wrap around me as he kisses me like he’s as hungry for me as I am him, as if he needs me just as much.