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)
“Wait,” jumps out of my mouth, and before I can stop the words, I ask, “Why? Why do you do this for me? All of it.”
He sighs, hand on the knob, but turns to look at me.
“Never mind. I have no idea why I asked that. You’re Mr. Fucking Perfect. You want to fix everything for everyone.”
Sometimes words spill from my mouth, and I hate myself for saying them, but I still do it. It’s like I don’t have control over all the anger living inside me.
“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t agree about being perfect, but I am a fixer. I like to help people, but this…what I do with you? It’s not the same.”
I shift, unsure how to feel or what to think about that.
Oh God. He’s so sweet! Ella croons.
Too sweet for me. Stop it, Ella.
I shouldn’t ask. I don’t want to ask, but I can’t stop myself. “Then why?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet. Just…feels right.”
He doesn’t expand, and I don’t ask him to. Archer Thorn slips out of the room, somehow gets my brothers to leave, then comes back in, not leaving me alone.
CHAPTER TWO
Archer
“Hey, pretty lady. How are you today?” I ask Meadow when she comes out to the backyard, where I’m sitting with Cass.
“Hi, Uncle Archer.”
“You make that?” I point to the dress she’s wearing. Cass got her a sewing machine a while back because Meadow likes to make clothes. She has all these plans to move to New York after high school and be a fashion designer. She’s only twelve, but I don’t doubt it will happen. When she sets her mind to something, there’s nothing she can’t do. She’s the bravest, strongest person I know.
“Yep. I’m not sure I like it, though.”
“It’s great,” I reply, then for some reason, remember earlier this summer when the three of us went out for dinner and saw Easton with Dusty. I’d never seen Easton interact with Meadow before, never seen him interact with any kid, and he told her he liked her dress. It was the perfect thing to say and probably endeared him to her for life.
“Thank you. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi. Dad, don’t forget I have dance after dinner.”
Cass playfully rolls his eyes. “When have I ever forgotten dance class?”
She chuckles and heads inside.
There was never a doubt in my mind that Cass would make a good father. He adores his daughter and had adored his ex-wife, April, too. And when Meadow came out as trans, he’d been incredible about that too. I just hadn’t ever expected him to have to do it alone, but then, I guess you never know what will happen.
Like all the shit Easton’s been through. Jesus, it doesn’t seem fair sometimes. We’d gotten everything figured out about his last brush with the law, which was about a month ago. After leaving him in the room, I told his brothers and Dusty what happened and sent them on their way. They weren’t too happy about that, but Easton had asked not to see them, so I damn sure was going to make that happen. He hadn’t asked not to see me, so I stayed a little longer, until he was taken back to his cell.
He’d stayed in jail for three days. Once we’d gotten ahold of the woman who had been hit by her boyfriend, she’d admitted what the man had done to her, but hadn’t wanted to press charges. She was moving out of state and just wanted to be done with it, but the guy hadn’t known that was the situation. In what he thought was an exchange for not going to jail, he’d agreed not to press charges against East. Was that the best way the situation could have gone down? No, but if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that best-case scenario rarely ever happens.
“Why you so quiet over there?” Cass asks.
“Just thinking.” I do too damn much thinking about Easton Swift, and I’m still trying to figure out why. I hadn’t been lying when I told him that yes, part of this is just who I am, but it feels more real with him. More important. I can’t say what in the hell that means or how I feel about it. I just can’t seem to stop myself.
“You planning on telling me what you’re thinking about, or am I supposed to guess?” Cass teases.
It’s tricky when it comes to East, though. No one knows about the nights we’ve spent at the campground, not even Cass. It’s part of the reason Cass thinks I’m into Easton, or that something is secretly going on with us—because the way I am with him doesn’t make sense. But I would never share those moments with anyone. They’re East’s, something he didn’t mean to share with me, but now he does, and that means a lot to me.