Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Aunt Skyler agreed, “I think so too, Harley.” She gleamed at me. “You did a great job on your eulogy, honey. Uncle Noah was very proud of you.”
“I tried to say what I was feelin’.”
“Those always make for the best speeches.”
Out of nowhere, I saw somethin’ fall from the roof.
Was that a cup?
I backed away, unnoticed. Before I knew what I was doin’ or where I was standin’, I was at Jackson’s bedroom door.
“Jackson?” I called out, knockin’ softly.
No answer.
“Jackson, you in there?”
Still, no answer.
My hand turned the knob and I peeked one eye into his space, in case he was...
I don’t know, naked.
Ain’t nobody wanna see that.
“Where are you?” I said to myself, findin’ his bedroom empty.
It smelled like a giant butthole.
How do boys live like this?
There was a mess everywhere—shoes, clothes, football equipment, even the suit jacket he was wearin’ today—on his unmade bed.
I walked around as though a bomb was about to go off, keepin’ my eyes peeled for booby traps along the way. Trust me, if he found me in his room, he’d explode in my face.
Lookin’ out the window next, I searched for him through the darkness.
“Jackson?”
“Holy shit, you really are Nancy Drew.”
I jumped out of my skin, hittin’ my head on the window rail. “Ow!”
“Serves you right for snooping.”
Followin’ the sound of his voice, I found him sittin’ on the roof. His collared shirt was halfway unbuttoned, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. His hair was ruffled up like he’d been pullin’ at it, yet it was his eyes that shocked me the most.
He’d been cryin’.
Was that why he was up there by himself?
“You’ve been cryin’,” I blurted what I was thinkin’.
“No shit, Captain Obvious.”
“Umm... should I... I mean... do you—”
“No, nosey ass, you’re already standin’ there. Just come up here.”
“How?”
“I thought Harley could do anything I could do.”
I glared at him, and he nodded toward the tree branch above my head.
“I’m wearin’ a dress.”
“It isn’t anything I haven’t seen before. Remember? Bath time?”
“We were like two.”
“And there’s photographic evidence.”
“You’re a creeper.”
“Considering your body still hasn’t changed since then, there isn’t much to see.”
I glared at him again, and he rolled his eyes at me, reachin’ for my hand.
I bit my lip, debatin’.
“What’s wrong, baby girl? Don’t trust me?”
I sighed, givin’ in. “If you let go of my hand, Jackson Pierce, I will forever hate you.”
He grinned. “Harley, don’t tempt me.” Further leanin’ toward me, he instructed, “Step on the windowsill and grab my hand. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“You can’t carry me up there.”
“I carry guys four times your weight in football. Now are you gonna listen, or just continue being a pain in my ass?”
“Fine, but I swear—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah... I got it. Come on.”
I did as I was told, and he kept up his end of the bargain. In less than a few seconds, he was draggin’ me up on the roof as if I weighed nothin’.
“Huh, you are strong. Who woulda thought?” I peered around. “Wow. It’s beautiful up here.”
“I’ve been coming up here since I could walk.”
“I always knew you were adopted from the zoo.”
“I used to come up here so much, my mom had to install a security lock so I couldn’t climb out here anymore.”
“Maybe your real family is a pack of gorillas?” I nodded. “It makes sense.”
“Sit down before I throw you off, Gremlin,” he ordered in a teasin’ tone.
I nodded again, sittin’ right beside him.
“So... whataya doin’ up here?”
“Thinking.”
“About?”
He didn’t think twice about it, spewin’
“How much I hate you.”
Chapter 15
<>Harley<>
“Nothin’ new. What else?” I retorted, unfazed by his words.
“Life.”
“What about it?”
“Did you come up here to be Chatty Kathy?”
I shrugged. “Maybe you need someone to talk to.”
“Someone? Or you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not right now.”
“Jackson, I know we hate each other, but that don’t change the fact I’m a good listener. I don’t need to talk.”
“What do you want me to say, Harley?”
“I don’t know. You’re up here cryin’ by yourself, so you obviously got a lot to say.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, archin’ an eyebrow. “The night you ran to my mom’s room, the voices you thought you heard, was me. I put a walkie talkie under the mattress.”
My mouth dropped open and I punched him in the arm.
“You hit like a girl.”
I punched him again. “You dick! I haven’t been able to sleep in that room since.”
“I didn’t want you to sleep here in the first place.”
“Whatever. You were sleepin’ next to me when I woke up.”
“That’s cuz you’re a bed hog. There was nowhere else to go.”
“Then why were you in there, if you didn’t want me here?”
Not answerin’ my question, his gaze shifted upward as he leaned back. Layin’ completely down on the roof. I didn’t wait long to join him.
We stared up at the star-speckled sky, the moon shinin’ down on us, for I don’t know how long. I was surprised it wasn’t awkward between us like I thought it would be. Not that I was thinkin’ about bein’ alone with him or anythin’. The silence was comfortin’, probably cuz Jackson wasn’t openin’ his loud ass mouth and bein’ the bully he always was to me.