Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 169305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 847(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 847(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
Tabitha sniffed, her lower lip poking out. “You don’t actually like her, do you?”
No, I don’t like her.
I more than like her.
I’m tragically obsessed with her.
“Leave.”
I gave her my back, graduating to throwing doors open. When I reached the final door in the hallway, I found it locked.
Bingo.
I released the door. “Farrow.”
I could break it clean off its hinges if I wanted to. Normally, I would. Strangely, with Octi, I wanted her to let me in. To invite me into her domain.
“Jerk,” she greeted from behind the wood.
She sounded fine. Calm and casual. Brave.
I pressed my forehead to the door, closing my eyes. Her voice alone soothed my fucking soul. And that was a problem.
A big one.
“Open the door.”
“I’m not even opening a can of tuna for you to slit your wrist with. Try again.”
“Let me rephrase—open the door or I’ll kick it down.”
So much for wanting to worm my way back into her good graces. My body hummed—one part rage and two parts desperation. She needed to open up.
Now.
“You can do that.” The sound of a drawer opening filled the space. “I’m as good with a knife as I am with a sword.” On cue, something thunked. Like a blade hitting wood. “Fuck around and find out, Sun.”
Despite myself, a smile tipped my lips up.
She was a one-woman army, and I admired that.
I leaned a shoulder against the door. “You threw away fifty-thousand dollars’ worth of shoes, young lady.”
She yawned. “You had someone put them back in my walk-in closet.”
“How do you know?”
Was I that predictable?
Silence met my question.
Another beat passed before she answered, with obvious reluctance, “You always take care of me.”
“Yet, you ran away.”
“Bitch, I drove. Under the speed limit, too. Don’t give yourself so much credit.”
“Open up.”
“Shut it down.”
I fought a smile.
“Tell you a fun fact about the octopus?” I bargained.
Silence.
I took it as my cue.
Finally.
“The octopus releases ink when it’s in danger. The mucus and melanin cloud the predator’s sense of smell, making it hard for them to find the octopus.” I twisted, resting my forehead against the door again. “But the ink is so potent, if the octopus doesn’t escape its own ink, it could die.”
What are you doing, and when did you become Animal Fucking Planet?
Oliver and Romeo would have a field day if they heard me right now.
Still, I ran the tip of my nose along the chipped wood as my lips moved. “Sometimes, you have to take a chance. You’ve got too much to lose by ending this, Octi.”
Was this begging? Groveling?
I didn’t know. Didn’t care, either.
In fact, I only cared about one thing—getting this woman back inside my house.
I waited a minute for her to speak.
One minute stretched into two.
Then three.
Another minute, and I swore I’d leave here with a purple-pink dent in the middle of my forehead.
Finally, Farrow took me out of my misery. “You could’ve told me about the engagement party.”
My lungs emptied, whooshing against the wood.
I flattened my lips together. I never explained myself to anyone other than Mom, and doing so right now felt humbling.
Farrow was, of course, right.
I could have.
I should have.
“I copped out,” I admitted.
More silence.
Then a response.
“Come again?” I could hear a hint of a smile in her words.
Little shit.
“I said I copped out,” I repeated, louder now. “I took the easy way out, because I’m not used to dealing with messes. And what we are is… messy.” To say the least. I sighed, exhaling hard. “And because I have the emotional palate of a Veggie Straw.”
Her chuckle tumbled past the door, and a ten-ton rock rolled off my heart. “I still don’t like you.”
“You can dislike me and still love the way my cock fills your pussy, Farrow. You can even hate me and enjoy being showered with presents and legal help.” I curled my fist around the doorknob, knowing it wouldn’t open but wishing for it anyway. “This thing with Eileen isn’t real. She will never have my kisses. My adoration. My complete and full attention. She is a checkmark in a box. She’s no threat to you in the same way a lone shooting star is no threat to the sun.”
“Zach…” It came out louder yet quiet—her voice just behind the door now. “Do you think of me as the sun?”
No. You’re the entire fucking universe.
And I hate that most about you.
“We have a deal.” I cleared my throat, trying to sound pragmatic. “And I will fulfill my end of the bargain. I’m here.”
“Till when?”
“Until the very end.”
I held my breath, waiting for the door to unlock, but it didn’t.
“Why were you awful to me on my birthday?” Her voice rolled over my skin like velvet. I could practically feel her heat pouring through the other side of the door.
“Because,” I admitted through gritted teeth, “we both need the reminder that this is only a business transaction. I enjoy you, Farrow. In more ways than I can count. If we don’t make that separation… this thing could tear us both apart.” My fingers curled into fists, and I bit my knuckles, drawing blood. “Now kindly open the door. I have some important information regarding your legal case I’d like to share with you.”