Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
“Don’t worry about that,” Dad mutters, holding me tighter.
“Everyone’s gone,” Shelby says a minute—or what could be an hour—later, and I open my eyes and watch her walk toward my dad and me. “Your sister and brothers said they’d be over in the morning.”
I nod, not surprised they’re only giving me till morning. The three of them have stuck close to me the last few days. Every time I turn around, one or all of them are right there.
“You sure you want to be alone tonight?” Dad questions.
I tip my head back and my eyes meet his. I hate how stressed he is because of me. “Yes.” I squeeze his waist. “If I need you guys, you’re just next door,” I remind him.
“Right.” He cups my cheek, looking torn, and then his eyes go over the top of my head and he communicates something with Shelby before he looks at me once more. “We love you.”
“I know. I love you guys too.” I swallow down a fresh wave of tears and he drops his forehead to mine, resting it there for a moment before letting me go.
“Don’t hesitate to call me if you need me,” Shelby says, giving me another hug.
When she releases me, I watch Dad take her hand and lead her away. I wait until I hear the front door open and close before I leave the kitchen. I don’t check to make sure the front door is locked, because I know my dad and know he locked it on his way out. I do turn off all the light as I head through the house, because Gabe would lose his mind if I didn’t. He was always going on about the cost of electricity, probably because it was something his mom and dad had drilled into his head from birth. I used to hate coming home to a dark house, but whenever I complained about it to Gabe, he would say something to make me laugh and I’d forget all about hating it. At least until the next time I came home and the house was dark.
As I make it to the hall just outside the master bedroom, I stop and stare into the dark room. I close my eyes and will my feet to move forward, but they refuse. Giving up, I turn and head upstairs to the top floor. I grew up in this house with my dad and brother. When my dad and Shelby got together, we all moved into her house right next door, and they kept this house for the extra income they earned from renting it out. Then when Gabe and I married, they sold it to us.
When I get upstairs, I go to the bathroom, strip out of my clothes, and climb into the shower, letting the hot water run over me until it starts to become cold. Stepping out, I wrap up in a towel then go to my old room, where I grab a pair of sweats I haven’t worn in years along with an old sweatshirt and a pair of thick socks. I settle into bed and lie there forever wide-awake while staring out the window before giving up on sleep.
Needing some air, I go back downstairs, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch on the way to the front door. As soon as I step outside, I move to sit in one of the chairs on the porch, put my feet up on the rail, and then toss the blanket over my lap. The night is clear, the stars so bright you can see every constellation without the help of a telescope. I know for certain the view I have right now isn’t something many people will ever experience. I lean my head back and close my eyes, breathing deep and letting the cool night air help fight back the pain that seems to engulf my chest every time I take a breath.
“Bre.”
My body jolts upward, my eyes spring open, and my hand covers my pounding heart as I stare at Denver’s shadowy figure at the bottom of the stairs. “You scared the crap out of me,” I breathe, taking in his dark hair and the beard covering the lower half of his face. Except for the last three days, I have rarely seen him since the night Gabe asked me to be his girlfriend, and when I did see him, he kept his distance. I kept mine too, but every now and then, I’d ask Joe about him. She never tells me much, just that he’s doing well. Still, I’m always happy to hear about him.
“Sorry. I saw you out here and decided to come over and check on you.” He takes the steps up onto the porch and sits down in the chair next to mine. “I would ask how you’re doing, but I don’t think I need to.”