Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
We all turn at the sound of Slater’s voice. He’s walking into the room, and I can see right away he’s angry. I suspected as much. After all, I did run from him, not giving him a chance to explain. Anything could have happened to me. Seeing him, and his scowl, makes my heart burn. Because I remember what that smile looked like, and seeing him without it, seeing that I bring nothing but heartache to his life, makes me feel...empty.
“It ain’t a bad idea, Slater. It’s that or we sit here and wait for him to come in while we’re unprepared again...” Malakai mutters.
Slater looks to me, and I look away.
“It’s too big of a risk. If something goes wrong, she gets taken again...”
“And if we wait, there is still a huge chance of me getting taken again. He got close today,” I say, surprised at myself for speaking up so freely.
But it’s a good plan.
And I want to be free.
I’ll do nearly anything to find that freedom.
“Yeah, he got fuckin’ close alright, because of your stupidity,” Slater barks.
Everyone is surprised, I can tell by the looks on their faces. Slater doesn’t tend to speak past a certain tone, and he certainly doesn’t yell. Especially not at me. I swallow, and my heart starts racing as I hold his angry eyes.
“Don’t, Slater,” Malakai growls. “You’ll regret it.”
“Don’t you call me stupid!” I fire back, hurt, so hurt. “I don’t deserve that.”
“You don’t deserve it?” he yells, “do you have any fuckin’ idea how I felt when you ran out of that house, Ellie? Any fuckin’ idea what went through me?”
“I didn’t think you noticed, you were too busy with your girlfriend.”
The words come out before I can stop them, and everyone in the room goes silent.
That was a low blow. Even I know it.
“You fuckin’ ran out because you got jealous over something you didn’t know,” Slater roars, “and almost got killed!”
“I didn’t almost get killed,” I scream back, my blood pumping, fire ripping through my body. I haven’t been this angry since...since...ever. “And I’m not jealous. Screw you. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for you!”
“You think I don’t fucking know that!” he barks, his voice an angry whip. “Fuck you, Ellie.”
“No,” I scream, standing up and throwing my hands into the air. “Fuck you, Slater Knight!”
He jerks. “What did you just say?”
I blink.
That came out of my mouth without thought, like an automatic button had been pressed. A flash of memory flitters through my brain of a fight, a big fight, and I can almost see it clearly. Standing here with Slater, hurting, heart falling to pieces, I can almost see it. I know, I just know, we’ve been here before.
“I...”
“You called me by my full name,” he says, his voice hoarse, “you haven’t done that...since...before...”
He’s right, I haven’t.
And I don’t know why now it decided to come back.
Was it the anger?
Me finally exploding?
“I need to be alone,” I say, rubbing my forehead with my palm and turning, walking out of the room.
“Ellie!” Slater calls.
“Let her be, brother,” Malakai says. “Let her be.”
I disappear down the hall, and run into Scarlett coming in through the back entrance. So grateful to have another female here, considering Erin had to keep working, makes me swell with relief.
“Hey,” Scarlett says. “Maverick called me and told me you might need some company. Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “No really. I’m...I don’t know.”
“Come on,” she says, taking my hand and leading me into a room off to the side, that’s filled with lounge chairs, and a big television. Nobody is in here, so I take a seat and exhale, glad to be able to breathe for a second.
“Tell me what’s happening?” Scarlett says, going over to the fridge in the corner and bringing back two bottles of beer.
I open the bottle, and take a sip. I’m not in love with beer, but it’s cold, and right now, I honestly need it.
“I slept with Slater...”
Her eyes widen. “Oh.”
“Yeah, it was after you all came over. I had a nightmare, and he was just there...at the time, I wanted it so badly. I couldn’t think straight, I needed him that severely.”
“And now?”
“I still want it, I still want him. But, that frustrates me because I’m constantly fighting against myself, and my lack of memories. I just want to wake up one day, and know exactly who I am, you know?”
Scarlett nods, “Yeah, that must be a hard thing to live with. But, honey, you might never get those memories back, and that really sucks, but you do have new ones, you do have now, and if you’re drawn to Slater, why would you try and fight that?”
“Because, what if I give in to what I want right now, only to wake up one day and remember everything, and it changes how I feel...”