Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I don’t check to see who the voice messages I have are from. I call my boss, Gina, and request the week off. I need time to think, and if I’m going to find out what is in that box, I need this week off. I’m sure she heard my broken voice because she didn’t bother sounding upset about my being away for a week. Not that I mattered there; I’m just a measly intern.
I’m not sure if I should stay here or book a trip and go somewhere—far away from all of this madness. I don’t even know where to go though. Maybe I’ll call Becky and Greg and pay them a visit. There are three loud knocks on my door. The code.
“Blake?” Aubry shouts. “Are you sleeping?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes,” I shout back.
“Let me in,” Aubry says firmly.
“Go away, Aub.”
“Cole’s on the phone. He needs to speak to you.”
“Tell him to go fuck himself,” I say brokenly. “Or Erin,” I mutter under my breath. I try for angry because I should be angry that he answered the phone like that, he should have known how much it would hurt me, but I’m too lost to feel anger.
“He says he’s sorry. He’s begging you to talk to him. Blake, I don’t have all day. I have a date. I can’t be playing messenger.”
“Don’t then. Tell him I’ll call him tomorrow. I need to be alone right now. Please.”
I hear Aubry relay my message to Cole as he walks away. I hear him walk back to my door a couple of seconds later, and he knocks again. This time I get up and let him in. When he looks at me, his face falls. He wraps his arms around me and holds me as I slowly let myself fall.
“What happened? Is it because of whatever Cole is apologizing for? Or did you have a nightmare while you were napping?” he asks concerned.
“No, it’s not him. I had a nightmare while I was awake,” I say, sniffling back my snot.
“Oh. You mean you’re remembering things?”
“No, I mean I’m living them,” I say with a trembling chin as I wipe my tears. “I went to the attorney’s office today, and I found out some things I can’t talk about. On top of that, Shelley left me a key to a safety deposit box, more money, more land, and a letter. I haven’t been to the box, but the letter pretty much says that my life is a lie. She wasn’t even my aunt,” I choke out the last words and Aubry pulls me into a tight hug.
“Shit. That’s...fuck...I’m sorry.”
“I’m so scared, Aubry,” I say hoarsely.
“You’ll be okay, Cowboy. I’m with you. We’re all with you,” he says, kissing my cheek lightly.
“That’s what scares me,” I whisper.
Chapter 6
Past
I was doing well my first year of high school. I had joined the cheerleading squad; it was the closest thing to dance that the school had. I had been dancing since I was five when Aunt Shelley started taking me to classes, and I missed it. Becky was also part of the squad, so I was glad that we had something to bond over. I liked my new home with Maggie, Aubry, and Cole. They made me feel like I belonged. Becky had already warned me about Cole and his womanizing ways—as if I needed a warning about that. Anybody that stepped within five feet of Cole could smell it on him. He may as well have a scent made named Gigolo. I’d lived with him for three months, and although he stopped hitting on me after the first month, I’d witnessed twelve girls walk through the doors of the house. Twelve. That was one for each week that I’d been here.
In the beginning, it really bothered me. I wasn’t sure if it was because it meant that I no longer had his attention or because the girls he hooked up with annoyed me. It was probably both. The worst part was I wasn’t even interested in him. Well, that was a lie—I may have been a little interested in him. As hard as I tried to fight it, it was hard not to be drawn to him. He was magnetic. When he was in a room with you, he consumed you. When he left the room, you mourned the loss of his presence. I knew I wasn’t the only person that felt this way. I had him in a couple of my classes in school, and when he got in trouble and was sent to the principal’s office, everybody acted like they lost a pet. The girls pouted and whined, which annoyed the shit out of me. The guys complained to the teacher and slumped their shoulders.
It was an odd thing—Cole’s presence. As much as I would have loved to avoid him, he was like a pneumonic plague. My lungs didn’t fully function when he was too close to me, and I think he knew it. I’d never been to an actual school before this year. I thought it would be scary, but the things I learned through Becky and the guys helped me get over my fear. I knew there was a “cool” crowd, a “nerdy” crowd, an “outsider” crowd, and a “theatre” crowd. It seemed like there was a crowd to label everyone.