Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
I nodded. We hadn’t talked about all the details of his last few moments. Until now, I hadn’t wanted to hear it. Fuck, I still didn’t want to think about it. The fresh wave of grief it caused was the reason why I’d not asked.
“I walked in on him talking on the phone to a realtor the day before the shooting. I asked him if he was moving out of the compound. He shrugged and told me it was nothing, not to worry about it. I wondered if Saylor was pressuring him to get a place and get engaged. But … but he never talked about marriage to her anymore.”
“Then, he was a fool because that lying slut is the reason he got killed. Her fucking brother fired that shot because he’d found out she was pregnant.”
He paled. “What?”
“You heard me. I lost my brother, and that bitch is gonna lose hers,” I said through clenched teeth.
Than stood up. “I agree he needs to die, and I want to be there when it happens. But it isn’t her fault.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he fucking serious? “Yeah, it is.”
He shook his head. “I am almost one hundred percent sure that Crosby loved her.”
“Well, it fucking got him killed,” I bit out.
I was done with this conversation. My dad would be calling soon. I had him and my mom to deal with, and then there would be Saylor. None of them were going to want me to keep Halo here. I didn’t give a fuck what they wanted, but it was still drama I had to face.
“He wouldn’t have wanted you to blame her, and you know it,” he called out behind me.
I said nothing. There were only so many things I was willing to do when it came to her. Forgiving her was not one of them.
Twelve
Halo
As much as I didn’t want to see Bane again, I wasn’t sure I could stay in the small room he’d left me in, staring at the walls any longer. The knowledge that Crosby had been engaged had left me hollow. I hadn’t ever considered something like that. I had gone from thinking he had ghosted me and not wanted me to thinking he had loved me and had been coming to see me, like he’d promised. To finding out I was always going to be his secret. The memories of him, us, were tainted now.
I’d given him my virginity. It hadn’t been planned, but that night, he’d been so sweet and tender. He kissed me and whispered words to me no one had ever said before. I felt beautiful and wanted. The things he made me feel were new and wonderful. I enjoyed everything, even the painful part, because he stared down at me as if I was the most precious thing in the world. But that had all been my interpretation. My being deprived of affection had made me an easy target. It hadn’t taken much to get me naked. Just gave me attention, and I had spread my legs for him almost every time we were together.
I grimaced at the thought, then stood up from the edge of the twin bed I’d been sitting on. I was thirsty, and I needed to do something other than think about this. It would just continue to torment me.
I walked to the door and opened it, but I didn’t go out. I stood there, staring at the other door up here. That was the bathroom. It, like the bedroom, had a slanted ceiling that went all the way down to the floor on one side because of the roofline. I was pretty sure this was part of an attic.
Bane had brought my other things up here and not said one word to me. He’d been angry, but he was always angry with me.
I looked at the stairs, wondering if I would get lost without a guide. He hadn’t shown me where the kitchen was, but my mouth was dry, and although I’d brushed my teeth since I had thrown up, I still felt like I had vomit in my throat.
Deciding that I had to get out of this room regardless, I headed down the stairs, then tried to backtrack the way we had come up. I made my way toward the big room with the television, where I’d met Than earlier. I heard several voices, and it sounded like the television was on. Stopping, I wasn’t sure I should go in there. My introduction to Than had been bad enough. I didn’t think I was up for facing more people who were going to be distraught by my existence.
“Halo,” Than called.
I turned to see him walking up behind me, carrying a plate of food. He smiled at me reassuringly, and I wanted to sigh in relief. He didn’t hate me. At least not yet.