Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
My head spins, and my breaths speed up as memories of Dylan bombard me.
Standing outside the room where my best friend’s body is being held, I can’t breathe through the agonizing heartache.
The police contacted the last number Dylan called. That’s how they reached me.
“When you’re ready,” the cop murmurs.
I’ll never be ready.
I nod, my body trembling like a leaf in a shitstorm.
The door is pushed open, and I walk into the icy room. A body is lying on a steel slab, a white sheet covering it.
No.
I can’t.
The cop pulls the sheet back, and the world rips open beneath my feet.
The pain is brutal as it shreds through my soul.
I stare down at Dylan’s pale face, unable to accept what I’m seeing.
“No,” I growl as I shake my head to rid myself of the dreadful memory.
Unable to control my chaotic emotions, it’s impossible to think clearly.
I need to get to my father.
Dylan.
“Callan,” Lily whimpers. “Let–”
“Stop!” I silence her.
My Bugatti stops in front of me, and I rush to the driver’s side. As I slide behind the steering wheel, Lily climbs into the passenger side.
I’m in such a state I can’t bring myself to look at her. “Get out,” I growl, the last of my sanity threatening to leave me.
I need to get to Dad.
“Don’t do this,” she begs.
“Get the fuck out,” I shout.
Finally, she listens, and when the door shuts behind her, I floor the gas, the tires squealing as I pull away from the curb.
Dylan grins at me as we look at the money we’ve made this month. He pats my shoulder before grabbing me and excitedly shaking the hell out of me. “Now that’s what I call a good month.”
“We’ve worked our fucking assess off,” I chuckle at him.
He gets up from the chair and gives my shoulder another pat. “I’ll grab us a couple of beers and pizza so we can celebrate at home.”
“Okay.” I turn my attention back to the financial spreadsheet.
I hear Dylan walk to the door, then he says, “Hey.”
I glance up. “What?”
There’s happiness shining in his eyes. “We did it, brother. We’re in the big leagues now.”
I let out a burst of laughter as he leaves the office.
I see Dylan’s face clearly in my mind’s eye as I struggle to focus on the road ahead.
I hear his laughter.
Somehow I make it to my father’s house and park the Bugatti haphazardly across the curb and lawn. I throw the door open, and with sweat coating my skin and no air reaching my lungs, I stumble toward the front door.
I just need my Dad.
Before I can knock, the door opens, and I can barely make out Dad’s worried face. “Callan?” I see him dart toward me. “Fuck. Ellie! Naomi, come help!” Dad’s arms wrap around me, and I slump into his body. “Jesus Christ. I’ve got you, son.”
My breaths are ragged, and I struggle to stay in the present. I’m dragged into the house, and Dad helps me to sit on a couch.
“What happened?” I hear Ellie’s worried voice.
Dad’s hands frame my face, and he forces me to look at him. “Talk to me, son.”
“Dylan,” I manage to whisper.
“Jesus.” Dad looks at Naomi. “Get the extra pills I keep next to my bed for Callan.”
Dizzy, it feels as if all the pain is crushing my chest.
“Dad,” I groan.
He grips my chin. “Open your mouth.”
My lips part, and Dad places the pill beneath my tongue, then he orders, “Get some coke from the fridge.”
It takes minutes of my father forcing soda down my throat before I become aware of how badly my body is shaking.
“Shhh…take deep breaths,” Dad says. He wraps his arms around me, and I’m pulled to his chest as if I’m a little boy.
The sedative starts to work, and I’m dragged into a restless sleep.
Chapter 31
Lily
After Callan left me at the party, I couldn’t bring myself to go back to the courtyard. I took a cab home and have been trying to reach him ever since.
Feeling worried, I send another message.
Lily: Just let me know you’re safe.
I’ve left a crazy amount of missed calls and voicemails on his phone.
I’m hurt by the way Callan shouted at me to get out of his car. It’s so unlike him, and his uncharacteristic behavior has me worried out of my mind.
What if he blames me for everything?
God, he was so upset when he left. He shouldn’t have been driving.
A pounding on my front door has my head snapping up, and thinking it’s Callan, I rush to open it.
My father shoves his way into the apartment, with my mom and Sadie following after him.
Shit. I don’t have the energy for them right now.
After glancing around the apartment, Dad levels me with an angry glare. “Where is he?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Callan’s not here.”
“I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life,” he barks at me. “You will end whatever relationship you have with Callan Wright.”