Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
“Are you complimenting me again already?”
I scoffed. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Why is that hard for you to believe? Why haven’t you been with anyone?”
Of course he’d ask. “Why do you think?”
“Because your grandma probably told you that you needed to wait until you were married, and because you didn’t want to disappoint her, you decided to wait. Then once she was gone, you felt like a fraud lying to people and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I cut him off. He’d come at me like a fucking hurricane with that. Was it all true? Yes. Did I want to hear him figuring me out like that? No.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re annoying is what you are,” I muttered.
His smirk was just as nice as a smile. Maybe better.
His expression eased into another solemn one. “You’re not the only one who’s had to hide their entire life, Gracie.”
Oh, shit. He totally had a point.
“I wasn’t homeschooled, but I went to a private school. I’ve had to lie to every person I’ve ever met that I’m not related to. I couldn’t let myself get too close to anyone, because the more I interacted with them, the more possibilities I had of fucking up and doing something that would give me away.”
This sounded strangely familiar.
“I’m lucky I have a big family; otherwise, I wouldn’t have any friends.” He didn’t look troubled at all, just more matter of fact. “I’ve had to stay under the radar my whole life. I couldn’t get too good of grades; I couldn’t do anything out of the ordinary. We’ve all waited until we have found our partners to be with someone, because we can’t risk screwing up. We can’t put our families or our identities at risk if we hope to have any semblance of a normal life.”
This intense sensation of kinship rose up between us, strong and powerful. I felt my eyes widening at everything he was telling me because it was hitting way too close to home.
“I had no idea.”
Apparently, he had because he gave me this face that said he thought I was dumb for not coming up with it before.
Maybe I was.
How the hell had I not realized just how similar our lives had been? The only difference was that he’d had more people in his and more duties. My only responsibility had basically been to keep going. To be quiet.
The weight of a family, of a whole life, rested on those shoulders, and he was a hell of a lot stronger than I was, that was for sure.
“Why the hell are you tearing up?”
I didn’t bother wiping at my eyes. I just shrugged. “Because we’re so different, but at the same time, we’re almost the same person.”
Alex blinked. “Are we?”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
I shrugged. “We’re both a little mean.”
That got a corner of his mouth to lift. “You’re mean. I’m blunt,” Alex corrected.
“Honesty can be mean sometimes. That’s what white lies are for.”
“White lies are bullshit.”
I groaned. “Two. We both like to bicker.”
“Picking on each other isn’t bickering. We’re having fun.”
Picking on each other, was it? I had to keep from smiling. “We’ve both had to live with a thousand lies on our souls.”
He didn’t say anything then.
“And we’re both members of the V-club.”
Oooooh, that got me a side glare.
“I’m not making fun of you. I’d be making fun of myself. But it’s the truth.” I thought of something. “How many women have you kissed?”
If I could measure the length of the look he gave me, it would have been at least a mile long.
I knew what that expression meant.
I had to try hard not to gasp. “No one?”
“Why do you sound excited?”
My eyes went straight to his mouth. “Do you watch porn?”
It was the noise he made in his throat that made me glance up at his face. His red face. The tips of his ears were that color too. “What kind of a question is that?”
Oh b-o-y. “I’ll tell you what kind I like. It isn’t that big of a deal.”
The color in his cheeks, the tip of his nose, and ears went nowhere.
I smiled at him. Then I leaned forward, so, so close his earlobe was an inch away from my mouth, and I whispered right into his ear.
I could see the muscles in his neck and his biceps tighten as I moved back onto the pillow.
I smiled at him again.
He glared.
“See? It’s no big deal. Everyone does it.”
He went Glare 2.0 on me.
“I’ve done more than pee in front of you, Alex. It really isn’t weird.”
Nothing.
I squinted at him. “You’re into butt stuff, aren’t you?”
The hair on my arms started to rise as he stared at me, and I laughed. “Stoppppp.”
He stared at me for a minute longer. “That’s really what you’re into?” he asked then, going back to what I’d whispered.
I nodded, not feeling even a little bit embarrassed about it.