Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“Yes?” I ask, a brow raised.
“Do you mind if I capture some of that too?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, walking over to my board and taking it out of the sand. “Like of my paddling?”
Manny seems to realize how it sounded and quickly throws his hands up in defense. “No! Not like that.” He lowers his hands to his sides. “Shit. Sorry. I’m not good at this.”
“At what?” I tease. “Your job?”
“No!” His eyes widen, and I feel for the guy. He must be new. “Just for some content.”
I take the steps to him and pat his chest. “I’m playing. Of course you can.” Chuckling, I turn around to drop my phone back into my bag when I notice someone standing out on the patio of Whisper Manor. That is the master bedroom too, and someone is standing outside, watching the ocean. I can’t see who from here, but it is definitely a male.
My blood rushes through my eardrums when I notice his body shift slightly, as though he’s now looking directly at me. I swallow quickly, swiping my palms down my thighs when someone stabs me with their finger from behind.
“Shit, Cooper!” I scold him, zipping up my bag and shoving my dress off until I’m in my bikini. “You scared me.”
“Good…” He raises his dark eyebrows. “You not suiting up?”
I shake my head, taking a large skull of water. “It’s too muggy. I can’t breathe and would rather feel the water on my skin today.”
His face scrunches as he hesitates. “Look, I’m all for you flashing what God gave you, but these assholes could be weird and there’s only one me.”
I stop him by pushing my finger to his lips. “They’re from Netflix, right? Like they’ll be anything bad.”
Cooper’s brows pull in slightly, but before he can answer, I snatch my board and run for the ocean, laughing as soon as my toes hit the water.
The rain wouldn’t stop pelting down over my face as I stood on the other side of the window, watching as girl after girl disappeared through the entry onto the ship. I knew it was going to be busy tonight, and I kind of counted on it. I needed to sneak in undetected. My friends would be there, so as soon as I was in, I knew I’d find my way back around. I brushed my hands down my skirt once again, thinking over the words in my head. I recited them like the alphabet, like a poem I wanted to memorize.
The heavy footsteps of my boots hit the wooden gangway that led onto the ship as it rocked against the wind. The sails were down, but the music was loud, and I was pretty sure someone was singing behind a guitar. I needed to hear him closer. Feel what his voice felt like against my skin. I knew this would be a bad idea. My being here wasn’t going to end well, but I had seen the tabloids. I knew where to be at the right time.
I reached the landing and took a deep breath. The stars were extra bright tonight, and the ocean was almost flat. Hades Hollow always had a swell to it, so this kind of weather was rare. I shuffled through the ship as I watched people from left to right. Lanterns hung over the stray ropes all over the place, and right in the middle of the back there was a boy playing a guitar and singing loudly against the night. He looked up at me from behind the most beautiful eyes ever, flashing me a dazzling smile.
Oh wow. He was worth it. The lyrics wrapped around the tip of his tongue like a poem does to a poet. His trance entrapped me. I didn’t want to leave. Moving around the barrels, I found an empty spot in the corner to study him as the flames from the small fire burning in the middle left a dusting of shadows around his face. I knew that I shouldn’t be here, that it was breaking every rule that I’d ever been given, but I had to see him. I just had to. Nothing ever made much sense to me, but this did.
Shiloh
I remember when I was thirteen years old, and Cooper found out that Ruin had a crush on me. Ever the protector, he tried to fight him after school in the library. It didn’t get far. Ruin’s father was an attorney here in Hades Hollow, and Ruin knew how to weaponize him. Cooper may be impulsive with his loyalty, but he’s not stupid.
“So you never told me how you managed to get this deal,” I say to Cooper as I paddle through the water, looking over my shoulder briefly to catch their small tin boat following far enough away for them not to hear. “I find it hard to believe that so many people are this interested in Hades Hollow.”