Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 129986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129986 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“I don’t know his name. A chubby kid with glasses and freckles. He’s given me stuff from you before.”
“Okay. Fuck.” He looks out at the water, then around the beach one more time. Still seeing no one, he keeps his arm around me and takes me back to the steps. “Let’s go. You walk ahead of me. If you get a message like this from me again, don’t just automatically listen to it. Clear it with me first in person or on a call, but make sure you hear my voice. No texts, no notes.”
“This isn’t from you?”
He shakes his head, his expression grim.
That’s so confusing. “But why would someone else send this to me?”
“It’s from Anae,” he says simply. “She copies handwriting pretty well.”
“And she used your soldier?”
“Apparently,” he says, his tone grim. “You’ll get something from him again tomorrow. Don’t let on that you know he’s been compromised. Don’t talk to him for long, but if he lingers near you with you ignoring him, that would be ideal. Keep the sheet of paper he gives you. I’ll need it back.”
My head is spinning, but I don’t question him, I just hurry up the steps. Knowing Anae sent me here and not him is creepy.
Why did she want me here? What was the purpose of that?
Doesn’t seem like it could have been good.
I hate to admit it, but I’m a little scared. “How unhinged is she?”
“Severely.”
We make it to his yard. I take a cautious look around, but seeing no apparent danger, I turn back to look at him. “Do you think she wanted to hurt me?”
“Possibly.” He drapes his arm around my waist and pulls me close. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. But you need to listen to everything I tell you and follow my directions exactly.”
I lean on him, nodding my head as I rest my face on his hard chest.
“I like this dress,” he murmurs.
It’s hard to smile right now, but he draws a little one out of me. “I thought you would.” I stay where I am in his arms, but I glance toward the beach. “Look, the sun is setting.”
He turns slightly so he can watch the sunset while he holds me.
“It’s beautiful,” I say softly.
“It sure is.” He pulls me back, his hand sliding around my neck, then leans down and gives me a soft kiss.
Sighing against his mouth, I wind my arms around his neck and kiss him back.
As much as I’d love to get swept up in him, I’m too shaken up by what just happened, so I pull back after only a moment. “I think I better get home,” I tell him. “She has left stuff at my house before, so she clearly knows where I live. What if she lured me here just to get me out of my house?”
“Why don’t I take you home,” he suggests. “I’ll give you a ride to and from school tomorrow, too. You can pick your car up when you get back from New York Saturday night.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He nods. “I want to have your car checked out, make sure nothing was tampered with. Can you start keeping it in the garage?”
“We mostly use our garage for storage, there’s not really room for the car.”
He nods again, but I can see his wheels turning. “All right. Well, I’d still like to have it looked at. Either way, you’ll be safer with me. Do you think we could convince your mom to let me spend the night tonight without letting her know why?”
“Um… not sure. But if you sneak in after she’s asleep, we don’t have to ask.”
“All right. Text me when she’s going to sleep and I’ll come over.”
Trying to find a bright spot in all this, I say, “At least you didn’t have to wait long to cash in your rain check.”
Dare smirks, sliding his hand down and grabbing my ass. “Make sure you keep this dress on, but ditch the panties.”
___
When Dare takes me home, he checks around the house to make sure nothing seems suspicious. My neighbor Josie comes out and watches curiously as he comes around the side of the house. I tell her he’s my boyfriend for simplicity’s sake. He tells her there was something wrong with my car again, so it’s being looked at and that’s why he gave me a ride home.
He walks me to my porch and gives me a kiss, then he tells me he’ll see me in a couple of hours.
I’m excited for him to come back, but still really nervous about whatever Anae had planned. If that plan was thwarted, where is her head at now? Was she really going to hurt me?
I feel like I’m in a tense horror film as I walk in the house and find Mom not in the living room. Dread curls around me and I grip my phone as I walk down the hall.