Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Well, that does not bode well for us,” Adrian says under his breath before, “Father, forgive me I have sinned.”
I roll my eyes. “Let’s go, they have at least five ponds on property, two pools, and a giant ass river called The Gorge, fingers crossed she didn’t venture to the four-thousand-foot-deep section where people go to an eternal sleep.”
“Hey!” Dustin holds up his hand for a high five. “You have random, useless information too, up top.”
“Do not.” Scarlett shakes her head. “Hit his hand.”
“Do it man, do it for me.” Adrian nudges me in the arm.
I lower my hand. “Whatever. Let’s go find the missing aunt, I’m sure she’s fine.”
Scarlett doesn’t look convinced, and I know I’m probably not helping with my grumpy demeanor. She runs off in the other direction and creepy as it may sound, I wait a few minutes than follow.
Something about her alone in the dark doesn’t sit well with me, I mean, I know she’s strong and can handle herself and we’re not technically in a real relationship, though we argue like we’ve been married over a decade.
A smile forms across my lips before I can stop it.
Why am I so pulled to her? And why do I want to equally shove her away? She deserves more than life on the road, that’s for sure. On top of that, I’ll break her heart.
It’s what I do.
I freak out; I don’t commit the way I should. I panic and think about myself and my career and then I just bounce.
She deserves the priest.
But it will be a dark day in hell before that happens even if it’s me falling on my own sword.
Which just makes it worse. I can’t have her but nobody can?
“Shit.” Gravel crunches under my shoes as I follow her into the darkness and I can’t help but wonder why it feels like it’s light.
Maybe it’s her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Scarlett
I’m too stressed out and confused to do anything but just run in one direction while the others run opposite of me. I know of one pond close to us that’s near the lobby, but I can’t imagine Aunt Gertrude just throwing caution to the wind and jumping in.
For one thing, it’s super dark out despite the different path lamps they have at the resort, and for another, she usually takes a… um, lover with her and when I consider the way that would even go with water, I want to vomit bourbon again.
How did Adrian keep that from me, though? The fact that she kicked Addison out of the will? Is that why she’s getting married or am I just jumping to conclusions? It’s not like Rob doesn’t have loads of money.
Unless they’re broke.
No. That would be crazy. His family is literally a dynasty of Seattle, though he did ask my dad for significant investments into one of their new projects.
See? Now I’m going all detective on something that isn’t even an issue because I’m stressed out and I hate being lied to.
Damn it, Adrian!
Why couldn’t he have just told me? Is it the whole priest secrecy thing? Protecting me? He knows I don’t even care about the money, and while Aunt Gertrude is eccentric, I love her, she always has the best jokes, and she throws back tequila like it’s water.
What’s not to love?
In my Birkenstocks and white sweats, I trudge over to the nearest pond that I’m sure everyone has already looked in and turn on the flashlight on my phone.
No movement.
Huh, don’t they at least have fish in there?
“What the hell are you doing?” Addison’s voice is truly like nails on a chalkboard at this point and I’m way past being annoyed even if it is her weekend.
I lower my phone and look over my shoulder. She’s dressed impeccably in this weird tuxedo looking pantsuit that has her breasts on full display down the middle with a little matching black choker.
Ha! What if I just choked—her?
I smile wide at my own joke. “I’m helping the search party.”
Addison waves me off like nothing matters. “Whatever. She took out her teeth then crawled under the table, but the tablecloths were too long so nobody thought to even look, and you know how short she is, anyway. If one more person ruins this wedding, I’m going to go psycho bitch on everyone.”
Bite your tongue. Bite your tongue. Oh, the good Lord (if he’s real) will bless me for this one, he shall bless me with thousands of free dollars at Nordstrom, a yacht, ten men. Zac Efron, Austin Butler, Jungkook, Keanu Reeves, Yunxi Luo, Dylan Wang, Channing Tatum, Timothee Chalamet, John Boyega, and Tom Hardy.
Amen.
I take another deep breath, so I don’t end up on one of those crime shows and force a smile. “I’m so sorry this has been rough for you.”
That’s all I have.