Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 153544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
“What are we discussing?”
“Fantasies,” Annika says. “Cecily said her fantasy is finding a nice, normal man since that’s so rare nowadays.”
“It is.” Cecily takes a sip of her tea. “Sorry, I’m lame.”
“You’re lying.” Ava crosses her arms over her fuzzy pajamas. “A year ago, you said your fantasy was to be ambushed in a dark place and taken against your will.”
The cup of tea shakes in Cecily’s hand and she pales.
“Hey…” I inch to Cecily’s side and put my hand on her shoulder, then glare at Ava, “We agreed to not talk about that again.”
“Don’t act high and mighty. You said something similar, too. What was it? Oh, you want to fight it and be forced to take it, even when you say no. I can’t be the only one who remembers that.”
My cheeks go red as the memories return. I definitely said that back at Remi’s birthday party when the three of us got drunk and talked about our forbidden fantasies.
Then we realized how fucked up those sounded and agreed to never talk about them again. Before Ava disappeared on us in the middle of the night.
Was I anticipating what would happen with Killian?
I can’t believe I’m caught up in a classic ‘be careful what you wish for’ scenario.
Cecily’s shaking. She’s not the type who shakes. Now that I think about it, she looks paler than usual today, as if she’s seeing a ghost everywhere she goes.
I tighten my hold on her shoulder. “We were drunk, Ava.”
“It was the truest thing you two prudes have ever said.” She shrugs, then grins. “What’s your fantasy, Anni?”
“Uh, am I supposed to have one?”
“Of course you are. What’s the first thing you thought about when you were growing up and thought to yourself, ‘Shit, my parents should never know about this side of me’?”
“Oh. You mean that.” Annika slides her fingers over her phone’s sparkling purple case. “I guess, I always wanted to be kidnapped.”
We all stare at her, dumbfounded.
Ava is the only one who chuckles. “Damn girl, now that’s what I call go big or go home.”
“It’s not in the sense you think. I don’t want to be taken from my life and family for good, I just…want to be kidnapped on the day of my wedding. You know, like in those movies? Yeah, I know it’s fucked up, but uh, I guess in my mind, that’s better than an arranged marriage.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“It’s okay. It’s my destiny.” She throws up a dismissive hand. “On a more happy note, who wants to party?”
“Do you even have to ask?” Ava jumps up and they both disappear into her room.
Cecily’s still shaking.
“Ces?” I smile at her. “Are you okay?”
“What? Yeah. I’m cool. Totally cool.”
“You said cool twice. Are you sure everything’s all right?”
She nods.
“You know you can talk to me, right?”
Her light eyes glitter as she stares at me for a beat too long. I think she’ll say something, but then she shakes her head. “You’re a doll, did you know that?”
“And you’re hiding something.”
“We all do, Glyn,” she says with a hint of sadness.
“I don’t hide things from you guys.”
“Yeah, right. I guess I missed the convo where a certain Killian has become the center of your attention.”
“That…is not true.”
“Then Anni must’ve been dreaming about the whole flirting session that happened at lunch yesterday.”
“Oh, Anni.”
“Right. Anni. She wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“It means nothing, Ces.”
“It’s okay if it does.” Her expression softens. “I’m happy to see you more balanced these days, even if it’s caused by a bastard from The King’s U.”
“Why do you hate them so much?”
“Have you missed the bastard part?”
I pull away from her, thinking about the nightmare from two days ago. I’ve been meaning to talk to her and Ava about this since I realized it might not have been a nightmare, after all.
“Hey, Ces.”
“Hmm?” she says over the rim of her cup.
“You think I sleep better these days?”
“Totally.”
“I heard you say that to Bran and Ava the night Remi brought fish and chips.”
Her cup freezes halfway to her mouth, but then she takes a sip. “Oh? I must’ve forgotten.”
“Cecily.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
She casts me a fleeting glance, then focuses back on her cup. “I know your face and love it, Glyn. No need to look at it.”
“You’re hiding something from me.”
An awkward chuckle spills from her. “You probably got things mixed up.”
“I heard you. There’s some filth you, Ava, and Bran are keeping from me. What is it?”
She remains silent.
“Ces, please. I’m not a little girl.”
My friend releases a sigh, puts the cup on the table, and takes my hands in hers. “You’re right. We shouldn’t have hidden it, but we all thought you were in a fragile mental state after…Devlin.”
“What is it?”
“We threw it away because that shit is disgusting, but I took a picture.” She retrieves her phone and scrolls to a photo taken a few weeks ago.