Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 101(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 101(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Too pissed to reply, I lit up another smoke. I snatched a beer from his pack, ripped off the top, and downed half the bottle; then I tipped my head back to stare at the night sky.
This time, when I glanced at Ky, his eyebrows were pulled down. “What’s wrong?” There was no humor in his voice. His head tipped to the side, studying me. “Is it AK, has something gone down with the Klan?” Ky practically jumped to his feet.
I grabbed his arm and forced his ass back down on his seat. He watched me, confused as fuck. I put down my bottle and signed, “Ain’t gonna be able to do this marriage shit.”
Ky stared at me like I was a fucking alien or some shit. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I downed the rest of the beer, threw the fucker across the garden, and watched as it smashed against a nearby tree.
“What the fuck!” Ky exclaimed. I got to my feet and pushed my hands through my hair.
Facing my best friend, I wrapped my hand around my throat—a choking gesture. I signed, “Can’t fucking speak. Mae is all jacked up about this marriage, this fucking ceremony, and I can’t get out a fucking word.” I shook my head. “Can’t even speak to you now. One of the only two people I can speak to in the world, because the thought of talking aloud in front of anyone else has fucking stolen all my motherfucking words.”
“No one expects you to speak, dumb fuck. We all know you’ll sign.”
I curled my fist and slammed it into the post holding up the porch. I stared out over the trees and worked on getting my breathing under control. Eventually I turned to see my VP sitting back, relaxed, in his seat. He was used to my outbursts. He’d seen me lose it over my defective voice a million times. Leaning against the porch rail, I signed, “I wanna speak. I . . .” I paused. “I wanna fucking speak on that day, Ky. Just for once, I wanna fucking speak right.”
I ignored the flash of sympathy in Ky’s eyes. If I acknowledged it, it’d just fuck me off even more. Ky got to his feet and stood beside me at the rail. He offered me another beer. “Then we get you to fucking speak. Piece of piss.” He shrugged like it was nothing.
When I raised my eyebrow and looked at him, the fucker was smirking. I shook my head, but I couldn’t help smirking back. I lost focus as I stared down at my new beer. The door opened and Mae stepped onto the deck, her long hair mussed by sleep. She yawned, hand cradling her swollen stomach, then smiled so fucking big when she saw me.
“I thought I heard you out here.” She darted to me. She slipped her arms around my waist, her bump nudging my stomach. She laughed when she could no longer get as close as she once had.
I kissed her head and she pulled back. Folding her arms and watching Ky and me suspiciously, she asked, “What has you two so lost in thought?”
Ky shrugged. “Just needed a beer. I escaped Grace as she attempted to put fucking makeup on me. I mean, I know I’m fucking hot as all hell, and could pull off a deep mauve as much as the next guy, but fuck that shit. Left Lil’ Ash to take my place. That little fucker’s gonna look like a two-bit whore in no time. He’d brought Madds up to spend the night with Li and Grace. That was my fucking cue to leave and remind myself I actually got a pair of balls.”
Mae’s loud peal of laughter soothed my fucking mood like a damn balm. She threw her head back and caught her breath. “Do you mind if I go and see them too? I would very much like to witness all of this.”
“N-N-No,” I managed to push out. Her eyebrows dropped with suspicion. I hardly ever stuttered in front of her these days. It was an indication that something was wrong. But she let it go. For that I was thankful.
“I will make you dinner before I leave,” she said and looked at Ky. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Kyler?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
“I . . . well . . . I . . . pardon?” Mae’s fucking nose was twitching, destroying me on the spot. “Was that a real question? I do not know if bears do that . . . in the woods.” She paused. “Maybe . . . yes?”
“You got it, sweetcheeks,” he declared with a wink. I almost punched the asshole for playing with my bitch this much. He knew all the cult bitches—including his own motherfucking wife—were still clueless about a ton of things.