Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
What would be the point?
It’s the same conversation we’ve had half a dozen times. He doesn’t believe me. And nothing will change that.
For Austin, this is a game of revenge.
That’s all it’ll ever be.
That’s all I’ll ever be.
DELILAH
As I step inside the house, Austin’s Mercedes peels away from the curb with a roar of the engine that echoes in my ears before fading into the distance. With a huff, I lean against the door and squeeze my eyes tightly closed.
I’m overwhelmed by the rush of emotions. I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life. As much as I want to hold myself back so these feelings won’t continue to flourish, that’s no longer an option. The moment he looks at me, all my good intentions are thrown out the window. He makes me want things that aren’t possible. Things he can’t give me.
Or maybe I should say—won’t give me.
“Where’ve you been for the past two hours?”
Startled, my eyelids fly open, and I find Mom sitting in the armchair facing the door. Her face is drawn and there are lines of tension bracketing her mouth.
I clear my throat. “I stayed at school to watch practice.”
She jerks a brow as her voice drops. “Football practice?”
“Yes.”
“Since when are you interested in that? You certainly weren’t when you were with Jasper.”
The lie shoots out of my mouth before I can stop it. “Everly asked me to hang out with her.”
I can almost see the wheels in Mom’s brain turning. “Everly Donahue?”
When I jerk my head into a nod, her eyes narrow. “The new girl who’s friends with Summer Hawthorne?”
I wince, not expecting her to know who Everly is, much less who she hangs out with. “Yes.”
“Is she the one who drove you home afterward?”
Shit.
I consider lying again but quickly discard the idea. Mom has already proven that she’s paying more attention than previously.
“No. Austin drove me home.”
The edges of her lips wilt. “I thought I made myself perfectly clear this morning when I said I didn’t want you hanging around or getting involved with that boy. Whether you want to see it or not, he’s trouble. He’ll only bring you down.”
For the second time in a matter of minutes, I squeeze my eyes closed before releasing a steady breath and forcing them open again. “I promise you that he’s not trouble. I wish you could take my word for it and trust me.”
“Unfortunately, that’s no longer possible. You’ve proven over the last week that you’re not capable of making good decisions.” Her voice turns quiet. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in you.”
My eyes widen as my mouth drops open.
I…can’t believe she just said that.
“What?”
“You heard me. I’ll be damned if I let some punk waltz in here and turn your head, undoing all our carefully laid plans.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Oh really? Then why have you been lying to me?”
I blink, thrown off by the question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Just this morning, you told me that Ms. Pettijohn asked you to continue tutoring that Hawthorne kid.”
My mouth turns cottony. Too late, I realize where this conversation is heading. It feels like a train crash is taking place in front of my eyes and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
“I spoke with Clarissa after school. Imagine my surprise when she told me she never asked any such thing of you.”
“Mom—”
“You were also kissing that Hawthorne boy in the hallway this morning. Everyone was talking about it.”
Oh god.
When I remain silent, she continues, voice escalating with each snapped-out word. “And that, he and Jasper almost got into another fight. It’s unfortunate that didn’t happen. Then he’d be tossed out on his ear.” She glares. “I look at you and it’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”
“That’s not true,” I whisper. “I haven’t changed. I’m still the same as I’ve always been.”
“Maybe you don’t want to see it, but you have. And it all started with Austin Hawthorne. He’s the problem. Both Jasper and Edmond think—”
“I don’t care what they think,” I growl, losing my patience.
“Delilah!” Her eyes widen in shock.
“Why are you listening to either one of them? Jasper’s a liar. How do you not see that?”
“And yet, you’re the one who has been caught in several lies. And he’s always been perfectly nice. Even when I see him around school, he’s always happy to chat.”
“He’s a phony, Mom. He never showed you his true colors.”
No, he reserved all that for me.
She waves a hand. “Just stop. I can’t believe you’re trying to throw him under the bus when he’s been so good to you.” She leans forward. “You know, he told me the real reason you broke up with him.”
That’s highly doubtful.
“You were seeing that other boy behind his back.” She squints and shakes her head. “Like I said, I don’t even know you anymore.”