Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 112951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
He didn’t respond, and his shoulders slumped another inch down.
I took a step toward him. It felt like I was walking through wet cement, but I moved it ahead. “You want to know what happened to me? You motherfucker.”
One corner of his mouth turned down. “You don’t have to insult me.”
“You called me a deaf mute.”
“That isn’t an insult if it’s true.”
Fuck’s sake. He was an asshole. My nostrils flared. “You didn’t throw it at me like a term of endearment. You shouldn’t even think that phrase. It shouldn’t be a part of your vocabulary, because the truth is that you have no idea what it would be like to be someone who can’t hear, who can’t talk, who can’t walk, who can’t do the simplest things that you take for granted.”
I breathed in relief.
I could talk again.
That fight he wanted, it was coming. I felt it sparking, fueling me.
I raised my head higher. “You’re so pissed off. I can see it, and you want to know what happened to me? Your sister happened. Assholes like Carruthers happened to me. Assholes like his friends who thought they could bag on me, push me down because I dared to stand up against one of their own. Girls like my roommate who thought she was better than me, because she felt strong with her posse and thought she could tear me down because I was a loner. You’re the last person I’m seeing right now, and you’re the last one I’m going to let hurt me.”
Right.
I pumped up my fist—and it almost hit me.
I moved it over an inch, and raised it higher. I puffed up my chest.
I sneered at him. How was that, dickbag? Huh?
He only raised an eyebrow. “You drunk right now?”
He was unmoved, and I felt a needle taken to my pep talk balloon. My chest sank back in so it was normal.
I rolled my eyes. “What are you doing here? This isn’t your campus.”
He pulled out the keys and dangled them in the air. “My sister’s things were moved out today. I had to drop her keys off. We’re heading out of town tomorrow.”
Oh.
I felt like an ass. “I thought you were here to hurt me.”
His eyebrows lifted again. I saw the surprise there. “No way. I don’t want anything to do with you or Shay again. I’m done with everyone at Dulane.”
“What do you mean? What about Sabrina?”
He glanced down for a moment. “She broke up with me. Apparently, she was with me for the wrong reasons.” He rolled his eyes again and hissed out, “She’s still in love with Coleman, so head’s up, Clarke. She might be after your man.”
That rolled off my back. It didn’t even make a dent, and I threw back, “Sure she doesn’t want to be associated with your stalking-obsessed sister?”
His eyes formed to slits. He grew unnaturally still. “Watch it, Clarke. That’s my blood you’re talking about.”
“Who is obsessed with you. Who is obsessed with my boyfriend. Who was starting to become obsessed with me. Your blood is messed up.”
“Yeah, well.” The hand with the keys went back in his khaki pocket and his other rubbed the back of his neck. “Every family is fucked in some way. We got ours, and despite what you think, Phoebe’s just sick. That’s all. She isn’t the bad guy here.”
“Really?” My tone was dry. “So, who is?”
“No one. There are no bad guys. Everyone’s bad. Everyone’s good. Everyone changes and the whole situation can be flipped tomorrow. Sabrina dumped me because you laid into her. I could be pissed at you and blame you, but I don’t.”
Another, “Really?”
“Yeah.” For the first time, pain flashed in his eyes. “I mean, the dipshit in me wants to and maybe a part of me does, but I shouldn’t. You didn’t make Sabrina dump me. She did that on her own. She did that because she didn’t want to be a part of the whole thing with my sis and me. And for the record, I don’t hate your boyfriend.”
“What is it, then?”
Neither of us noticed, but Shay was there. He’d been coming from the library and had stopped at the end of the sidewalk where it would’ve merged with the one Cameron was standing on. All three of us on different sections of pavement, but all merged at one point. All three of us remained in our end, forming a triangle.
“Oh.” Cameron visibly seemed shaken. He stepped back, his shoulders falling as he raked both his hands through his hair. “Coleman. I didn’t see you there.”
Shay was cold. His face was impassive, but his eyes flicked to mine briefly. He was furious. I saw it there, far more controlled and pushed down than the anger Cameron let simmer to his surface.
I felt a ripple of violence in the air, like any moment Shay was ready to go.