Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
I shook my head, electing to kiss him instead of argue. I’d met his family and they were nothing like mine. I could absolutely see their ties to the life, but they weren’t cruel. I could see our future stretching out before us—a happy, passionate, exciting future—but I knew it would be filled with these types of debates. Me assuring him that he was better than so many of the people I'd grown up with, and him never feeling like he was.
And as I lost myself in his kiss, doing my best to silently show him exactly how amazing he was, I could only hope that we were granted the time I needed for me to convince him.
CHAPTER 15
Gareth
Ileaned against the bar with my arms folded over my chest, my anxiety rising with each second that ticked by. I told myself to stop being a primal possessive asshole, but it wasn't really working.
Serenity still hadn't arrived to the Cougars’ spring break costume party. The bar was packed with my players dressed in all manner of costumes, from the Mandalorian to Freddy Krueger. Pretty sure I saw no less than three phantoms and more Ghostbusters than I could count.
While they were all celebrating their off season, enjoying the open bar I'd provided them because they sure as hell earned it, I was glaring at the bar, dressed in my normal suit, and looking at my phone every two minutes.
I knew she was safe, but with Dante's latest update about Doyle going off the grid after being kicked out of the game, I was struggling with a sense of unease. Like the bastard would pop up any second to do a jump scare. I knew he wouldn't take the offense quietly, and I found myself wishing he would just get his plans over with so Serenity and I could relax for a fucking minute.
Although lately, she certainly hadn't seemed as on edge as she had in the beginning of our relationship. Each day she seemed more and more comfortable, sliding into her own skin with such an effortless grace I couldn't help but admire her. She could’ve easily and understandably been working through her trauma with lots of self-care and isolation, but she'd chosen to embrace her new freedom and try on all sorts of different situations to see if she liked them. And I was pretty damn proud to be one of those situations she liked. For now.
She told you she loves you, my inner voice reminded me.
It’d been two weeks since Serenity had said the words. Words I never thought I would ever hear so sincerely from someone in a relationship with me, let alone someone as amazing and as Serenity.
But I hadn't said it back.
It wasn't because I didn't feel that, because I did.
I loved her like I’d never loved anyone before, but if I said it back, then it’d be real.
Solid and concrete.
It would be another cage that Serenity couldn't escape. Because even if my past didn’t creep up and terrify her, she was still healing. Still learning who she was and what she wanted outside of family obligations. Telling her I loved her would only encourage her to stop exploring anything outside of me. And I wanted her to have the freedom, even when it killed me to think of her anywhere else but with me.
I shifted against the bar, hating when my thoughts traveled this direction. I scanned the bar again, noting so many of my players having a great time either drinking and mingling or dancing on the dance floor.
I was ready to text Daisy, who’d promised me she’d get Serenity here safely when the girls said they were going to get ready for the party together.
Serenity had been more than excited, the prospect of a costume party where she got to pick out her own role to play was next level for her. And that's exactly why I resisted the urge to text and took another drink in order to help myself calm the fuck down.
Asher spotted me as he made his way through the crowd. “You certainly don't look like you're ready to handle what's about to hit you,” he said as he came to stand next to me.
I tilted my head, wondering what the hell he was talking about. “Have you heard something about Doyle that I haven't?”
Asher shook his head, biting back a smile that had me cocking an eyebrow at him. “That's not the O'Brien I'm talking about,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.
I followed his line of sight, and it felt like the floor had been ripped out beneath me.
Daisy, dressed as a pinup girl, held hands with Serenity as she guided her through the crowd. She wore a Princess Leia costume, her hair intricately woven into braids to match. And it wasn't the white dress that covered every inch of her body, either. Nope. It was the costume that looked more like a metallic bikini with some bolts of fabric hanging between her legs, leaving every inch of that glorious body on display.