Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Trust me,” I mutter. “My life’s not anything to be envious of.”
She frowns, pulling back to study me. “Spencer being a dick to you again? I really thought after all this time he’d act like a normal human.”
“Have you met him?” a female voice asks. “Spencer is anything but normal.”
I glance over at the girl standing nearby. She’s pretty in a way that’s different than Gemma. Less Instagram-influencer-esque woman and more doe-eyed-innocent-unworldly girl.
“I’m Willa,” the girl says. “You must be Aubrey.”
There was a time when I was Gemma’s best friend. But because I ran from this town with my tail between my legs, leaving every Park behind me, including her, it’s evident she’s moved on.
“Willa’s going to be my sister-in-law,” Gemma says, a wicked grin curling her lips up.
“Dempsey’s getting married?” I gape at Gemma in confusion. “Since when does he like a girl for more than two seconds? No offense, Willa.”
Willa giggles. “None taken.”
Gemma rolls her eyes in a dramatic way that tugs again at my warm memories of her. “Not Dempsey, Aubs. Callum.”
It takes several long seconds for my brain to catch up. “Wait. You’re marrying Callum? But he’s…”
“Old?” Gemma offers with a cackle. “Right? But legit, they’re so cute together. He’s crazy obsessed with her. Like I’m surprised he even let her come over here with me.”
I jerk my gaze over to the girl who Callum Park is obsessed over. Everything about her is so…simple and plain. And he’s so sexy and broody and, yeah, old.
Hugo’s older and you think he’s hot…
Shaking my head to chase away that thought, I frown at Willa. “How old are you?”
“Barely legal,” Gemma tattles, glee in her tone. “He got fired and everything.”
“Wait, you’re a student?” I gasp, shocked at this news.
“Was,” Willa says, shooting Gemma an annoyed look. “I graduated in May. And we’re not getting married yet.”
Gemma laughs. “Try telling Callum that. He stares at you like he wants to eat you alive. I bet by the end of the summer he’ll totally put a ring on you in a caveman-claiming move.”
Willa’s cheeks burn bright red and she chews on her bottom lip. “I mean, I wouldn’t say no if he asked.”
“Like I said,” Gemma chirps, “my future sister-in-law.” Gemma strips out of her dress, revealing an orange bikini that covers more of her body than mine, and then hastily pulls her long dark hair into a top knot. “Tell us everything about LA. We need to live vicariously through you.”
As we settle onto our loungers, I find myself relaxing, fixating on the leaves and dead bugs floating on the pool’s surface. Hearing Gemma prattle on while I enjoy the warm, summer day takes a load off my shoulders. I’ve been on edge since I got here between my mom being missing, Spencer being an asshole, and Hugo being flirty. Hanging out with Gemma like old times and getting to know the quiet girl who’s charmed the prickly statistics teacher into obsession is just what I needed to feel more like myself again.
My good time is short-lived, though.
Not fifteen minutes into our conversation and the patio door opens. Dempsey saunters outside, looking more muscular and tattooed than I remember. Spencer prowls behind him, a sculpted beast and a calculating glint in his eyes.
“The pool’s for swimming,” Dempsey announces, taking off in a full sprint toward us. “Time to get wet!”
We all three screech as he attempts to drag us into the pool. Gemma gets easily wrenched from her lounger by her brother and in Willa’s attempt to help her has all three of them splashing into the pool at once. I grip onto the edge of my lounger, glaring at Spencer.
He wouldn’t dare.
I shriek when he grabs the end of the chair and then the other, picking up the entire thing with me in it. Before I have time to process, he drops us into the pool. Cold water shocks my system and forces air out of my lungs. Bubbles blind the water in front of me, confusing me on which way is up. I frantically try to kick away from the chair, but it presses into my ass as I’m dragged down to the bottom of the pool.
The panic bleeds into anger when I realize Spencer is holding on to the sides of the lounger, his back on the pool floor, trapping me. I hit his chest to no avail. His eyes are electric and evil. The anger is gone a second later as I start aching for a breath of air. Again, I try to untangle myself from Spencer’s grip, but he’s too strong. I shoot him a terrified look, pleading with my eyes.
He laughs, sending bubbles surging into my face, the sound muted beneath the water. My lungs burn with the desperation to breathe. I claw at his chest, hoping to hurt him enough to let go.