Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)
He groaned, brushing his hair back from those enigmatic eyes. The car rumbled off the dirt road onto smooth pavement, and turned left away from town. “Sue, I hear you, but she can’t miss two weeks of school.”
“My dude, it’s first grade, not NASA training. I think she’ll be okay.”
He cracked a smile, tossing me an amused look. “Okay, fine, if you’re really going to make me say it, then here it is—I’m not leaving you for two weeks. Christie and three different officers all threw up after seeing what was done to your mother. I don’t know what you saw when you went in there, but I know it would’ve been traumatic even if she had drifted away peacefully in her sleep.
“But that’s not what happened,” he said gently. “I can only imagine what’s replaying over and over in your head right now, and the last thing I’m going to do is party it up in the city when you need me more than ever.”
I blinked at him. “Since when do you care about me needing you? You don’t even like me.”
“No, I love you,” he shot back—temper leaking into his voice. “That’s why I can’t stay away from you even when you’re being a pain in the ass. Can you just let me be here for you without making me grovel for the privilege? Huh?” he barked. “Is that too much to ask?”
I cracked the tiniest smile, then marveled that he made me do that. “No, Alex.” I slid my hand across the cupholder, slipping mine under his. “That’s not too much to ask. Thank you, baby,” I whispered. “I really do need you now more than ever. It means so much to me that you’re here.”
He mumbled something, shifting away. It wasn’t until I glanced at the rearview mirror that I saw why.
“Oh my goodness, Alex Montgomery! You’re blushing!”
“No,” he said too quickly. “No, I am not!”
“You cute little blushing blusher.” I rolled down the windows. “Hey, everyone,” I shouted into the street. “Look at the pretty boy blush!”
“Fucking hell,” he burst out, red cheeks deepening as he jammed my window switch. “What are you trying to do, woman? Get us pulled over? That’s it. I want the divorce.”
“Sorry,” I teased, smirk tugging at my lips. “It’s too late.”
He dropped his head on his hand, eyeing me sideways with the same heart-melting smirk. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s too late.”
Chapter Fifteen
There was no such thing as feeling better so soon after losing your mother, but hours later when Lily, Alex, and I drove down the same dirt road for home—it felt like the pit had shrunk just the tiniest bit.
“How are you doing, Lilybug? Do you remember what Mommy and Daddy told you?”
“Yes,” she said, putting down her ice cream cone. We took her to Bonsai Beach to tell her in the simplest non-murdery terms that Omma was gone. She cried for a while but stopped by the time we reached the ice cream parlor.
She'd been asking us innocent questions about heaven ever since, and if Omma was happy there.
“The police offcers are back,” she cutely mispronounced. “But they’re nice and there to protect us.”
“That’s right, sweet girl,” I spoke up. “They might ask you some questions about Halmeoni, but me or your daddies will be with you the whole time.”
“You promise, Mommy?” She poked her head through the gap, staring up at me with those big, purple eyes. “You’ll be with me forever now?”
“Lily, I...” Why was she asking only me that? Was it because of Sue’s neglect, or because she knew I wasn’t her old mommy?
Fact was I never did ask Lily what she meant that day. First, because Alex got in the way, and then because I wimped out like a big fat chicken.
Confirming that Lily knew I wasn’t Sue meant opening the door to what happened to the real Sue, and I could lie to Alex, Rhodes, and Micah. But I didn’t want to lie to her.
“Yes,” I murmured, feeling Alex’s eyes on me. “I promise I’ll be with you forever. No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you.”
“Okay,” she chirped, dropping back to finish her ice cream.
Alex was still eyeing me as he slowed before the gate, waiting for it to open.
“Sue,” he began, “about what we said this morning about you staying. We should—”
I shot forward, dropping my ice cream all down my shirt and lap. “Wait, what are they doing! Stop!” Throwing open the door, I fell out of the car. “Stop, let her go!”
Balogun and Kaplan held open the main doors, clearing the way for the two officers hauling Courtney out in handcuffs. With a goggling, nosy crowd trailing behind them—filming everything.
“Stay back,” Kaplan bellowed, dropping the jolly, laid-back act quick. “Do not interfere, Mrs. Kim.”
“My foot’s about to interfere with your ass, bitch!”