Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“No. No, she said I can only leave if there is someone at home to help me. But that’s why I’m going home with Maggie.”
“Maggie?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t she live in the same apartment with you? Where exactly are you going with her?”
“I think they’ve got a hotel suite,” she said.
“A hotel suite? With Maggie and those guys?”
“Yes. Maggie’s men. They’re good guys.” But would they really want Maggie to spread her time between them and Indie? Wouldn’t she just be in the way?
God. She hated feeling like a burden. That’s what her mother had always told her that she was.
Her mum had gotten pregnant with her when she was eighteen and she’d never failed to remind Indie how she’d ruined her life.
Would she be getting in the way with Maggie? She couldn’t help but feel she would be. But what other choice did she have?
Go home with Spencer and the guys?
Yeah, that wouldn’t be a good idea.
She guessed that this was their way of apologizing to her.
She wasn’t mad at them anymore. However, just because she’d forgiven them didn’t mean she could trust them.
Bloody hell.
She was so confused over what to do.
“Indie, you need someone to take care of you. We can do that. I know we’ve fucked up in the past, big time. But let us help you. Use us.”
“I don’t want to use you, though.” Her voice broke.
Urgh.
She hated how her every emotion showed on her face and in her voice. It was so hard for her to hide when she was scared or upset or happy. Life with Billy had given her a few tricks, though. So she lowered her face to her hands, hunching her shoulders out of habit.
To make herself smaller.
Subservient.
Spencer let out a pained noise that had her head shooting back up. She winced as pain lanced through her neck.
Urgh. Was there an inch of her that didn’t hurt?
Maybe her little toe. She wiggled all of her toes. Nope. They hurt too.
Fucking Billy.
“Don’t do that,” he said in a hoarse voice that shocked her. Why did he sound so upset? Where was the cocky smile? The craziness that lived inside him?
“Do what?” she asked.
“Don’t make yourself smaller. Never make yourself smaller.” There was an intensity in his voice that stole her breath, her ability to think.
All she could do was stare into those gorgeous blue eyes. The same ones she used to fantasize about as a girl. And the same eyes she’d seen in her nightmares when the crazed happiness had turned into something hard and harsh.
Don’t think about that now
You don’t need the stress.
Reach for the numb.
She took a small breath, drawing it around her. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He winced and she wasn’t sure why.
“Yeah, I deserve that.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Deserve what?”
“Deserve you shutting me out. Going behind a wall. I know you’re doing it to protect yourself. But, God, Princess, it fucking kills me that you think you have to protect yourself from me.” He paced up and down. “I haven’t been the best protector, though, have I? So, yep, totally deserve the coldness. Need to be a better knight.”
Knight?
Was he losing his mind? What was he talking about now? He wasn’t a knight. He was her sunshine.
He shone so bright that sometimes it hurt to look at him. So far above her that she knew she could never reach him.
“And the coldness, that’s better than you making yourself small. I fucking hate that. Understand?” He turned suddenly and glared at her.
She was so confused that her mask slipped.
“I don’t think I understand at all,” she whispered.
He took a deep breath and let it out. “No. I can see you don’t. What I’m saying is that you are not less than us. You don’t need to stare at your hands to avoid us or try to fade away. Stand up and fight for what you need, Indie. Or, let me do it for you. I’ll fight any battle you tell me to, milady.”
Oh, he was such a dork sometimes.
Especially when he attempted a bow and hit his head on the end of the bed.
“Ouch. Shit.” He straightened and rubbed his head, his cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment.
To her surprise, she found herself smiling. Not because he hit his head. She wasn’t laughing at his pain.
But he was pretty funny sometimes.
“And that was worth the brain injury,” he said quietly.
“What was? And brain injury? Really? Slight exaggeration isn’t it?”
He pouted. “I really hurt myself. Shouldn’t you be offering to kiss it and make it all better?”
Indie forced herself to scoff even as the heat rose inside her. She pressed her legs together as she thought about kissing him in another place.
And making everything all better.
No. Nope.
That was a terrible idea.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
He sighed. “I suppose I’ll live. Just. But do you know what would make me feel better?”