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)
“I didn’t realize I did that so much.”
“Mostly you did it around your mum. When she’d walk into a room, you’d kind of switch off. You’d retreat into yourself. Go blank.”
“Oh.” She guessed she thought of it as going numb so that nothing could hurt her.
“You didn’t use to do it around us once you got to know us better. All I want is to see that pretty smile and hear you laugh.”
“I found a bell that should work,” Slade said, walking into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Spencer said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I was shutting Spencer out,” she said.
Slade nodded understandingly. “Like you used to do around your mum?”
“Can’t believe I’m so easy to read. Did my mum ever notice me doing it?” she asked.
Both men went stone-faced.
Well. She guessed that answered that.
Her mum had barely noticed anything about her.
Rather than think about her non-existent relationship with her mother, she pointed at the bell in Slade’s hand. “What’s that?”
“A bell for you to ring,” Spencer said brightly.
Hmm.
“You say that like it’s an explanation but I still don’t understand,” she said.
“If you need something, ring the bell and one of us will come,” Slade told her.
They weren’t serious, right?
“Guys, you don’t need to wait on me hand and foot. That’s not . . . I don’t need that.”
All she needed was a place to stay and their protection.
That was it.
Slade gave her a firm look. “You are going to need help and unless you want Spencer in here twenty-four-seven—”
“Which is what I voted for,” Spencer interjected.
“This is the compromise we came up with,” Slade told her.
“I don’t need that much help. In fact, I don’t think I need any help at all.”
She was here to rest and recover. Nothing more. Besides, they had their own lives to live.
Slade placed a finger under her chin, studying her. “You’re still very pale. And shaky. And in pain. Don’t deny it, we’ve all noticed.”
Awesome.
Great to know that she looked so good.
“We’re in charge of your health and safety now,” Slade told her.
She narrowed her gaze at him. She didn’t agree to that.
“Slade, go easy,” Spencer warned.
Slade shot the other man a look, then turned to her. “Spencer doesn’t want me to scare you away. But you always liked rules. You liked to know where you stood.”
That was true. Having boundaries and rules made her feel more secure. Maybe because her mum had never cared what she was up to.
“Fine,” she grumbled. “Tell me.”
“Use this bell if you need something,” Slade told her. “If you’re hungry, in pain, bored, if you need to pee.”
She raised her hand like a dork. Slade nodded at her to speak.
“Um, I think we should talk about that last one. I don’t need help peeing.”
“Debatable,” Slade said. “But you are still shaky on your feet. So one of us will help you to the bathroom. The other rules are simple ones. Respect. Communication. Honesty. Between all of us.”
“And if I break the rules?” What would they do? What could they do?
“That is something we need to discuss. But there will be consequences.” Slade ran his thumb over her lip. By the time she realized she should pull away, his hand was gone and he was headed out of the room. “Behave yourself, Boo.”
That man.
Sometimes she couldn’t decide whether she wanted to punch him or kiss him.
Either way, she was in trouble.
“Lunch time,” Spencer sang as he stepped into her room.
How was he always so cheerful?
She’d been here a week now. Two weeks had passed since Billy beat her up. Indie had spent a lot of that time sleeping and resting.
But now she was bored. Spencer seemed hell bent on keeping her in bed and making her healthy.
She stared down at the kale salad in dismay. It wasn’t that she didn’t like salad. But she preferred it dripping in mayonnaise and preferably with some fried chicken or something on the side.
And she liked her kale fried. And used as decoration on a juicy steak.
“How about a burger?” she said.
“You don’t like the salad?” His face dropped.
Oh God.
When had she become so ungrateful?
“No, no, of course I do,” she said as he laid the tray over her legs.
He shot her a look. “Don’t lie to me.”
Oops.
“Who said I was lying?”
“Me. And I don’t like it. Don’t ever lie to me.”
Urgh. He was infuriating.
“I wasn’t lying. I’m just a bit tired of so much . . . healthy food. I’d kill for some pizza.”
“I guess I could make you a pizza,” he said. “That will make lunch late, though. And you get nauseous when you don’t eat regularly.”
Shoot. He was right. She did. But she hadn’t realized he’d figured that out.
Spencer was so . . . attentive.
It was dangerous to her peace of mind.
“You don’t have to make me one. We’ll just order one,” she told him.