Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 264(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
"So you're like a cuddler, then. Who did you cuddle with last night?" I glance out the window, like this is a normal question. Not one laced with jealousy that I shouldn’t be feeling.
"A pillow."
"Oh. I was with Minnie." I peek over at him. "You just have a pillow. No one at home waiting for you?"
"I wouldn't leave my girl at home while I went on a trip with another."
"I get that." I nod along, totally playing this cool. Just two people talking about normal people things. "When was your last girlfriend?"
"Never had one." My mouth drops open. He must notice my shock. "I'm always on the road. That makes it difficult to date." The word sounds foreign to him. "People tend to avoid me."
"I've never dated either. No boyfriends, no nothing." I hear a creak and glance around, wondering where it came from. "What was that?"
"The steering wheel is fine." I’m not sure it’s fine, but what do I know about cars? Zip, zero, nada.
"I'm sorry people avoid you. It's better than them picking on you." I try to find the silver lining for him, but I don't think anyone would pick on him.
He's sweet and all, but his size alone would stop insults. He could simply swipe his arm and take everyone out around him. He and Minnie could have had a real wrestling match.
“It doesn’t bother me. I enjoy it for the most part.”
“Oh.” I sink back in my seat. He enjoys the solitude. I keep my lips pressed together so I don’t keep rambling and he changes his mind about this trip. The thought of him now dropping me off at a hotel near the airport sounds terrible.
“You okay?” He glances over at me. I nod a yes at him. “You’ve gone quiet on me.” Wait, does he sound not happy about that?
“If you enjoy being alone, I thought that meant you like the quiet. I hate it. I tend to ramble, and it’s annoying. I even talk to myself. I’m not the worst company. I mean, I hang out with myself all the time.”
“I'm enjoying your company. Don't stop talking now.”
I eye him. "Are you only saying that to be nice?"
"No." He glances over at me again. "Promise."
“Well, if you insist. I wouldn’t want you to think I was rude.” I smile at him. “But remember, you asked for it.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
He knows not what he asks for, but his wish is my command. Let’s be honest; there was no way I was keeping quiet for more than five minutes at a time anyway.
“So now what?” I ask.
"We get back down the mountains and onto the highway. Get distance between us and—"
"The snowstorm! Right." How did I forget? That's what he said already. We need to beat it out. I glance at him for confirmation.
"Right," he agrees. "From the snowstorm."
I have to fight to keep myself from bouncing in my seat. I'm way more excited than I should be. My plans have been derailed, but thankfully I found Killian. I know I'm in safe hands with a man as sweet and charming as him.
I hope that my evil plans to ruin Tristan's life don’t make him see me in a terrible light.
Chapter Six
KILLIAN
I'm not worried about the snow. I do, however, want space between her home and us. The farther we get, the harder it will be for her to go back. She'll be fully dependent on me. As I have that thought, I wait for a sense of unease to creep in. I don't want anyone to be dependent on me. That sounds like a nightmare, but it isn't, not if it’s the girl with the heart-shaped face that smells of sunshine and cotton candy.
I listen to her tell me about how she found Minnie. At one point, Minnie was her only friend until Lily came along. I mentally jot down notes, one being tracking down all her former classmates and showing them what a real fucking bully is.
Who could pick on such a beautiful creature? It's hard for me to keep my eyes on the road, but I manage, her safety now being more important, and I have fully assigned myself to the role of being her protector. She needs a guardian. She's too sweet and pure to be let out in the world all alone. Someone could take advantage of her. It’s already happening. I'm the first person she came across, and I’m doing it.
No, I'm not a decent man. I will take every inch that she gives me.
When she starts to speak about her grandmother, I have a sudden dislike for death. Not that I'm going to stop killing, but I can see how death affects the people around it. Those things, I suppose, aren't always good.
"What about you? Do you have family?" she asks. I bite back my normal response when a person tries to dig into my life, reminding myself she’s different.