Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 133655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
I’m halfway through the chorus when I’m yanked from the chair and instructed to stand. It’s the same voice. The same distant familiarity that my brain still can’t piece together.
As the bag is removed, the entire room goes dark, and a slim blindfold slides over my eyes instead.
My elbow is grabbed, and I’m instructed to walk again.
On slightly shaking legs, the muscles cold with disuse for God knows how long, I do as I’m told and walk.
The whole way, my stomach dances with excitement, and I rub my hands together as someone shoves me forward, leading me back through what feels like another maze of hallways.
As we walk, my smile grows.
This is so fucking cool.
I’m shoved down into another chair, this one soft and velvety from the feel of it under my hands, and a hush falls over the room, the sound of my breathing all I recognize.
“Ace Tobias Kelly, I’d like to welcome you here tonight,” someone announces, the sound of their voice circling me. “This is going to be one of the most important nights of your life. Are you ready to take on the challenge?”
“I’m ready,” I say confidently. “I’m so ready.”
Someone steps toward me, and I hold my chin high as their hands work to undo my blindfold. As it leaves, I blink against the darkness of the candlelit room, trying to find my focus as quickly as possible.
The first thing I notice is that the chair I’m sitting on is more throne than dining room spindle chair, and two people in long robes are in front of me, their official nature unquestionable.
That’s not that big of a surprise, but what is a surprise is the identity of the person on the left.
And not a little one. It’s the biggest fucking surprise that’s ever been sprung on me in all my nineteen years.
“Mom?”
“Hi, Acer,” she says, a smile in her voice and a fuck yeah grin on her lips. She’s just pulled the biggest fucking coup in Kelly history.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, looking around the room for Lexi and trying to make sense of it all. I don’t find the brainiac former president, but my mom finds her voice with ease.
“Surprise, motherfucker,” she says without hesitation. “Your clearly very cool mom is one of the secret chairs of Double C.”
My eyes feel like they might pop out of their sockets if I don’t shove them back in.
The man, whom I don’t recognize at all, standing next to her in a robe of his own, turns and nods to the two cloaked figures in the corner, and they step forward, pulling off their hoods.
It’s Lexi and Connor. Instantly, I put the pieces of the familiar but mysterious voice together and know that it was Connor back there. He’s been friends with Lexi Winslow since they were thirteen. At one point, back in the day, he was her boyfriend. Basically, he’s been around my family and parents’ friends for years.
Not to mention, he was Lexi’s right-hand man for Double C all last year.
But now, the two of them are no longer Dickson students and are passing the torch…to someone who appears to be a devilishly handsome guy whom a lot of people know to be Ace Kelly.
Holy fucking shit!
I discreetly inhale a calming breath and force myself to keep my cool. No need to blow my load of excitement before they even get this cloak-and-dagger secret ceremony show on the road.
“Tonight, we are gathered here for the ceremony of your initiation,” Lexi announces, a cheeky smile the only indication that she knew about my mom—and how fucking surprised I would be—from the beginning.
“Tonight, you will be initiated as the current sitting president of Computare Caterva,” Connor instructs. “Are you ready to take the oath, Ace Tobias Kelly?”
Am I motherfucking ready? I was born ready.
I glance from Lexi to my mom, and another rush of excitement floods my veins. Fuck yes, this is going to be incredible. I’m genetically destined for this. “I’m ready.”
My mom moves toward me, leaning down to whisper briefly into my ear. “Julia won’t be mad?”
Her question catches me off guard. I mean, it’s not like I hadn’t considered how Julia would feel that I’ve kept this secret from her, but I guess I didn’t consider that my mom would be thinking of it either. I hate that I haven’t been able to tell her—that I won’t until it’s all said and done and the first event takes place—but I’ve been putting in the work to show her how much I love her until now.
Surely it’ll be fine.
Once I explain, she’ll understand. She always does.
I shake my head. “She will,” I whisper back. “But that’s why we have the fifteen-minute rule. It’s saved my ass more than once, and it’ll save it again. I’m ready.”