Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 146548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
“High,” Jack says, adjusting his camera settings. “It happened to someone in a boy band.”
Akara wipes sweat off his forehead. “I heard about that.” He looks at Jack. “Fans sold his puke on eBay too?”
“Yep. Double whammy,” Jack says, unsnapping a buckle or something to the steadicam and giving his shoulders a breather from the weight.
“Chile is fucking rougher than this,” Sulli tells me while I swig my water.
“I know.” I rise to my feet, Farrow’s hand hovering by my waist in case I go down. I’m up.
I’m stable.
I can run.
Pain thumps in my collar, swelling like a balloon that expands inside a space too cramped, too small. I clear a knot in my throat. Take another swig of water.
“I’m alright to run,” I tell my cousin.
Her grit and willpower is even greater and stronger than mine. Reverse our positions where she’s the one injured, and I’m pretty sure she’d be pushing beyond the limit. And maybe that’s why she’s not able to stop me.
It reminds me of yesterday. I don’t know why. But I think about the moment where we were on the stern’s swim deck.
Sullivan was flexing, showing off her carved bicep. She kissed it. Luna stuck out her tongue, no piercing, but she must’ve eaten something blue. Janie tossed her arms in the air. And Farrow and I—we were mid-teasing, our arms wrapped around each other.
My mom, out in the sea on an inner tube, snapped that picture. And when Luna saw the photo, she said, “Alpha chicks and dudes.”
“Total-fucking-ly,” Sulli smiled.
Jane beamed. “Oui.”
The media has latched onto Farrow and me as alphas. Not always as a compliment. And hearing my sister and cousins use that word to describe themselves made me love it more.
I blink out of a short stupor. Only to see Sulli and Akara facing one another. One stair above me. Seriousness tensing their postures and faces—I must’ve missed the start of some sort of talk.
“You have lots of friends, Sul,” Akara says.
“Who?” Sulli says wide-eyed like he’s not living in the same universe as her right now.
My scowl deepens, and I slowly twist the cap back on my water.
“Dean.” Akara takes off his backwards hat, pushing back his black hair. “He’s your friend.”
“No, he’s just a swim buddy at the club,” Sulli says.
“A buddy is a friend.” His smile peeks.
Sulli sets her hands on her head, distraught. “It’s not the fucking same when I have to censor myself with them, Kits. And I already suck at talking to people. My little sister would hate it if I said anything about her and someone spilled it online.”
Saying a private thing to the wrong person—it can be frightening for us. The consequence could hurt the people we love.
“Hey,” Akara says, “with that criteria you still have lots of friends.”
“Who?” she asks, breathing harder than she has been running up this damn cliff.
“Your family,” he says strongly. “Family can be friends, Sulli.” He emphasizes both words. “Not all family is as close as yours, and you made those bonds. You did that.”
She touches her lips, contemplating.
“And I’m your friend. And…” Akara motions to his left. “Jack is your friend.”
Farrow and I look over, and Jack Highland smiles a charming smile to Sulli while he reattaches his steadicam.
Sulli shakes her head repeatedly.
“Sullivan, right in the heart,” Jack says playfully, not really hurt.
“Oh hey, I know we’re friends, and I was excited about that because I can trust you, but it’s different…” She hangs her head, hand to her eyes.
I’m about to go comfort my cousin.
But Akara steps forward. “Sulli.”
She holds out her hand to stop him from edging near. “I just feel like you stole him from me. Like Jack was supposed to be the perfect fucking friend, the guy I could hang with, the one I could talk to about anything without fear—and now you two are best friends and where am I?” She pauses. “Not that…I mean, I wouldn’t claim a friend like that…I just…” Her cheeks roast bright red.
I walk up one step, her embarrassment eking into the air.
“Sulli,” Akara starts, worried.
She looks left and right for a quick exit; she whips around and sprints. Up the hundreds of stairs. Fleeing.
Goddammit. I bolt after Sulli, and before Akara chases after her, I tell him to give us a second. Farrow and Akara are following us, but at a distance.
“Sullivan!” I shout, pain stabbing my collarbone. Water in my tight grip. I shift the bottle to my left hand since it adds weight.
She slows on the curve of a switchback. Sun growing hotter with the morning light. I breathe through my nose and wipe my temples with my bicep.
“OhmyfuckingGod,” she squats, face in her hands. “What did I say, Moffy? Why’d I fucking say that?”
I crouch in front of my cousin. “Because that’s what you felt. It’s okay, Sulli.”