Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
I barely get my sentence out when a hand grabs Jordan’s shoulder, pulling him back, and then in a moment of pure beauty, my gaze snaps up just in time to watch as Zephyr’s fist flies through the air, nailing Jordan right in the temple and knocking his bitch-ass out cold.
17
CAESAR
Tilly’s name flashes across my screen at a little after two in the morning, and I stare down at my phone, wondering what the fuck could have her calling me like this. As far as I was aware, she had plans with her friend, not that I’m positive I believed her.
To be honest, I think our conversation in my kitchen rattled her, and she took off so she didn’t have to deal with it. I just haven’t been able to work out why. It was a lot to take in, and while we redefined the terms of our little arrangement, confirming exactly where the boundaries lie, I don’t think that’s what had her running out of here, but what else could it have been?
The phone continues ringing into the silence of my bedroom, and I accept the call, not wanting to leave her hanging in case she might be in trouble. “Tilly,” I rumble, propping my hand behind my head.
“Ugh,” she groans. “Even on the phone, you’re grouchy.”
My brow arches as my hand twitches, eager to smack it across that fine ass of hers and teach her a lesson about how she should be speaking to me. “What do you want, hellcat?”
“For starters, you can quit calling me hellcat. It’s dangerous, and every time you say it, it makes me want to fuck you even harder, which is stupid because I don’t want to fuck you anymore. I can’t. You’re officially on my do not fuck list.”
“Fucking hell,” I hear Zephyr in the background. “Knock it off with the fucking my dad comments. If I have to picture that shit one more time, I’m going to hurl.”
Both Tilly and I ignore my son. “Is that what you want?” I ask her, my heart lurching and starting to race, the oddest fear in my chest that she’s going to call this whole thing off.
There’s a soft, broken sigh that tears at something deep in my chest. “No,” she finally admits. “I’m going to break our vow.”
Fuck. She’s falling in love with me.
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know,” she says, her earlier departure from my place starting to make a little more sense and proving once and for all that Tilly is still a fucking mystery to me. Just when I think I’m able to get a read on her, she flips the script, sending me into the wild unknown. “Zephyr brought me and Chloe to this stupid frat party, and now I’m sitting in the gutter next to a pile of vomit watching Zeph and Chloe go from making out to wanting to bite each other’s heads off. It’s quite interesting, you know. He thinks he’s in love with her.”
The fuck? My son in love? No. It’s not possible.
My head spins, trying to unpack everything she just said, but at least it’s good to know Zephyr ended up somewhat safe after his infamous storm out today. As for him thinking he’s in love with Chloe? That’s more than caught me off guard. Zeph doesn’t fall in love. He fucks around and moves on. It’s a sick cycle, and I’m sure that whatever is going on with this chick, there’s more to the story, but right now, I couldn’t care less. There’s only one thing that has my attention.
“Are you drunk, hellcat? Why are you sitting in a gutter?”
“Hellcat. Hellcat. Hellcat,” she slurs. “There’s that word again. You know, it makes these funny little butterfly thingies swarm around in the pit of my stomach. It’s like a weird little tickle, but I kinda like it.”
So, to answer my question, yes. She is indeed drunk, and I’d dare say she’s not just reaching the tipsy stage, she’s well and truly fucked up. Because if she wasn’t, she never would have said anything that she’s saying now. She wouldn’t have told me about Zeph having feelings for her friend, or that she was breaking our vow. She would have kept her mouth shut for as long as she could.
“Baby, where are you?” I say, getting up from my bed and taking my keys off the bedside table. “I’m coming to get you.”
Tilly laughs. “I don’t need you swooping in to rescue me. I can handle myself, you know? Though to be fair, when Jordan tried to shove his hand down my pants, I was nervous for a bit, but Zeph was there, and now Jordan is much more aware of my boundaries. But I sure hope he wasn’t planning on having kids anytime soon. It’ll probably take years for his balls to re-drop out of his stomach. I reckon I squished them up there pretty good.”