Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“Rich the…”
“Dick,” Both Teddy and Willa say at the same time when I don’t finish it.
“You can say it.” Willa wiggles her brows at me.
“I suppose I’m a bit sheltered,” I admit. “It feels strange to say it.”
“But don’t forget that you can. If you want,” Teddy adds.
“Why do they call him that?” I ask, not sure if I’m there yet. It’s a stupid word; just say it.
"Well, Rich, because his real name is Emmerich, and he's super rich." He told me what his real name was but that everyone called him Rich. "And dick because he's in the habit of being a sarcastic dickhead.”
"I haven't seen that side of him. He's as sweet as can be to me."
"Yeah, to you. That's why I'm saying my brother is obsessed with you. He's been an even more massive dick these past few months, but now his voice is calm and he's staying home. He wasn’t even staying here much before he found you. Since you're here, he hasn’t left, so I'm guessing he's not going anywhere unless you do."
"So, I'm different," I mutter more to myself.
"Yeah, you're different," Teddy says with a warm smile. "The good kind of different."
"I don't want to be away from him either." My eyes glance over to the clock. He left an hour ago. I am dying for him to get back home, but I also don’t want him to have to stop his life because I came into it. "But it seems as though the fights are important, right?"
"I think he wants to go pro, or Vasily tells me that he has it in him to go pro. I'm not really sure what my brother wants, honestly. This past week he's been so different." Willa's eyes soften. "The good kind of different too, though. I don’t think I’ve seen him this happy in a really long time. Maybe ever.”
Her words make me both happy and sad at the same time. While I’m elated that my presence has caused this shift in him, it also saddens me thinking about him being unhappy for so long.
“I miss him. Is that crazy? He’s only been gone an hour.”
“No, I miss my husband too.”
“Is he at the fights too?” The night Rich pulled me from the water, both Willa and King had been there.
“Yep.”
“But you didn’t go?” I ask. Is everyone changing their lives around for me?
It makes so many conflicting emotions rise inside of me. That they would care to do such a thing is truly heartwarming. No one has ever done that for me, but it’s laced with anxiety. This is how you wear on people, and they end up locking you in your room for a week. They wouldn't do that, but that’s what I knew.
“Girl time.”
“But we could go?” We could do girl time there. Then everyone would get what they want. Willa would see her husband, and if Rich is missing me, he’ll have me there too.
“You’d want to go?” Willa’s eyebrows rise in suspicion.
“It might be nice?” With Rich being gone and me settling in with the girls, I should be growing more comfortable. I think I am to a degree, but the anxiety that Rich might not come back and the idea of something happening to him keeps creeping higher up my spine, making it difficult to sit still.
“Are we sure that’s a good idea?” Teddy asks, popping right into the motherly role.
“This is why I’m the rebel.” Willa shakes her head at Teddy with a mock disappointed frown on her face.
“So we can’t?” I ask.
“I didn’t say that.” Teddy takes off her apron. “No one is going to tell you that you can’t do something.”
“Do we live in the same house? These men are bossy.” Willa hops down from the chair. “It’s a good bossy but still bossy.”
“They let us do pretty much what we want within reason. I just don’t want her thinking we’re keeping her locked up here on the Haven Estate.”
“I don’t think that.” I didn’t know that was an option, and I might not be as opposed to the idea as they might think. Still, Teddy’s words are reassuring.
“So, we’re going.” Willa does a little happy dance. “We should get changed.” I glance down at myself. I’m wearing one of Rich’s sweaters that falls almost to my knees. “I got stuff you can wear.” Willa hooks her arm into mine. “How do you feel about bows?”
I think I’m about to find out.
Chapter Twelve
RICH
This is the last place I want to be right now, but it is nice getting to check out around the warehouse myself. This is my first fight since I found Fallon. I can’t help but wonder if any of the people in attendance are here because they are looking for her.
I’m taking everyone in. It’s something I’ve never bothered to do before. Honestly, I didn’t give a shit who came and went from here. If I didn’t think you were a threat to me, I wouldn’t have paid you any attention.