Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
It was a role any other person – anyone from his bike racing club, really – could play as long as they were cool and good-looking.
Bitterness rose, and for the first time in his life, Kellion wanted to say something scathing to Jacqueline. But when he looked at her, she wasn’t smiling. She was trying to, but she couldn’t. Because she was real. She was real and not fake. She was real – and she was just not in love with him.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice shook. “I know you think I could be leading you on all this time, but I wasn’t. I’m not. It’s just too soon.”
He nodded. “I get it.” He did. He had to. Because if Jacqueline, too, turned out to be as unreal as the rest of the world, then he was done for. His friends at the Afxisi could only do so much. His brothers anchored him, made him sane, but they could never erase the darkness inside him. A jeering, taunting kind of darkness that had been his companion since he had become old enough to understand that he was replaceable.
Nothing about him was special, and it was time to accept that. To embrace the fact that he would forever be an empty soul, the classic case of a poor little rich boy.
His pain was nothing compared to what everyone around him was suffering. It was nothing compared to the way Carina cried at night every time she heard about her husband cheating on her. Nothing like the way Maurice would drink himself into a stupor, the only way he could make himself forget that he would never be as successful as his own father. Nothing even like the way Jacqueline was hurting, knowing that she was hurting her childhood friend because now he knew she didn’t love him the way he wanted her to.
“Kellion?”
When Kellion looked at Jacqueline again, he knew it was the start of his new life. A life where he would never be hurt because he would just stop thinking about himself and live for others.
He took Jacqueline’s hand. “Let’s go back to the party, pup. Let’s make everyone see why Eugene was an idiot for dumping you.”
Chapter One
Dear Ashton,
Have you grown taller? I bet you have. Sorry I wasn’t able to write to you in the past few days. I’ve been...out of sorts.
I wish you were here. Without you, there’s just nothing to smile about.
Love, Big Sis
ARIA
I WANT TO STAY HERE. I crossed my arms over my chest just to make my stand clear. Here in Christopoulos University, everyone knew I was the girl with Trauma. It deserved a capitalized T since my condition was medically certified. Usually, that meant I could get away with pretty much everything.
Or at least as long as it didn’t involve a certain upperclassman called Roberta “Bobby” Granger.
Said upperclassman crossed her arms right back at me. “Go help.” Officially, she was the Student Association President of Needs Heard, a foundation established to benefit the Deaf community. Unofficially, we all thought of her as its evil redheaded queen.
Worst day of my life, I thought glumly, was when Bobby mistook me as Deaf. Since then, I had somehow found myself at her beck and call, doing “errands” that were supposed to force me back into living.
Yeah right. Knowing Bobby, it was just her way of getting free help for her beloved foundation.
“Aria.”
The threatening note in Bobby’s voice made me jump, but I forced myself to stick to my guns. I shook my head at her. No. I preferred to stay in the background. Why couldn’t Bobby understand that?
The older girl glared. “You. Will. Help. This. Instant.”
My courage disappeared in an instant. Bobby was a nice girl – nice enough to win Young Philanthropist of the Year two times in a row, actually – but she also had a tendency to turn into a total tyrant where NH was concerned.
“Ariaaaaa—-”
Oh no, lecture in the hole. It was definitely time to go. I gave her a salute. Roger that.
As I spun around and marched to the door, Bobby laughed behind me. “Do you realize how funny you are? I’m almost thankful you hate speaking.”
I glanced at Bobby over my shoulder. Ha-ha. So funny.
Bobby only laughed harder, the sound making me grind my teeth as I left the office.
I hate this. The thought repeated itself in my mind as I glumly made my way to what would soon be the most crowded place on campus. Today was Club Day, and today Bobby was determined to have fifty new members for her Sign Language club. It didn’t matter if the new members had to be bribed, deceived, or sucker-punched into joining. Fifty was the goal, and fifty was what everyone had been instructed to aim for.
By the time I reached the main road of Christopoulos University, the place was already crawling with club officers and booths were set up right next to each other.