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)
My eyes widened.
Still, his fingers moved.
He was signing at me?
Every movement of his fingers was precise, and the way he so confidently and speedily signed was impressive. I didn’t understand a word of it, but I had been around enough Deaf individuals to know the difference between someone who knew how to sign and someone who was pretending to.
As the biker continued signing at me, I wondered when it would be the right time to tell him I was not Deaf. That I didn’t even know how to sign.
ASAP probably. I didn’t like the way this Greek biker was making me feel, didn’t like the way he was making the world around me less blurry with every moment that passed, every instance his fingers moved.
The door to the kitchen opened again. “Aria?”
I automatically turned towards the sound, recognizing Bobby’s voice. The moment I did, I cringed, realizing how I had just given myself away.
Busted.
“Thanks for all the hard work for tonight. MJ wanted me to tell you that she loved everything you prepared! I have to go, there’s some fiasco with the wedding cake and I promised MJ I wouldn’t let anything happen to it.”
Before I could get a word in edgewise, Bobby had already switched her attention to the biker, wary surprise in her gaze as she asked, “Umm, what are you doing here?” Bobby shook her head. “Oh, never mind. I really have to go. Don’t flirt with her, Kellion!”
Wait—-
I wanted to call out for Bobby, but the girl had disappeared as quickly as she had shown up, leaving me all alone again with Afxisi’s VP.
Behind me, Kellion Argyros drawled, “Well, fuck. You’re not Deaf, are you?”
I froze.
The whole world froze.
It couldn’t be. No, it couldn’t be. But I knew my ears weren’t deceiving me.
It was him.
It was him.
The one who had saved the Deaf person from being bullied.
The one who had saved...me.
Trembling, I turned to face him. I looked at him, really looked at him, and every thought I had of Kellion Argyros disintegrated, turning him into something both beautiful and abstract.
His green eyes were on me, intense and watchful. Did he look at all girls this way? Did he know that the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the only girl in the world that existed for him?
Muscles in my throat, unused for years, started to work. It took me several tries, but in the end I got it out.
“No.”
My first word in such a long time.
My first step away from the past.
My first step towards the future.
In front of me, life blazed brightly like a ray of sunlight. The radiance of it hurt, but the pain was vibrant and beautiful, like the first time I saw Ashton and his tiny hand had gripped my little finger.
Oh God,
Ashton.
Is this your work again?
As a sob tried to claw out of my throat, I whirled around, snatching my paycheck from the counter before running away, never looking back.
I’m sorry, kiddo, but I just don’t want to start living again.
Chapter Three
Dear Ashton,
I met a guy tonight. And yes, yes, I know it’s unusual for me to talk about a guy.
But I think you would have...liked him. And he would have loved you.
Love, Your Big Sis
I RAN LIKE THE DEVIL was after me, but the Devil was fast, even without his bike, and I wasn’t too surprised when I felt fingers suddenly curl around my wrist—-
A gentle but firm yank, and I was whirled around.
Kellion Argyros stood in front of me again. We had run quite the distance, which had left me panting, but the biker didn’t look the slightest bit winded, and even his tux didn’t have the slightest crease on it.
In other words, he remained perfect even while his voice sent my world crashing down around me.
His eyes suddenly narrowed, and before I could wonder why, he was pulling me towards the lamppost. Its light glared down on us, illuminating our faces. Kellion’s face turned grim. “Who the hell made you cry?”
Not wanting to answer, I tried tugging my hand away, but his hold on me was inflexible, an unbreakable bond between the two of us.
I glared at him, tugging more insistently. Let me go.
But his grip only tightened. “Tell me who made you cry, Aria.”
The way Kellion Argyros said my name made my spine tingle, in a way that I dared not think about.
In a bout of frustration, I pointed at him.
Kellion looked like I had just called him a four-letter word. “The fuck I did!”
I jabbed his chest. YOU MADE ME CRY!
“No, I didn’t.”
I jabbed his chest again.
“I fucking—-”
Unused to hearing someone with such a foul mouth, I unthinkingly covered his lips with my fingers. Stop cursing!
Kellion stilled.
I froze, too, belatedly realizing what I had done. But before I could pull my hand away, he had let go of my wrist and instead captured the hand on his mouth.