Page 182 of Fighting Chance

about time you finished it

CINDY

I’m sorry Miss 2.0 Speed

some of us enjoy the scenic route

LAYLA

but not this specific one

CINDY

my god no

THAT WAS GOD AWFUL

BELLA

the second he followed the woman into the stall I wantedto puke

LAYLA

I hate the cheating trope

CINDY

DISGUSTING

it has me wanting to castrate fictional men

Asher’s taking me to a rage room

he says I need an outlet

BELLA

HAHAHA

take the book with you and whack it

Light streaks across my face, forcing me awake. It takes a moment to find my bearings, to realize my legs are cramped and my neck stiff because I’m not in my bed at home. Emmy is beside me, out to the world; looks like we both fell asleep reading again.

It’s happened the past two nights Kieran’s been away. Emmy never complains about me sleeping in her bed but my neck sure does.

Slowly sitting up, I stretch this way and that, cracking my neck to the side?—

I all but jump out of my skin when I see a hulking frame sitting in the recliner chair in the corner. Placing my hand on my beating heart, it’s a miracle I didn’t scream and startle Emmy awake.

I slide out of the bed and tiptoe over to the chair.

What the hell?

I check my watch. It’s six in the morning. Kieran wasn’t meant to be back until late this evening.

I’m a little concerned I didn’t hear him come in. For all I knew, he could have been an intruder, but now that I think about it, maybe my dream last night where he was murmuring things in my ear wasn’t a dream after all.

To be frank, I brushed it aside because he’s been a starring role in my dreams every night for the past three weeks.