She nods. “I notice you use the text-to-speech function on your phone when texting, and when we go to the store, you always have pictures of the product you want, and you’ve asked me a few times to read stuff?” Are y—do you know how to read?”
I was wondering when she would catch on to it, and I’m quite embarrassed by it. I clear my throat, sit up, and lean my head against the headboard, avoiding eye contact. “No. I have dyslexia. I get my words mixed up, and sometimes letters look jumbled up. I struggled in school, therefore I dropped out because I could never get it.” I exhale.
She rubs my cheek. “Please look at me.”
Slowly, I lift my head, and she stares at me with desire burning in her pupils. She doesn’t pity me, and I’m grateful because I don’t want her to feel sorry for me.
“That doesn’t make you stupid.”
“I know. I feel like I am, but I know I’m not. My adoptive mother tried the best she could. When I became wealthy, I hired the best tutors, but they couldn’t help me. I knew I wouldn’t be successful in the world, which is another reason why I took on being a hitman. I feel like I’m good at something. That and math. I could do math all day—unless it’s word problems, then I’ll have someone read it to me, and I’ll be able to solve it.”
She uses the pad of her thumb to stroke the shell of my ear. “I don’t love you any less because you have a disability.”
I intertwine my fingers with her and kiss the top of her forehead. “I want to learn how to read since I love hearing stories, so I get audiobooks. They come in handy.”
“I enjoy reading. Do you mind if I read to you?”
“Of course. I love hearing your sexy voice. I would listen to you read a grocery list.”
She blushes. “What type of audiobooks do you like to listen to?”
“Psychological thrillers and Greek mythology.”
“Greek mythology sounds boring, but I’ll read it to you.” She gets up from the bed, grabbing her dress. “Let’s get out of here and go to a bookstore.”
Autumn
“Ihaven’t seen you in a long-ass time. What you been up to?” Raven asks as she sips her smoothie. “And don’t leave out any deets.”
We’re at a bistro on Fifty-Fourth Street. People chatter loudly, and the scent of coffee flits through my nostrils.
She loves for me to overshare my business with her. She’s always been open since the moment I met her. We first met at a coffee shop on Broadway, and she insisted we be friends because we share a love for pumpkin spice latte. Who would have known coffee would help me find one of my first friends here?
Where do I start? How can I explain to her how I feel about Viper? The way we love is intense and not normal. I haven’t told her how he kidnapped me or how I’m living with him. To be honest, I thought we were moving a little too fast, but who cares. Love is love, and Viper is all I want.
“I’ve been spending the night at Viper’s place, and he told me that he loves me.”
She squeals loudly, and everyone in the bistro stops and stares at us. “I’m so happy for you.” She flashes me her straight white teeth. “Do you love him?”
“Of course I do.”
She glances around the shop to see if anyone is staring at us. “I thought you would be afraid of him since you know he’s a h-i-t-m-a-n,” she spells.
Curiosity gets the best of me. I don’t recall telling her about Viper’s job. When did she find out, and how long has she known? I fold my arms across my chest.
“How did you kn—?”
She waves her hand, cutting my words off. “Because Fox does it, and he told me.” Her cheeks turn beet red. “We had a one-night stand.”
I rub my index and thumb on my forehead. “Oh. How did it go?”
“It was amazing.” She chews on her pinky nail. “So now he’s so obsessed with me. He calls me at least three times a day, but I ignore him. And he goes running with me every evening, but I don’t communicate with him. We have this silent conversation with each other. He shows up, and we run, and he leaves. It’s crazy because I like him around, even though I don’t want him to be.”
“Why?”
Her chestnut hair falls like a waterfall over her shoulders as she leans over. “Are you going to eat your muffin?”
I shake my head.
