**No Amazon e-book preorder.Β
Will go live on/around release day
EXCERPT
Copyright Β© 2023 by Penelope Ward
Josh sat at the table, casually having coffee as I walked into the house after my drive home from the salon. The smell of cigarettes emanated from him. He hadnβt smelled like that since the first day he arrived.
βWhereβs Scottie?β I asked.
βIn his room,β he answered without making eye contact.
I stated the obvious. βYou smell like smoke.β
βMust be the firewood.β He brought his mug to his mouth.
βBullsh*t. The pellet stove doesnβt emit any fumes.β
βYeah. I caved and had one. Big deal.β He pointed toward the door. βI did it outside, though, while keeping an eye on Scottie through the window.β
βYouβd been doing so well. What happened?β
He still wasnβt looking at me, and instead stared straight ahead. βJust human, I guess.β
Then something in front of him on the table caught my attention: pieces of ripped pages piled atopβ¦my journal.
A rush of adrenaline shot through me. βWhy do you have that?β
βItβs apparently your diary.β
βIβm quite aware of that.β My heart began to pound. βYou were snooping in my room?β
He shot daggers at me. βThink, Carly. Of the two guys in this house, who is the one more likely to have been ransacking your room?β
βYou were supposed to be watching him while I was at the salon,β I yelled.
βGod forbid I take a piss in peace. Is it not bad enough that Iβm showering with him now? Getting my balls tugged?β
I wanted to laugh, but this moment was far from funny.
βScottie ripped those pages out?β
βThe notebook is bright orange, like his iPad cover. Probably caught his attention. The drawer next to your bed was open, so he must have gone in there. I assume thatβs where you kept it. Admittedly, Iβd been letting him hang out in your room, but you sometimes do, too. I went to check on him, make sure he wasnβt doing anything bad, and found those pages strewn about.β A vein popped in his neck.
Josh was angry. Why? I shouldβve been the angry one.
βDid you read it?β
βI only happened to see what was on the pages he ripped. I didnβt read anything else once I figured out what the hell it was.β
This is bad. Starting to sweat, I asked, βBut how much did you see?β
He stood up from his seat and slowly approached me. With each step he took toward me, I took one back. When we could go no farther, he placed his arms on either side of me, leaning his hands against the wall. And I forgot how to breathe.
Fear. Arousal. Embarrassment. You name it, I was feeling it right now. Every emotion hit me at once.
His breath grazed my face. βHow much did I actually see?β He paused. βEnough to know you think Iβm an evil pig.β
Ugh. No. Now his anger made sense.
When he backed away, I walked over to the ripped pages on the table and sifted through them.
βItβs the last one, for reference,β he noted.
I read what Iβd written the other night.
AUTHOR BIO