Little Stranger (The Web of Silence Duet, #1)

by Leigh Rivers

“I think I’d do anything you asked of me,”

Don’t silence me like that, he signs furiously. Don’t ever fucking silence me, Olivia.

Because I can’t talk? Because I can’t tell you how fucking breathtaking you are every second of every day? Because I can’t breathe without being near you? Someone like me… I’m different—I can’t be normal for you. I can’t defend you without using my fists or my bat, and I can’t touch you at the same time as telling you that you’re everything to me. I can’t whisper sweet nothings into your mouth and I can’t fucking marry you because not only am I your brother, but I’m defective.

I stare at her for a moment. So beautiful. So fucking mine. “I’ll give you a head start.” My voice is rough, but I somehow manage to say those words without stuttering or overthinking the articulation of each syllable. I tip my head towards the cornfield. “Run, little stranger.”