Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
“You fucked up, Stu,” I say.
“I only wanted to talk to her. I just wanted to make her see that she should be with me.”
Gritting my teeth, I kick him in the gut once more. He curls into a tight ball, holding his stomach as he gasps and wheezes, trying to catch the breath I’d driven out of him. I feel like I should have seen that his fascination with her had morphed into obsession. I didn’t. I failed her in that regard. And if not for a stupid stroke of luck that brought me here at the right time, who knows what might have happened?
“The police are on their way,” Sierra says from the hallway.
I turn and see that she’s hiding around the corner, too terrified to come back into the room. I offer her a small smile I hope is reassuring.
“Good,” I reply, then turn back to Stu. “Like I said, man, you fucked up.”
12
SIERRA
“Are you all right?” he asks.
“I’m fine. Thanks to you,” I tell him.
It was nearly midnight by the time the cops finished getting our statements and hauled Stu away. I told them everything that had happened over the past few weeks—from the strange phone calls I was getting to the feeling like I was being followed. I could tell Slater wasn’t really happy to hear all of this for the first time, obviously upset that I hadn’t shared any with him, but I didn’t want him to worry. Besides, I figured I was being silly and paranoid and didn’t want to worry him for nothing. Obviously, I was wrong.
“Thank you for protecting me,” I say.
“Always,” he replies in a tone that makes me think he means it.
“I appreciate you letting Monty and me stay here tonight.”
“Of course,” he says. “I’ll fix Derek’s door tomorrow.”
“Can you not tell him what happened?”
“I can’t make that promise,” he replies. “I’m sorry, but I think he needs to know. Besides, I think he’s going to find out anyway when Stu’s case goes to court.”
I frown and take a sip of the wine Slater poured for me. He’s probably right. Derek is bound to find out about Stu one way or another, so it’s probably best to bite the bullet and just tell him myself. It’ll go over better than having him find out some other way. Slater reaches over, plucks the wine glass out of my hand, and sets it down on the coffee table. He gets to his feet, then takes my hand and pulls me to him.
“Come on,” he says softly. “Let’s go get some sleep. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
“Yeah. I actually am. I’m just wrung out.”
“I bet.”
Slater walks me to the bedroom and helps me get ready for bed. He’s so gentle and tender that it pulls on my heart in new ways. This nurturing side of him is something I haven’t seen before, and it only endears him to me even more than he already is. We settle into bed, and I nuzzle close to him, wrapping his arm around me, drawing warmth and strength from him.
With the strong, steady thump of his heart ringing in my ears and the warmth of his hard, toned body pressed to mine, a smile touches my lips as the darkness of sleep reaches up and pulls me down into its comforting depths.
My eyes flutter as I rise from the depths of sleep, and when I feel Slater’s body pressed to mine, what happened last night seems like something that happened a million years ago. In Slater’s arms, I feel safe. Protected. I lie there for a minute, reveling in the feeling of him next to me. I listen to the sound of his steady, even breathing and smile.
Slater is everything I’ve ever wanted in another person and so much more. Not even when I was just a girl, caught up in my schoolgirl crush and fantasizing about being with him did I think that things could be as amazing as they are. Being with Slater is so much better than I ever imagined. And what’s even better is that this isn’t just some schoolgirl fantasy. This is reality.
We share a connection that’s so unique it feels like something out of a fairy tale. At least on my end. I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but I think he feels it, too. I sometimes see it in his eyes when he looks at me. We haven’t talked about what this is or where we’re going, but whenever he looks at me, all I can see is something like love in his eyes. It melts my heart every single time.
Right now, I don’t feel pressed to label or define what we have. I’m content and happy to just enjoy it and let things play out naturally. I’m pretty confident where things are going anyway, so there’s no need to force anything. Slater’s warm breath tickles the back of my neck, and I smile, relishing the moment with him. As I come fully awake, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end, and a strange feeling steals over me. It’s fear. And I suddenly realize the dark, oppressive feeling gripping me is because we’re not alone.