Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
No fucking way.
A few minutes later, I started my truck and headed home. I was only a few miles away when I heard my phone chime with an incoming text. At the red light, I quickly read it.
Unknown: Cale, it’s me, Lia. I am so sorry about what went down in the restaurant.
I told Sam I wasn’t feeling well and asked if he could take me home. He went to go get the bill and some boxes. His whole demeanor is unnerving. Will you meet me at my house to make sure I get home safely? XO
What in the hell?
I was tempted to turn the car around and take Lia away from Sam right there in the restaurant. He was scaring her for some reason and it made me want to beat the shit out of that fucker. Instead, I continued on to her cabin like she’d asked. Once I arrived at her place, I parked my car in the street and turned off the ignition. I replied back and wondered if she would read the text there with him or not.
Me: Got it, babe. I’m parked in the street. That motherfucker looks at you wrong again, I’ll kill him. If you’re not here in ten minutes, I’ll find you. C
Minutes later, I saw a pair of headlights rounding the corner. In this secluded area, it could only be Sam and Lia. Trying not to seem like a caveman, I waited in the car for him to drop her off and leave.
When they sat in the idle car for a few minutes in the driveway, I tried not to lose my shit. I drummed my hands on the steering wheel, trying to calm the fury that was rolling off my back in waves. If she doesn’t get out in the next two minutes, I am going to pull her out of that car myself.
Before I could finish that thought, the passenger’s door flung open and Lia flew out of the car towards her front door. I jumped out of my car and ran after her, making sure Sam wasn’t anywhere nearby. By the time I reached her, she was unsuccessfully trying to unlock her many locks and sobbing uncontrollably.
As if she sensed me behind her, she dropped her keys and flew into my arms, letting me pull her tight. “Shhhh, I’ve got you,” I cooed as I stroked her hair.
I looked over my shoulder towards Sam’s car, hoping to intimidate him with my glare. We silently faced off, challenging each other with hard looks. The glow of the interior lights was giving him an ominous appearance. With no further incident, he backed the car out of the driveway and slowly drove down the street.
“Come on, babe. Let’s get you inside.”
She nodded and picked her keys up from the porch floor to finish unlocking her door. Once inside, I led her to the sofa and pulled her into my lap. Her body was no longer trembling like it had been moments earlier, and I felt her start to relax.
“I feel safe with you.” Her voice was a mere whisper into my chest. “There are so many messed-up things about me, Cale, but with you, I feel like I can let them go.”
I shifted a little, causing her to sit up and look at me with those red-rimmed, green gems. “Lia, I don’t know what it is about you, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I want to protect you, to kiss you, to hold you. You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same way. Be the brave girl I know you are and give us a chance.”
“Cale, I want to try with you, but I can’t promise it will be easy. I have demons that rear their ugly heads. Are you willing to be with someone with such a foul past that consumes most of her days?” she questioned, frowning at the thought of her demons.
“Babe, there is nothing ugly about you. You maced me. Do you really think it could get any worse than that?” I chuckled with one eyebrow cocked, trying to lighten her mood.
She lifted her chin and teased me. “Sheesh, Cale. Are you ever going to ask me out?”
A smile tugged at my lips. Without another word, I crashed my lips onto hers and kissed the hell out of her until we both had to come up for air. “I’m taking you on a date.” It was a statement so she didn’t have an option to say no.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she smiled and pecked my lips once more.
I FORCED MYSELF to pull away from Cale’s tasty lips after a few minutes to look into his twinkling eyes, which were staring right back at me.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, knowing that he must be considering we both missed dinner.