Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 27474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Without another word, Sebastian ends the call and hurries to my side, his weight depressing the mattress as he looks at me with red-rimmed eyes. His attention scours my face, searching, though for what, I’m not sure.
“Hey,” he whispers, cupping my cheek.
“What happ—?” I swallow hard, trying to clear my dry throat. “Water, please.”
He jumps up, strides across the room to a carafe on a table, and returns with a full glass. I push myself upright with shaky arms and take a sip.
“What happened?”
“What do you remember?”
“Um…” Why is my mind blank? I shutter my eyes and take stock, honing in on the satin sheet beneath me, the muted sounds of the city, the cadence of Sebastian’s breathing. All of it grounds me, reminding me I’m in Los Angeles with him and Tatum for the fashion show.
The fashion show.
Memories flicker like disjointed movie clips.
“Anya got sick, so I had to take her place. I remember seeing you and Tatum, and then—” With a gasp, I fold my arms around my knees, and Sebastian takes the glass of water from my weak grip.
But that action of his, so helpful and gentle, makes my heartbeat gallop too fast.
“The party,” I whisper, anxiety crushing my windpipe.
“Do you remember what happened there?” His question reeks of fear, as if he’s just as scared as I am to venture into such territory.
More snapshots hit me. An elaborate mansion in the hills, statues and art, a stunning redhead…
My memory sharpens, comes into focus, and I stare at Sebastian. “You were talking to a woman by the bar.”
He nods, those kissable lips sloping into a frown. “I was getting us a drink when I ran into her. It was only a few minutes, Novalee.” His tired, hooded eyes watch me. “I’ve done work for her in the past, and she wanted to talk about your clothing line…and then I looked over and you were gone. So was he.”
Acid burns in my throat. I tremble, unable to stop. “Oh, God.”
“Baby,” he murmurs, gathering me into his arms. “You’re safe.”
“Did he…?”
“No. The fucker didn’t get a chance.”
Too many emotions blast me all at once, and I cling to him, sobbing into his chest, purging my sorrow and confusion on his soft cotton shirt. I don’t know how long we sit like that.
Minutes.
An hour.
His quiet companionship offers nothing but support, but my conscience hears the question he refuses to ask. The question I keep asking myself.
Why did I leave the party?
Everything after that moment in the foyer is blank, a dark room in the corner of my mind where shadows of truth live, but I can’t grab hold of them—they slip through my fingers like sand.
I tilt my head up to find him watching me still, tears silently bathing his cheeks. Guilt strains his expression, compresses his mouth into a severe line of regret.
“I should have never taken my eyes off of you.”
I’m about to tell him it’s not his fault when his cell dings. He fishes it out of his pocket and checks the message.
“The phone call earlier,” I say. “Who…?”
“It was Liam. He’s on his way to Los Angeles.” Clenching his jaw, he sets the phone on his nightstand. “I told him not to come, but he didn’t listen.”
No, I doubt he would, under the circumstances.
Drawing in a shaky breath, I close my eyes. “I’m so tired.”
“You were drugged, baby.” His embrace tightens. “But the doctor said you’re going to be fine, physically. It’ll just take some time for your system to get back to normal.”
“A doctor came to see me?”
“You were in and out of consciousness, so Tate brought in a physician.” His brows furrow. “You don’t remember any of this, do you?”
“No.” I’m nodding off, my head too heavy, and that’s when Sebastian tucks me into bed.
The next time I awaken, the room is dark and vacant. My stomach grumbles, reminding me I haven’t eaten in a while, though I have no idea how much time has passed since my last meal. There’s a fresh cup of water on the nightstand, and as I take a long drink, I notice Sebastian’s cell phone is gone.
I don’t like this feeling of being alone.
Alone and in the dark.
Rising panic propels me from bed. Bad move. The room spins, and I sink back to the mattress until the walls stop whirling. But I don’t like this isolation, so I get back to my feet, ignoring the throbbing at my temples, and make my way toward the door.
He left it open, and soft light illuminates my way down the hall. As I descend the stairs, one hand on the rail for balance, angry voices rise above my quiet footsteps.
“You shouldn’t have left her alone there!”
“Don’t you dare point out the obvious when you should have been there, too. She’s your responsibility this month!” Sebastian’s tone turns harsher, louder. “You were the one who wanted to go to that fucking party in the first place, all so you could get your dick wet inside that adulterous whore.”