Текст книги "Addiction"
Автор книги: Shantel Tessier
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Текущая страница: 21 (всего у книги 27 страниц)
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CASE
I stand in my office as I watch her cry. And I feel like the biggest ass in the world. Well, I am. The truth is I don’t know what’s a lie and what’s the truth. All I know is I can’t stop staring at her. She is so beautiful, even with tears running down her face. She may be crying, but her eyes are hard and she’s staring at me as if she wants to shoot me. Thankfully, my gun is locked in my desk.
“Taylor.” Just saying her name has my heart beating faster.
“Don’t,” she demands. “Don’t say my name like that. Like it means something to you.” Her bottom lip trembles, and my chest aches.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly.
“I don’t believe you,” she screams.
“Your safety was the most important thing.”
“Who was gonna save me from you, Case?” she asks looking down at the floor in shame.
I swallow thickly not knowing what to say.
“Were you just going to see how far you could take it?” she asks. “Just fire me after you were finished with my brother?”
“You always have a job here.” I would never fire her. And at this point, I don’t wanna push her away. I wanna walk to her and wrap my arms around her. Inhale her scent and tell her that she has meant more to me than anyone else before her. But I don’t. She deserves better. Brecken was right; my life doesn’t allow a relationship. Not the kind she deserves. But I hate the heartache visible in her eyes.
“I hate to be the dick here,” Blane says with a growl. “But can we talk about what you two have been doing later?” he snaps looking over at me. “We have a bigger problem than you two ....” He pauses and Taylor throws Blane a look of hatred and I’m thankful I’m not the only guy she hates in this room at the moment. “You and Case,” he whispers to himself.
“What about me and Case?” she snaps at him.
He turns to face me. “They knew about you and Taylor together.”
I shake my head. “There was no way for them to know. When we went to Rox’s, I never revealed her name.”
“They mentioned you being at Rox’s with me but not her.” He frowns. “They also said Rox ratted you out to the police, but when they went to check the surveillance, it had magically vanished.”
“Fuck!” I say softly. “Did they mention Brecken?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“Is there a way they could have made you?” Brecken asks me.
I shake my head. “No. And it’s obvious Rox hasn’t figured out who I am either or he wouldn’t have ratted us out to the police.” I shrug. “He thinks I’m just some thug drug dealer he can use as leverage.”
I glance over at Taylor and see the tears are still falling down her gorgeous face. She no longer stares at me with hatred but pure heartbreak. I go to open my mouth to tell her I’m sorry again when the door opens.
“I got here as soon as I could,” Miller announces as he enters in a rush.
“I called him,” Brecken informs me. “We all need to be aware of the situation.”
“I agree.” I look over at Blane. “Can you fill Miller in? I need to talk with Taylor.” Alone. Without three other men staring while listening to me beg for forgiveness.
He nods and I take a step toward her. She looks up at me with puffy red eyes and I reach out to her …
A loud bang cuts off whatever I was about to say. The floor-to-ceiling glass behind me shatters. I leap forward, wrapping my arms around her, and push her to the floor. Her scream barely penetrates my ears. All I hear is the ringing sound. Once we hit the floor, she tries to scramble out from underneath me. But I grab a better hold on her and throw my body on top of hers, “Stop fighting,” I demand. Another round of bangs ring out, and her body shakes underneath me. She cries out as I close my eyes and try to cover all of her small body with mine. I squeeze her to the point it has to be painful for her, but I refuse to let go as I continue to hear the sounds of gunshots.
All of a sudden, the shots subside, and I see Brecken jump to his feet and run out of my office door. Miller is right behind him; I look around and see my office has been destroyed. It looks like a war zone. Holes all in my walls. Feathers flying from the holes in my furniture. Papers, wood, and dust litter the floor. My desk is completely turned over and covered in holes.
Taylor’s sobs get my attention. I lean up and look down at her. She’s on her stomach so I flip her over and my heart squeezes when I see blood running down the side of her head. I grab a hold of her face, and she hisses in a breath. “Are you okay?” I demand, dread gripping my spine. “Were you shot?” I demand as I move her head side to side. Did I not get to her in time?
Tears roll down the side of her face, and she sucks in breath after breath. Her chest has to hurt from the force I used when I took her to the ground. A closer examination tells me it’s just a cut on her head.
“Blane?” I yell out when I don’t see him in front of me.
“I’m fine.”
I look over my shoulder, and he’s standing up, a little wobbly but doesn’t seem to be hurt.
Running my eyes over her chest, abdomen, and legs, I let out a sigh when I see no blood. Then I place my hands on her. She gasps when I come to her stomach. And whimpers in pain when I touch her head. “You need to go to the hospital,” I say, reaching for my phone, but it’s not in my pocket. I get up from her and start to look around. I search the floor as more bangs sound out. Blane falls to the floor again, but I know it’s just Brecken and Miller doing what they’ve been trained to do. “Where is it?” I growl.
“Blane,” I snap, and he removes his hands from covering the top of his head. He looks up at me. “Get in my top desk drawer. I have a gun in there,” I inform him.
“Case?” I look up to see Miller standing in the doorframe. “Three dead. Brecken ran after the fourth one.”
I nod my head. “Did you call Jones …?”
“They’re already on their way,” he assures me.
“Thanks.” I look away, trying to locate my phone again.
“Case …”
This time when my name is said, it’s barely over a whisper. I spin around in time to see Taylor trying to stand. She’s up on her knees; one arm wrapped around her stomach, and the other on the forehead. “I can’t …” Her beautiful blue eyes roll back into her head. I reach for her, and we both go crashing to the floor once again, but this time, I fall under her.
“What’s wrong with her?” Blane demands, running over to us forgetting the gun I told him to get. “Case?” he shouts. “What the fuck is wrong with her?” he screams in panic.
I roll her off me; placing my arms under her, I stand cradling her limp body in my arms.
“I don’t know. I gotta get her to the hospital.” I look up at him. “You need to go home.”
“What? Are you fucking crazy?” he demands. “I’m not leaving her.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying not to lose my shit. When I open them, he’s staring down at her body in my arms. “Listen to me, Blane.” I wait for his eyes to look up at me. “Someone just shot up our club, Cricket’s guys made you just hours ago. They probably know where you guys live. Go to your house and get Savannah.” As soon as I mention her name, his eyes widen. “Pack a bag. And then call me as soon as you leave the house,” I order and then run out of my office, holding her in my arms.
***
“I’m okay,” she says for the fifth time as we walk into the hospital. She was only out for a few minutes, but those few minutes felt like hours.
“You’re going to have every test done to confirm that,” I say curtly and ignore her protests as we come up to the nurse’s station. I took a chance not taking her to the hospital after she was attacked in the alley, but I refuse to make that mistake this time.
I flash my badge and speak. “I called and informed of a trauma on its way.”
The nurse who looks like she hasn’t left this hospital in days looks around the room and then at me. “Where is it?” she asks as she reaches up to cover a yawn.
“Right here.” I nod at Taylor standing next to me.
“I’m fine,” she adds with anger. As soon as she came to, she bitched me out. Even reached over and punched me in the arm a few times. I think it’s safe to say she is back to hating me.
The nurse looks back and forth between us for a few seconds, and I can see her start to open her mouth to speak. “Get her a room. Now,” I demand, and she quickly picks up a phone. When she hangs up, she points down the hall. “Third room to the right. They’re expecting you.”
“Thank you,” I grind out as Taylor protests. I grab her hand and pull her with me down the hallway. I loosen my grip when I hear her hiss in a breath.
“This is pointless, Case,” she growls. “I’m fine. And I don’t wanna be around you.”
I ignore her as I pull back the curtain and see a nurse setting up a few machines. She looks Taylor up and down and then frowns. “The trauma?”
“Yes,” I snap before Taylor can say anything. “She has a head laceration. Her abdomen is tender, and she was unconscious,” I inform her.
“For like three seconds,” she adds all but rolling her eyes. “And I don’t need to be examined.”
I look from her narrowed blue eyes to the nurse. “I don’t care if you have to sedate her or tie her to the fucking bed.” The nurse’s eyes go wide, and Taylor gasps. “You will do every test there is,” I growl.
“Oh, now you care about me?” Taylor snaps.
I turn to face her. “I’ve always cared,” I grind out. That was what got me into this situation to begin with. Trust me; it would have been a lot easier to not fucking care.
“Another lie.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Is that all you know how to do? Lie?”
I suck in a long deep, relaxing breath. Calm down, Case. “You may hate me. You may not believe me. I couldn’t care less. But you will be checked out.” I lower my face down to hers. Her scent of vanilla makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. She just has that kind of effect on me. And I hate the fact that less than five hours ago, I was inside of her as she screamed my name. “You will either lie on that bed willingly or I will fucking make you,” I threaten. Her beautiful, narrowed eyes start to well up with tears. And I hold my breath, hoping they are tears of acceptance. I don’t want to make her lie on the bed, but I will if that is what it takes. I need to know that she is okay.
Her bottom lip trembles and she sniffs. Finally, she speaks and the words are like a knife to my chest. “I hate you.” She turns around and walks to the bed. She refuses to look over at me as the nurse helps to situate her.
“Case!”
I look down the hallway as I see Miller running toward me. “Did you find Brecken?” I ask, trying to ignore the pain in my chest. He left the club chasing down one of the gunman, but he hadn’t resurfaced before we took off to the hospital. I had left Miller behind to help him.
“Yes.” He comes to a stop as he breathes heavily from running. Sweat drips down his forehead. “He’s here.”
“Thank God,” I mumble.
“He was brought in by an ambulance. They just took him into surgery.”
“Why?” I should have never left him behind.
He runs a hand over his shaved head. “He was shot.”
TAYLOR
I don’t look over at Case, but I don’t need to in order to hear what Miller just told him. Brecken was shot. In surgery. I close my eyes as I let my head rest on my pillow. I hear them take off down the hallway from where we came, and I let the tears fall down my cheek.
“I can give you a number.”
I open my eyes and look up at the nurse who is placing a blanket over my legs. I think she thinks I’m shaking because I’m cold, but it’s really because of what just happened. Bullets flying can do that to you. “Excuse me?” I wipe my face.
“There’s a women’s battered shelter just a few miles from here.” She speaks softly and looks up at the open curtain where Case was standing moments ago.
I frown as I listen to her words. “What …?” She thinks he hit me. Her light brown eyes follow the gash on my head and her frown deepens. “No. He didn’t hurt me,” I say shocked at her train of thought.
Her light brown eyes meet mine, and they’re full of pity. “I know you wanna be strong, honey.” She pats my leg. “But it’s okay to ask for help. Hiding isn’t weak, it’s smart.” Her eyes look at the bruise of a handprint left on my neck from four days ago that the guys gave me in the alley. It’s almost gone but still noticeable. And then, of course, the stitches still in my neck. No wonder she thinks he beats me.
I just look up at her and sigh heavily. Of course, that’s what she saw. He pretty much told her to do what was necessary for tests. And he threatened me until I succumbed to his demand of getting in the bed. So I just nod my head and mumble a thanks. She has no idea he just saved my life. Again!
“You’re gonna need stitches,” she says with a heavy sigh. “I’m gonna grab a suture kit and be right back. Will you be okay for just a minute alone?” Her eyes flash between the curtain and myself.
“Yes.”
She looks like she wants to argue with me. Thankfully, she walks out but not before checking down the hallway and then closing my curtain.
Now that I’m left alone, my mind wanders back over the night. He’s a cop? How in the hell could I have been so stupid? I seriously thought he was a drug dealer. I laugh at myself. But I should have known, he never did a single pill in front of me. He never seemed high. The way he turned down those drugs Rox had offered him. Geez, I fell in love with a cop who I thought was a drug dealer. I start to laugh again, but I cut it out the minute the nurse returns and looks at me as if she wants to have me committed.
Three hours and countless tests later, I find myself back in my bed. Alone. I haven’t seen or heard a word from Case since he found out Brecken had been shot. And I have no clue where my brother is. Being alone with only my thoughts has actually been torture. The thoughts of how much time I have shared with Case. How hard I fell for him. How bad I ached for his touch. How much time he took up in my mind. I can honestly say I love him. It doesn’t matter if he is a drug dealer or a cop. I could get over any of that. What breaks my heart is he doesn’t feel the same way about me. It was all a lie. All part of his job. I was nothing but another task he had to do. And I made it so fucking easy for him as I fell at his feet. I hate myself for it.
“Hello, Taylor!”
I look at the doctor who enters my room wide-eyed. “Doc?” I ask.
He smiles warmly at me. “I heard you guys had an incident at the club,” he states as he comes to sit down in the chair beside my bed.
“I don’t know about it being an incident,” I say truthfully. Someone wanted to hurt Case and his friends.
He nods in agreement and then looks down at the chart in his hand. “I looked over your tests. It seems you have a mild concussion and a sprained wrist, but other than that, everything looks normal. I informed Case that you can go home after we wrap your wrists.”
“Case?” I choke on his name.
“Yes, I spoke to him earlier. He came looking for you, but you were gone for CT.” I hate how excited that makes me feel. That he was actually concerned enough to come and check on me.
“Thank you,” I say bowing my head in shame; I can’t believe that makes me feel warm inside. I’m supposed to hate him. I do hate him!
“No problem.” He pats my leg. “A nurse will be in shortly. In the meantime, just relax.”
I let out a long breath as I watch him leave, alone once again. I lean back and close my eyes. Just trying to relax my body. I’m sore. And I’m freaking tired. So freaking tired! And my heart hurts. Yes, there were times he had masked his emotions. Times I couldn’t read anything. But there were times he touched me softly. He would whisper in my ear. The way he held me close to his body after we had sex. I thought it was more than sex, but I was wrong. So wrong!
The hair on my neck stands to attention and a feeling that I’m being watched creeps up my spine.
I open my eyes and see Case standing in front of the now closed curtain, staring at me. His expression unreadable, I feel a knot form in my throat. I try to clear it with a cough. “Is Brecken okay?” I ask. I may be mad at him, but I do care for Brecken’s safety.
“He survived surgery,” he says flatly. I hate when he does this, gives me no sign of emotion whatsoever.
I place my hands on my lap and look down to check the card that the nurse handed me sitting there. I pick it up. “What’s that?” Before I can answer, he comes over and takes it from me, brow raised in question as he reads over it.
“The nurse gave it to me. She thinks you beat me,” I inform him with bite.
He snorts, wads it up, and then tosses it into the trash beside my bed. “Well, you did give me a concussion and a sprained wrist.”
His face falls and regret flashes in his beautiful blue eyes. The same ones I’ve looked into so many times before. “I’m sorry.” He speaks softly. “I was just trying to …”
“I know what you were doing,” I interrupt him. He had moved quickly. I didn’t even know what was happening until it was too late. And the way his office looked afterwards, I would have been shot if he hadn’t saved me.
He clears his throat. “You can’t go home,” he declares going back to that same roughness as before.
Figures. I don’t know what the hell happened at the club exactly, but I know they do. And although he broke my heart, he’s proved several times I can trust him to keep me safe. “So where do I go?”
“You’re going to stay with me.” I open my mouth to protest. “There’s nowhere else for you to go.” He speaks before I can get anything out.
I narrow my eyes on him. “And whose fault is that?” I growl.
“You think I chose this?” he snaps.
I huff. “No. I think you saw an opportunity to get a piece of ass …”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he says sounding put out.
He spins around, and I lean up to look around him when the curtain gets pulled back.“Okay, so …” The nurse enters the room sounding cheerful, but the moment she sees Case standing next to me, she stops. He throws her a charming smile, and I wanna roll my eyes but refrain from doing so. I don’t wanna make this situation any more uncomfortable than it already is. “I need you to clear the room,” she says eyeing him up and down with disgust.
“I’ll stay,” he announces as if she had requested he leave.
She narrows her eyes at him and then looks at me. “It’s fine,” I say softly. She gives me a look of disapproval but doesn’t say anything else as she starts to work on my wrist.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CASE
“Is he going to be okay?” Miller asks a woman in light blue scrubs as we stand outside of Brecken’s ICU room
“He has sustained some very critical injuries.” I can tell she’s trying to let him down easily, but she doesn’t know him as well as we do. He’s a fighter. He’ll pull through. He has to; I don’t know what I would do without my best friend.
“I’m going to stay here with him tonight,” he states as he turns to face me.
I nod. “I’m gonna take Taylor to my house and get her settled. I’ll be back in a few hours.” I look at my watch. Is it really eight in the morning? Shit!
“No. Stay with her tonight. Come back tomorrow after a long night’s rest.” He hangs his head. He feels responsible. He came back to check on Taylor and me when he should have run after and helped Brecken. I would have done the same, but telling him won’t make him feel any better.
I turn away from his room and see Taylor walking down the hallway toward me, that stupid nurse hanging onto her arm by her side. No doubt Taylor talked her into leaving the wheelchair back in her room. She leans down and whispers something into her ear as Taylor stares at me with narrowed eyes.
“Ready?” I ask once they reach me.
“Yes,” she says not bothering to stop. She just walks on past me toward the front door.
“Bastard,” the nurse whispers. I just ignore her because, in a sense, she is right. Just not the way she thinks.
I make my way to the car and open the door for her. She doesn’t even bother to thank me. We get on the highway going south toward downtown, and she swings her head around to look out the back window. “Where are we going?” she questions in confusion. “I thought we were going to the club?”
“Even if I hadn’t shut the club down, I still wouldn’t go there.” I give her a quick glance before placing my eyes back on the road. “I’m taking you to my home. My real home.”
“Right,” she quips. “You’re an undercover cop. Of course, you don’t live at the club.” She gives a dark laugh. “Did you only stay there when I stayed over?” She swings her head to look over at me. “You just needed a place to fuck me?” she demands. “Let me guess. You’re married. And you didn’t want your wife to find out about your little whore.” Her voice cracking proves how hurt and angry she is with me. I hate that’s what she thinks. That she thinks I could be that low of a person. But aren’t I? Does it really matter what I lied about? I don’t think so. You only have to tell one lie before you lose all trust.
I tighten my hand on the steering wheel. “No. I’m not married. And no, I didn’t just stay there when I fucked you. I have been living at the club since Brecken and I opened it. It was part of being undercover.”
“What is your real name?” she demands. “’Cause I know it’s not Cason.” Her words drip with sarcasm.
I take a deep breath. “My name is Tyler.” A silence settles over the car and a quick glance over at her tells me that she has tears running down her face. “Taylor, I …”
“Stop,” she says brokenly. “Just stop, Ca … Tyler.” She sniffs. “Just drop it.”
I do as she asks. We pass downtown in silence. The only sound is her occasional sniff or the movement of her hand wiping the tears from her eyes. I hate what I’ve done to her. But I never thought it would go this far. I never thought I could fall for her or she could feel the same way about me. I’m just a drug dealer, remember? How could someone like her ever see anything in me other than failure?
I get off the highway and drive a few more miles. I pull off the four-lane road onto the one-way road to my house. I’ve owned this house for about five years now. And to be honest, I’m scared to death to bring her here. This is my only place away from the life I have made for myself. It holds every secret I’ve ever had. It is the real me! All I can do is hope the fact she’s mad at me will keep her from asking any questions.
I reach up and hit the garage opener on the visor of my car and pull into the garage. She stays quiet as I close the garage and open the car door for her before the door to enter the house as well. She walks into the back part of the kitchen slowly as she looks around. I take the chance to look around as well. I’m never here because it hurts too much. I have a cleaning lady who cleans every so often, but I can’t recall the last time I actually stayed here. Even before Brecken and I opened the club, I didn’t live here.
“Blane should be here soon with Savannah. They are bringing your things,” I inform her as I close the door behind me.
She stops in the living room and turns to face me. Tears run down her beautiful face and she holds her wrapped wrist to her chest with the other. “I can’t do this,” she whispers. “I thought I could. But I can’t stay here with you.” She looks away from me.
I take a step toward her, and I watch her chest rise and fall as she takes a deep breath. “I know you’re mad at me.” I hate you is what she said to me at the hospital. And she should. “You have every right to hate me. But I am still doing my job. I’m going to protect you, and this is where you will be the safest.”
More tears run down her face. “So now, I’m just a job.” The words are spoken softly, but they still have the power to knock the wind out of me.
I wanna tell her of course you’re not. Do you have any idea what I’ve done in order to keep you safe? Do you know how many rules I have broken because you became my addiction? The one thing I soon found out would destroy me in the end but considered to continue with this facade? But instead, I say, “Blane and Savannah are going to be staying here as well. It won’t be just you and me.” Her shoulders sag in relief. “You can have my room. I’m gonna sleep on the couch.” It’s almost nine in the morning now; Brecken had woke us up a little after five. And we had only been asleep for about an hour when he woke us. I know she has to be exhausted.
She nods her head, and I take that is the best I’m going to get from her at the moment. I pass her and walk to my room to grab a few things. I wanna shower and just go to sleep. Put this horrible day behind us. I would say tomorrow is a new day, but hell, this day just started. And we all know that tomorrow isn’t gonna get any better.
TAYLOR
I wipe the tears from my face as he walks off down a hallway. I sniff and wipe the tears on his sweatpants I am still wearing.
I’m trapped here! I’m trapped in a house with a man I allowed myself to fall for. A man I don’t even know. At least he did say Blane and Savannah would be here soon.
Looking around his house, I take in a shaky breath. Just calm down, Taylor. No need to let him see how worked up you get over him. A picture on his mantel catches my eyes. I walk over to it and pick it up. It has him and three other people in it. It looks like his family. He looks young, sixteen maybe. His hair is dark and shaved close to his head, and his face is clear of facial hair. He’s smiling big as he’s hunched over, and a woman is up on his back, piggyback style, her long dark hair thrown over one shoulder. She looks just like him! It’s almost scary at how much she looks like him. They have the same smile. The same beautiful blue eyes. Her nose is a little slimmer, but they look just alike. She could be his sister. And she’s absolutely gorgeous.
A woman stands to the right of them; she’s looking over her right shoulder at them with a big smile on her face. A man stands behind her; he’s much taller than she is. His arms are around her waist, and he’s looking down at the older woman, who I’m guessing is his mother. You see these family portraits in a magazine. The kind used in family ads. They all look perfectly happy. And it makes me mad because I know he is no longer this guy in this picture. I’ve never seen that smile on his face. One so carefree. You can feel the love these four have for each other, yet he has never once mentioned them.
I set the picture down and take off down the same hallway he had. I open a few doors trying to find the master bedroom. I open the last door on the right and I find him standing in the room, a towel wrapped around his hips. Water still drips from his hair down onto his hard chest and chiseled stomach. I watch it as it goes lower into his towel. I look him in the eyes, not wanting to think anything except for the hatred I have for this stranger.
“What do you want, Taylor?” his deep voice asks flatly.
What do I want? That’s a loaded question. “I want the truth,” I snap.
He rolls his shoulders as if they’re tight. “Well, you’re not gonna get it.”
My mouth falls open. “Don’t you think I deserved that?” I demand.
His jaw tightens, and he starts to walk to me. “What about what I deserve?” he asks raising a dark eyebrow.
He can’t be serious. “What you deserve? What makes you think you deserve anything?” He did save your life, Taylor. Yeah, only to ruin it.
His jaw twitches, and he tightens his grip on the towel around his hips. “You have no idea what I did for you!” he yells. “You have no idea what it has cost me.”
“I cost you?” I ask in disbelief. “You took advantage of me.” You made me fall for you.
He cocks an eyebrow and leans down, placing his face in front of mine. “I took nothing from you that you didn’t willingly throw in my face,” he replies flatly. I gasp. “Oh, please. Don’t act so fucking innocent. We both know you’re not!”
I place my hands on my hips and just stare up at him because part of that is true. I willing gave him everything my body had to offer, and he used it and then broke it. “What did you give up?” I decide to ask. “What did I cost you? Because you don’t seem to be hurting,” I snap, choosing to be angry other than sad about what I did.
“I broke every rule I had for you,” he sneers.
I throw my head back and let out a laugh. A crazy, losing my mind laugh because that’s all I can do in this situation. Laugh at it.
His arms strongly grip my shoulders and it cuts off my laughing as I look up at him. “Laugh all you want, sweetheart.” His voice is hard. “But I had those rules for a reason. You wanna know what you did to me? You wanna know why I couldn’t tell you the truth? You wanna know why I continued to go on letting you think I was someone I wasn’t?” I swallow nervously. “Well, today is your lucky day because I’m gonna tell you. You made me feel like I was someone different. You made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I really wasn’t a person living a fucking lie. That maybe one day I could be the husband you wanted and give you the family you deserved.” My heart stops at his confession. “For once, I wasn’t confused about my life. I knew what I wanted, and I was getting it.” He sighs heavily. Removing one hand from my shoulders, he uses it to run down his still wet face. “I’ve felt dead for so long, Taylor,” his voice says softly. “You made me feel alive. You made me feel worth something. That fire you lit inside of me woke me up. You made me feel like I had a chance. A chance at living.” He releases my shoulders with his other hand, and he reaches up, softly wiping the single tear from my cheek. “I fell in love with you, Taylor. And you’re right, I took advantage of that opportunity. The feeling you gave me. If I had told you the truth, you would have left me. And I wasn’t willing to let you go.” I close my eyes. He loves me? When I open them, his blue eyes are searching my face. “And if I could, I would let you leave and walk out of my life right now. But I can’t. Tonight proves that me keeping you so close has put your life in danger. But once I know you’re safe, you’ll be free to go.” He pulls away from me and walks over to his closet.
I stand here, heart beating wildly and eyes glossy with tears, as he dresses. Once he’s done, he walks out of the closet and looks at me. His blue eyes search mine and he takes in a deep breath. “I truly am sorry for what I have done to you. But I promise if you just give me a few more days. I will fix it all and you never have to see me again.” With that, he walks out of his room and closes the door softly behind him.
