I flex my fingers, trying to ground myself in knowing that man will never lay his hands on Meadow again.
But the truth is, the danger wasn’t just him.
It’s what he woke up in me.
I could have fucking killed him. Spent the rest of my life locked up if I had taken it a step further.
I hate that Meadow had to see that side of me.
Any chance I ever had with her is gone now, thrown away the moment I snapped. She’s probably fucking afraid of me after watching me lose my shit like that.
“I was wrong, you know,” Meadow says quietly behind me.
There’s a careful note of humor in her voice, as if she’s trying to stitch normalcy back into the moment.
I turn to face her, my brows knitting together. “About what?”
She lets out a small, awkward chuckle. “About who would survive if we were stranded on a deserted island.” She shrugs, attempting to be casual. “After seeingthat? I’m pretty sure it’d be you. Actually, no. I know it would be you. For sure.” Her smile wobbles. “That was… kind of crazy, Owen. And also bad ass. I’ve never seen you like that before.”
Instead of laughing with her, I shake my head and drag my fingers through my hair.
“Owen,” she says quickly, stepping closer. “I’m just messing with you.”
I instinctively step back, still afraid of how fucking keyed up I am right now.
Her gaze drops to the floor, then flicks back up to me. My chest clenches at the brief flash of hurt that crosses her face.
Fuck, the way she looks like she’s been humiliated guts me.
“I’m sorry,” I finally mutter, my voice rough. “I just… I need a minute. I need to calm down. Get some air.”
“Sure,” she breathes softly. “I understand.”
I nod and turn toward the balcony, but her sweet voice stops me.
“Owen.”
Her words are barely above a whisper.
When I turn back, Meadow’s eyes are glassy, swirling like coffee colored clouds as she clutches her towel to her chest.
“Thank you,” she murmurs. “For what you did.”
Thank you.
Those two words are the last thing I expected her to say after what she just witnessed. Her gratitude tightens my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
I suck in an uneven breath, jaw flexing.
“I’d never stand by and let anyone violate you like that, Meadow,” I reply, my voice low and guttural. “Not ever. Over my dead body.”
I hold her gaze long enough to see a soft flush of red bloom across her cheeks. Then I force myself to turn away before I say something I can’t take back.
I head for the balcony to get some fresh air and calm the storm still raging in my veins.
When I step outside, I quietly shut the door behind me and lean my forearms against the railing. I drag in a breath of salty air, trying to steady myself as I stare out at the vast sea—so peaceful, so opposite of the way I feel inside.
I hate that the scene won’t leave my mind. It plays on a loop in my head like a fucked-up movie I can’t turn off. I can see it so clearly—his hand creeping up Meadow’s leg, inch by inch, dangerously close to her ass—right before everything went red and I lunged for him.
