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I smile and go up on my tiptoes, gently kissing his lips. “Thank you,” I whisper against his mouth.
He takes my hand and leads me into the living room, where everyone has gathered after dinner. Brooke and Liam are sitting cuddled up on the sofa while Sawyer’s parents are sitting opposite them in separate armchairs.
“Hallie’s calling it a night. It’s been a long couple of days,” Sawyer says from beside me, his hand still nestled in mine.
“Thank you so much for dinner, Mrs. Mitchell. It was delicious.”
“You’re more than welcome.” She rises from her chair and crosses the small space between us. “And please, call me Sophia.” She pulls me in for a hug, and I drop Sawyer’s hand to embrace her. “If there’s anything you need, let me know.”
“Thank you.” I wave goodnight to Sawyer’s dad, who waves back.
“Night, Hallie. See you tomorrow,” Brooke calls from the sofa, and I offer her and Liam a wave before Sawyer takes my hand and guides me upstairs.
“Are you still staying in my room tonight?” he asks as we stop outside my bedroom door. My heart pounding in my chest seems so loud, I swear he can hear it.
“Yes,” I mumble. “I’ll get my sleep shirt.” He watches me from the doorway as I grab a few things. When I’ve got everything, I make my way back to him. Following him across the landing, nerves swirl in my stomach. I shared a bed with him at the motel the night before, but somehow, this feels different. Itisdifferent. We weren’t together then.
“I’ll let you get some sleep. If you need me, I’m only downstairs, okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Spend some time with your family. I can see how much they miss you.” He still looks unsure. “I’m just going to sleep. Go. I’ll be fine,” I tell him again.
Eventually, he backs away toward the door. “Night,” he says, his eyes fixed on mine.
“Night.” When I think he’s about to leave, he closes the space between us and pulls me against him. His mouth finds mine, and he kisses me until I’m breathless. When he pulls away, my eyes are still closed, and it’s like I’m floating on air.
“Sleep tight,” he mutters as he leaves the room and closes the door behind him.
Falling onto the bed, I sigh and brush my fingers against my lips. How he thinks I’ll be able to sleep after kissing me like that, I’ll never know. Despite that, I’m exhausted and know I need to try and sleep. I change into his T-shirt, climb under the comforter, and close my eyes, hoping I can fall asleep quickly and my dreams won’t be full of Matt.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Sawyer
It’s irrational not wanting to leave Hallie alone, but I feel better when she’s with me, and I know she’s safe. Making my way downstairs, I stop off in the kitchen, sliding my phone from my pocket. I need to check in with Logan. The police are working nonstop to try and find Bryant, and I need to know if anything new has come up.
“Logan,” I say as he answers my call. “Any update?”
“Hey, Sawyer. I was going to call you. I think we may have something. Wilmot thinks the net is closing in on him.”
“Really? How come?” I pace the kitchen, my senses on high alert as I wait for him to explain.
“The car he was driving when he was spotted on CCTV in Hilton Head Island was found abandoned. His prints were all over it.”
“Anything in there to suggest where he might be?”
“No, but Wilmot’s made a trip to Anamosa State Penitentiary. Turns out Bryant was an asshole in prison, and the guy he shared a cell with was more than happy to talk. Seems Bryant was quite vocal about what he would do if he ever managed to escape. He talked about Hallie a lot and held a massive grudge against her. For him, she’s the reason he was behind bars, and he couldn’t let that go.”
“And Wilmot believes this guy?”
“It’s the best we’ve got to go on at the moment. Apparently, Bryant spent a summer in Savannah after dropping out of college. It was during that time he met Amanda. They slept in an abandoned warehouse until they moved on. Wilmot spoke to Amanda’s aunt for what good it did. She was so confused she didn’t seem to know what day it was. Thankfully, her memory from back then seemed clearer. He did manage to get out of her that Amanda’s parents didn’t like Bryant and didn’t approve of the relationship. When he’d finished in Savannah, she went with him. Wilmot has a team checking out some abandoned warehouses in and around Savannah in case he’s gone back to where he stayed as a kid.”
“They think he’s somewhere in Savannah?”
“It’s a possibility. It’ll take some time to get around to all the sites. I’ll keep you updated, but Sawyer…”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“The abandoned car. It was found outside your apartment.” I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at his words, and it’s as if my blood has run cold.
