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Grant is sprawled out on the couch watching one of the Marvel movies when I finally wake up and leave Sawyer’s room. He runs his hand through his messy hair and looks up at me. My eyes are drawn to the slight patch of skin showing between his t-shirt and low-slung sweatpants. He stands and walks towards me with relaxed steps. I have no idea what he’s planning on doing, but I’m not expecting him to wrap his arms around me. Once I’m over the shock, I wrap mine around his waist. We stand, holding each other in silence for a minute. Tears burn my eyes at this sweet embrace andI cling to him a little harder, finally feeling the compassion I’ve been craving from him.
He clears his throat and pulls away. “I know I’m being unpredictable and an asshole but please know how sorry I am. I hate what you’ve been through.”
“Thank you, but there’s nothing to be sorry for. None of you knew what was happening.”
“Yeah.” He clenches his jaw as he looks away from me. “Do you need to eat or anything?”
His tone has completely flipped, and he’s back to being brisk with me. His mood changes are giving me whiplash.
“No, I’m okay. I’m just going to get some water.”
“Sit down, I’ll do it.”
“I can do it. I know where everything is.”
“Sit. Down.”
The severity of the command has me scurrying to obey. I take a seat at the island and wait until he hands me a glass of ice water. He watches me drink it before leaving the kitchen and going back to whatever he was watching on tv.
I decide to take a shower rather than deal with his attitude. I’m not afraid of him, but it is making me uncomfortable. I don’t want to suffer through that anymore. I’ve had enough of that with Tripp to last a lifetime.
I walk down the hall to the room I’m using and start gathering everything for a shower. Taking my time, I pamper myself, using all the skin creams and treatments that Sawyer stocked for me. Every shower I’ve taken here has made me feel that much more human.
I examine all the bruises still covering my body as I dry off. Most of them have almost completely faded, but the ones on my ribs still look pretty bad. I forgo a bra—my breasts are so small from not eating enough that it doesn’t matter. Instead, I pull a tank top on with a pair of yoga pants and lay down on the bed to get to know my new phone.
The impulse to check on what Tripp has been doing is riding me hard. I type his name into the search bar, and, sure enough, articles about my disappearance show up. Some of them think there’s foul play and that he actually killed me. Others are calling me a runaway. In one paparazzi photo from last night, he’s shown with a model whispering in his ear at a gala.
I force myself to look at him in the recent photos. Seeing him smiling and living like nothing is wrong doesn’t make me sad, it makes me angry. I hate him, and I hate the way I allowed him to break me. A tiny, buried part of me awakens, and while I’m still terrified, my rage is building.
The worst part of Tripp is his all-American good looks that lull you into a false sense of security. When I first met him, I was smitten. His beach blonde hair and light blue eyes made him look like the California surfer boy he pretended to be. I was obviously used to good-looking guys, I was best friends with four of the best-looking men in the world, but he was kind and jovial on top of it.
He is smart and driven, other qualities that pushed me toward falling in love with him. I wondered then, and I definitely wonder now, what made him choose me? Why me? I’m not particularly wealthy, at least not until my parents passed, or connected. Now that I know who he is as a person, I don’t see what the benefit was in seeking me out as his victim. I fed him my kindness, and he shattered my soul. I don’t know if I’ll ever be whole again.
A text buzzes through from Nolan.
Nolan: Is he behaving?
Me: As much as can be expected.
Nolan: I’ll be over in twenty minutes. Think about what you want for lunch.
Me: Okay
I stay in my room until Nolan comes over, and I hear him speaking with Grant in hushed and hurried voices. I sneak out the door and into the hall, so I can listen. I’m not hiding, but I’m also not making my presence super obvious.
“I told Lake what I found, and he thinks we should go to the compound upstate for a few days. We can each take turns being with her there and living our normal lives here.”
Their normal lives?
My heart sinks.
“Good call. I’ll stay behind since I’m the most recognizable, and the one who’s out regularly.”
Nolan looks up and smiles at me. “Hey Livvy.” He walks over and hugs me as he presses a kiss to my forehead. “How was your day?”
“Restful.” I hug him back, clinging just a little bit longer than should be acceptable. “What are you talking about?”
“How do you feel about getting out of this place for a few days? Lake has an estate upstate with a cabin. It’s cozy. There’s a hot tub.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “There’s also plenty of space for all of us and trails around his property for walks.”
