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His brows rise again. “Now why would I do that?”
I give him a cold smile. “I know men like you. Consider yourself warned, good day.”
I turn on my heel and walk off into the darkness. When I hear the front door of the house close, I sag against the closest tree and suck in a long, deep breath. I did it, I did it, and he didn’t recognize me. When I hear the door open again, I push off the tree and quickly stride down the long driveway. Is it Jagger? Someone else? What if he doesn’t send Jagger after me? What if he sends someone else and this plan backfires? Suddenly, terrified, I pick up the pace.
I rush into the darkness and instead of going to my car, I go down onto the sand, as planned. When I feel my shoes hit the sand, I reach down and toss them off so I can run faster. I can hear footsteps behind me, so I pick up the pace. Angel said to get to the rocks. Every second I rush toward those rocks, I wonder if a gun will sound out and take me down. The footsteps behind me grow quicker, and I know I have only seconds left. I have to do this now. I stop when I hear a gun being cocked, my entire body freezing.
“It’s me. Jagger.”
My voice comes out croaky, and I can’t seem to get my body to move. I’m praying it’s him, because if it isn’t, I’m about to die.
“Willow?”
It’s a rasp, a deep, scratchy rasp, but I know that voice. I hear it every night in my dreams. Relief floods me, and I feel my legs threaten to give way. I can’t see him, but I can hear him approach. I turn slowly.
“Willow?”
“Jagger ...” I whisper, tears burning under my eyelids.
I can’t see him in the darkness, and oh god, I want to. I step forward until I can hear his breathing. He’s so close. All this time all I have wanted was him, and now he’s so close, and I’m speechless. I don’t know if I can reach out and touch him, or if I should just stand here and try to explain. I step forward and slam directly into his chest. Hot tears burst forth and stream down my face when I breathe him in.
My cheek is pressing against his chest, and I can hear his heart pounding. My body is molded against the hard plains of his, but he’s not touching me. He’s not speaking. He’s not doing anything at all. He’s just standing there like a statue. Our bodies are squashed, and yet I have never felt such distance between us.
Why isn’t he moving?
I lift my head and bump into him. His head is lowered. Like someone in mourning. I reach up and go to stroke his cheek, but his hand lashes out and stops me. He grips it so tightly I yelp. I hear him suck in a deep, ragged breath. It’s like he doesn’t believe I’m real.
“Jagger ...”
“Why?” he rasps. “Why the fuck are you here?”
All the things I could have imagined him saying, that isn’t it.
“We ... I came to get you, to bring you home. Jagger, we want to help you.”
“No.”
“Jagger ...”
He shoves me backward, and I lose my footing, landing in the sand with a thump. It hurts, but the pure raw pain that rushes through my heart hurts a whole lot more.
“Leave,” he says in a voice so void of emotion it burns me to my core. “Don’t come back. Don’t try anything. Don’t involve yourself. Go to the boys, tell them to stay the fuck out of my life. That goes for you, too. If I see you back here ...”
His voice trails off for a long moment, and it’s like he can’t bring himself to the say the next words, but, eventually, he does, and they shock me to my core.
“If I see you back here, I’ll kill you.”
“Jagger,” I whisper, not believing what he’s saying, not processing it.
“I don’t want you here. I don’t want to go home. Leave. Do you hear me? Leave!”
Tears stream down my face. “You don’t mean that. We can help you.”
“I don’t want your help,” he roars, and I flinch at the sound. “I don’t want it. I want you to fucking leave. We’re done. I don’t want you. I moved on. This is my life now!”
I force myself to my feet, and I feel my knees buckle. He doesn’t mean it, I know he doesn’t mean it.
“Jagger, I know this isn’t what you want ...”
“Walk away now, or I’ll shoot you.”
No. This isn’t real.
He doesn’t mean it.
“Jagger ... you don’t ...”
“Five ...”
“Jagger ...” I gasp, certain he’d never hurt me but beginning to doubt if I know this man any longer.
