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I’m going to war, and it appears I’m doing it alone.
“Fine,” he says and follows me. “You wanna play it like that? Want to go in guns blazing without a semblance of a plan? Go for it. See how that works out for you.”
I march on, the anger swirling inside me like a tornado, emotions raging in my chest like thunder.
Paxton keeps pace beside me, matching my strides with his own.
We make it to the edge of the clearing before I finally stop and turn back toward him. What I find is surprising but a bit too late. His blue eyes are apologetic, but they don’t make me feel any better.
“What do you want?” I ask, my voice cold and full of disappointment.
He takes a deep breath and looks up at the sky for a moment before answering. “I’m sorry,” he says finally. “I didn’t mean for it to happen like this. Things got carried away.”
I cross my arms over my chest and let out a humorless laugh. “You think?”
He nods and reaches for my hand, but I pull away before he can touch me. He lets out a deep sigh before speaking again. “Listen, Mal, I know you’re mad, but I swear I didn’t mean for the press to get wind of us. It was just a mistake.” He pauses and then lets out a long breath before continuing. “I wouldn’t hurt you. Not on purpose, anyway.”
I take a deep breath, some of the anger seeping away. I’m being incredibly harsh and pointing all the blame at Paxton. It’s not fair. The person behind the leak deserves my ire.
I need to think straight. I need to get myself in check.
“I can’t do this now. I need to have a clear head for Teagan.”
He nods and then reaches out to take my hand. This time, I don’t pull away. His fingers intertwine with mine, and for a moment, all is right in the world again.
Not right. Complicated.
“Just remember,” he says quietly, “everything is going to be okay.”
I want to ask how, but I don’t.
I bite my lip, fearful of falling apart in front of him.
I’m not about to admit this out loud, but I know it was Teagan. She’s been suspicious for some time. Making comments and saying things that give her away. The last conversation we had is what makes it obvious. She saw the handprint and stormed off like a child.
My one client sold me out, and I have no backup clients to keep me afloat.
I look up at him, my heart aching with sadness. “I know,” I manage to say.
The truth is, neither one of us knows whether it’ll be okay.
He squeezes my hand, then looks me in the eye. No words are spoken. What more is there to say? He’ll be okay after this. I won’t.
The thing that hurts the most is Teagan. I considered her family.
Guess I should know that family always disappoints.
I nod, unable to speak, and he pulls me into a hug. We stand there for a long moment with his arms around me like a protective shield against the world. I close my eyes, and for a moment, I forget all of my worries and fears and focus on being in the here and now.
His arm reaches out, tilting my chin up, leaning into me. His mouth finds mine, and although we shouldn’t, I don’t fight it.
So many words are spoken through this kiss.
It has to be okay.
We’ll figure something out.
I’m sorry.
Eventually, I pull back, knowing I can’t delay the inevitable. I turn and walk away, making it several feet before I turn over my shoulder and take one last look at Pax.
He’s standing there, watching me go. His blue eyes look flat and hollow. It breaks my heart to leave him like this, but I need to find her and figure out why she did this, why she betrayed me.
When I get to Teagan’s hut, my hurt is replaced by anger. I march up the steps, my heart pounding like a drum.
My hand curls into a fist, and I rap on the door so hard it sounds like the thing might fall in. Good. I hope she knows what’s coming to her.
“Teagan!” I yell when she doesn’t answer. “Open this damn door.”
Silence.
I take a deep breath and pound on the door again.
I consider what to do, but before I can second-guess myself, I turn the knob.
It’s unlocked.
The hut is empty, but in the background, I hear the shower running. The room looks similar to mine, a bit messier but the same layout. Beside the bed, I glimpse Teagan’s phone on the nightstand.
Without thinking twice, I pick it up.
My breathing accelerates at what I’m about to do. I shouldn’t do it because I know it’s wrong. But I have to. I need to know, without a doubt. I need to see with my own eyes that a girl I cared for like family broke my trust and, subsequently, my heart.
