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“Bullshit.”
All three of the guys’ heads snapped from me back to Elijah. Rather than refute what I just said, he ignored it with a shrug.
“Anyway, I thought I’d let you know I’m going to be around for a little while,” Elijah said. “In town, I mean. See, the past year has been all work for me, no play. I needed a little escape from the same old thing, and this seemed as good of a place as any to—”
I grabbed Tyler’s hand, squeezed it tightly, then pulled him in the direction of the parking area. It took him a second to realize what I meant, but then he went along.
“I guess you need to get back to the yoga studio?” Elijah cried in response. “Or you’re working a shift at the spa tonight, maybe?”
The others followed in confusion, leaving their food. Their faces were filled with concern.
“Well, nice to see you again, Angel!” Elijah called after me cheerfully. The sound of his voice sent chills down my spine. “I guess we’ll be seeing each other around!”
Twenty-Nine
JAY
We were back in her car before we even realized she was shaking. The sound of the helicopter’s rotors had already faded to nothing.
“Jenna, are you okay?”
For an entire minute she said nothing at all. She didn’t even shake her head.
“I don’t understand what happened,” said Tyler. “What was that? Who was that guy?”
“That was my ex-boyfriend Elijah,” Jenna finally spoke. Her voice was very small and far away.
“Recent?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen or heard from him in a year.”
We were jammed on either side of the back seat with her, Tyler and I, while Luca had hopped in the front. When I slipped what was meant to be a comforting arm around her, she actually flinched.
“Hey…” I said gently. “It’s all good. He didn’t—”
“No, it’s not good,” Jenna said more firmly. “It’s notgoingto be good either!”
Luca and I exchanged concerned glances. In the meantime, Tyler dabbed at a tear that was running down her cheek.
“He didn’t seem to want anything from you at least,” Tyler murmured. “Actually, he seemed quite harmless.”
“Harmless?”Jenna barked a short, acrid laugh that was unlike anything she’d done before. “You think Elijah Strong isharmless?!”
“The whole thing was just a coincidence,” I said consolingly. “I mean, it’s not like he could’ve planned this.”
“Elijah!?” Her laugh was more of a cackle now.
“He just happened to be flying over. And he recognized your car—”
“He can’t evenknowmy car!” Jenna snapped angrily. “I left him in the dead of night. Threw away my phone so he couldn’t track me. I drove three towns over and traded my really nice car in for this… this… piece of crap!” She gestured frantically. “Just so I could… so I could…”
She broke down crying, sobbing into her open hands. It hurt so much, my heart threatened to break.
“Jenna…”
Tyler looked as if he might try to hug her, but Luca stayed him with a warning glance. I shook my head in agreement.
“I don’t know why he’s here, or what he did, but he’s never going to hurt you again,” I murmured. “You’re with us now. We’ll never let him—”
