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"Sadie, what's wrong?" I asked, panic laced in my words.
"Someone." She panted. "Someone is following me."
I dropped my hands, side-stepping her to peer down the dark alley. If there was someone, they were gone now.
"Whoever it was is gone now," I said, placing a hand on her back protectively. She peered down the alley nodding slowly as she caught her breath. "Let me walk you home." Her gaze flicked up, meeting mine, hardening like she had just realized it was me.
She jerked away from my touch, her lip curling into a snarl. "Don't. Ever. Touch me again." I held my hands up, surrendering. "Get the fuck away for me, or I'll scream." This was exactly what I'd wanted her to say, yet it still felt like a knife slicing through my chest.
"There's no one here but us, Sadie," I said, keeping my tone low. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You already did," she reminded me.
Swallowing hard, I nodded. "I'm on my way to the team house," I said. "Let me make sure you get home safe, please."
I never in my entire life thought I would beg a woman to let me walk her home, especially if I wasn't going to get to fuck her in return.
Her gaze flicked down the alley and then back to me, with fear covering her pretty face. "You can walk behind me but don't touch me, and do not talk to me." I nodded. I could live with that. "We are not friends, and I do not forgive you. Then I don't ever want to see you again." I nodded again. Friday, I went back home, and she wouldn't see me again.
I followed her as she speed-walked to her house, going straight inside and shutting the door without glancing back at me. She hated me.
I should have been happy. My plan worked. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from her. She was my drug of choice. That addiction that I couldn't kick. I knew I'd have to see her again, and I knew if she'd given me another chance, I'd taken it, and that couldn't happen.
I watched from the shadows into the front windows of her small wood-framed house for several long minutes until I saw him. My fist clenched at my side, but I remembered KJ's words. I had no right to be angry, not with him or her.
She must have told him she thought someone was following her because his gaze snapped to the open window as he stormed toward it and jerked the curtains closed.
Sucking in a deep breath, I headed to the team house, knowing I had to let her go, focus on getting everything in order, and put as much distance between Sadie and me as possible.
forty-three
SADIE
"Areyou sure you have to go back home?" I sighed, my gaze following Brandon around the living room as he gathered his things.
"I wish I could stay, but I have to get back to work before they fire me," he said, folding his suitcase in half and zipping it up. "I can take the day off tomorrow and meet you at the prison if you want me there."
Tomorrow, I was meeting with my dad and his attorney together. I hadn't had a conversation with him alone since the morning of the murders, and I couldn't even explain the guilt I felt because my incorrect testimony put him behind bars for all these years.
"Thanks." I forced a smile. "But KJ is going with me."
"You ever going to tell me what the deal is between you two?" He pulled his suitcase off the bed and set it on the floor before he fixed his gaze on me.
"KJ is Jayden's best friend. That is all." That wasn't exactly true. KJ was my friend too, and I was thankful he didn't bail on me when Jayden did.
"But it's over between you and Jayden." His dark brown eyes met mine, and I nodded. "Good, because I'd like to see you again." Brandon was the kind of guy I should be with. He was amazing and attractive, but the best thing about him was that he wasn't anything like Jayden. Which also happened to be the downfall. Jayden was everything I needed when I needed it the most, but he was also toxic and unpredictable, which wasn't a good combination in someone you're in a relationship with. "I can come back this weekend, and we can hang out?"
"I would like that." I smiled. His lips curled into a grin.
We said our goodbyes, and I watched his car disappear into traffic. I glanced at my watch and realized I was running late to work. I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my purse, and stormed out of the house, locking it behind me. Rounding the corner of my house, I yelped when I slammed into KJ
"Shit," he muttered, grabbing my shoulders. "Are you okay?"
Blowing out a breath, I nodded. "Sorry, you scared me."
"I told you I'd walk you to work tonight since Brandon was going home."
"Yeah, sorry, I forgot," I lied. I hadn't forgotten, but KJ had been here for me every day since Jayden did what he did, and I felt bad that I was consuming so much of his time. He had his own life and his own problems.
