AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not rocking in circles or anything, if that’s what you mean.”
Lock finally slipping into place, I freed my keys as he said, “You parked on the harbor?”
“Yeah.”
“Good girl, I’ll be right there.”
“What about poker night?” I asked, fumbling with the clunky keyring to find Rhyett’s truck fob.
“Jake’s house is at sea level, so we’ll move to Charlie’s. But we’ll come ride with you, alright?”
Nodding, I sighed before realizing for the second time in as many seconds that he couldn’t actually see me. “Yeah. Good. Okay.”
“I know it sounds scary, but honestly, Skittles, it’s probably no big deal.Breathe, okay?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, trying to force my body to relax. “Yeah. Okay.”
“You want me to stay on with you?”
Yes. Steeling my spine, I insisted, “No. No, I’m okay. I’ll go get the car started. Just hurry, okay?”
“We’re comin’ Red!” I heard Axel say before laughing in the background. His ease was somehow even more disarming, and I sucked down my first deep breath in what felt like forever.
“See you soon, baby.”
I nearly told him I loved him. Just like that, it almost walked off my tongue before my eyes widened in shock. Because when in God’s name didthathappen? But everything in my body knew the truth of it. Somewhere along the way, our roles blurred, and I fell for him hook, line, and sinker.
If Jameson was here, I’d be okay. If Jameson was with me, I was safe. Even from a monster wave—he’d somehow know what to do, where to go. Seemed to have a plan already. Panic washed through me but for a very different reason. Swallowing that insane near-slip, I finally responded.
“See you soon.”
Fob in hand, I turned towards the harbor, only for a scream to tear from my chest.
Lurking against the building was Eric. He was sucking on a canine, blatantly displeased. The siren roared, filling the air around us as my pulse hammered a death knell against my ears.
“I don’t have time for you right now,” I said simply, moving to walk past him. Eric halted me with a hand around my bicep. “Don’t touch me,” I ground between my teeth, glaring at him before looking around. Cars whirred on by, the neighboring parking lots emptying the last of their patrons. I wanted to scream, but fear of being the crazy woman he’d undoubtedly made me out to be wrapped a noose around my neck.
“Baby, we have to get to high ground. You’re not safe here.”
“You’renot safe here,” I bit back. “Jameson is coming to pick me up, and we’re headed to see his family.”
He ground his teeth. “You’re really going to keep up with that?”
“Withwhat?” I bit out, jerking my arm away from him and putting a step between us.
“The whole fisherman bit. It’s a smoke screen, isn’t it?”
“Smoke screen?” I balked, arching a brow and looking him up and down like the madman he was. Beautiful. Polished.A lie—all of it was a lie. A well-constructed, professionally styled front.
“Not evenyoumove that fast,” he sneered, lip curling as he turned to match my stride.
“Not even me? What the hell does that mean? You know what—never mind. I don’t care,” I said pointedly, shaking my head as I clicked the button on the fob and the truck’s engine roared to life. Twenty yards. I just needed to make it twenty yards to jump in and hit the lock button. “Get to high ground, Eric.”
“I’ll get to high groundwith you, sweetheart.”
“Are you kidding me?!” I stopped dead in the middle of the street, alarms blaring from all sides as my heart thundered and a clammy sheen of sweat coated my palms.
“No, I’m not kidding,” he said, affronted as he blinked in apparent confusion. Like he honestly expected I would go anywhere with him. “We can drive up to the college. I have a new friend—a professor—who will let us wait this out in his classroom.”
