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I didn’t stop, though.
The woodgrain of the floorboards came back into focus as I pulled myself across the floor, inching further and further away. When I got to the wall, I reached up, knowing there was a ledge above me, the window that faced the street.
It took at least three tries for me to actually find my grip, my hand slipping on the varnished surface. When I finally managed to pull myself to my feet, my legs shook so badly I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run. So I braced my body against the windowsill and looked down at my blood-coated hand, a small slice across my thumb causing a trail of blood to run down my arm.
My head felt like it was throbbing, wooshing in my ears, and my skin felt like it was on fire.
But everything was quiet.
I wasn’t being screamed at.
I wasn’t being admonished like a child or degraded because I was stupid.
I wasn’t fearing for my life.
Because when I was finally able to make sense of the chaos in front of me, I realized I was no longer scared for mine because I was pretty sure I’d just taken his.
DRAKE
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I pounded hard against the apartment door before stepping back, not wanting to seem too eager or in her face since I was showing up unannounced at the place I’d dropped off her and her friend at three in the morning a day or so before.
Wow, this was such a creeper move.
Should I kick my own fucking ass?
There were a couple of clicks before the door finally opened just an inch, and a single eye peeked out through the space. It blinked at me a couple of times before the owner of said eye gasped. “Oh, it’s you.”
I opened my mouth, but before I could explain why I was there, the door slammed shut again, and there was a flurry of noise and more clicking and sliding before it finally opened completely, and I recognized the girl standing on the other side. Only it wasn’t Cassie.
“Hey, Aspen, right?”
She folded her arms across her chest and leaned into the doorframe. “Drake Shaw, billionaire, CEO, one of Boston’s most eligible bachelors.”
“You get that description from Google?”
She scoffed. “Sorry, should I have used the one fromCosmo? I believe your ex said you were a heartless, arrogant playboy who seriously feared commitmen—”
“Is Cassie here?” I cut in. It took a lot to make me feel uncomfortable, but Aspen seemed to have found exactly the right fucking buttons to push. “I have her clothes she left in my hotel room.”
She eyed me up and down, the typical best-friend inspection.
I wasn’t really one to give a fuck who liked or disliked me. I wasn’t out here trying to make friends. Didn’t need them when I had a brotherhood back home that allowed me to be whoever the fuck I wanted to without me trying to impress them.
This was different, though.
I liked Cassie. I was drawn to her, and while I really had no idea what or where it would lead to, I also wasn’t one to live with what-ifs.
I was willing to chase what I wanted.
Fight for it if I had to.
But first, I needed to know if she wanted to be chased.
Up until this point, things with Cassie had rolled smoothly without us having to push or force anything. Conversations flowed, and our bodies danced together like they’d known each other forever.
“You know you could just leave that here. This is her apartment too. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of big important things to do,” Aspen offered with a sly smile, knowing my answer would probably tell her exactly what she needed to know.
