AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His chest puffs up a little. “Same here, love. I knew the moment I saw you, even if I didn’t want to admit it.” He kisses me gently.
“Okay, are you all set for a while?” he asks.
“Yeah, this should cover it. If I need anything else, I can come back and get it.” I quip and sneak a peek at him.
He tenses. “Yeah, and you know I’ll be coming with you.”
Iblink the sleep away as I reach for my phone. It’s the middle of the night and my phone vibrated on the nightstand beside me. I shift so I can reach it and try not to wake Tate. I’d been lying on his chest. When I read the message, my heart nearly stops.
Taylor:You belong to me. I saw you with him tonight. I guess I’m going to have to teach you a lesson, won’t I?
Me:I don’t belong to you. I love him. If you so much as come near us, I’ll call the police and tell them everything.
Taylor:Now Lucy, who would believe you? Even if they did, they can’t touch me. My family’s lawyers can get me out of anything. Not to mention, you wouldn’t want anything to happen to Tate because of your loose lips, would you?
The blood freezes in my veins at his threat against Tate.
Me:I’ll never be yours again. I’m not afraid of you. And you wouldn’t dare touch Tate. You know Sterling would nail your ass if you tried.
Taylor:Maybe you’re right, but maybe not. Do you want to test me?
Taylor:Here’s the deal. You have one week to move your ass back home and come to your senses. You will be mine. And if you fight it, then no one wins. Because if I can’t have you, he won’t either.
I clamp my hand over my mouth to keep the scream from escaping my lips, then I turn on my side away from Tate and my body shakes with the little sobs I’m trying to suppress. Tate rolls over and pulls my back to his chest, skin to skin.
He’s still sleeping, so I do my best to calm myself before I wake him up. I’m not ready to talk about these threats. I have a decision to make. Am I going to sit and wait for him to attack me, or heaven forbid Tate, or even someone else I love? Or am I going to meet him head on and fight back?
He expects me to crumple like a piece of paper. He thinks he can break me like a piece of glass. He thinks I’m weak and scared. Fear may be breathing down my neck, but it’s not fear of him. It’s fear of Tate getting hurt because of me…fear of losing him because of Taylor’s obsession with me.
I let him belittle me and chip away at me for too long. This ends when and how I say it does. He’s probably right, his family and their lawyers are powerful. But so am I. I let him make me forget that. If he wants tofightfor me instead of letting me go like I’ve begged him to, he’s in for a rude awakening. Because I want to fight for me too. And this time, I’m not giving up…I’ll fight back, and I’ll win.
My week is almost up…well, the week Taylor said I had. I haven’t heard anything else since that night. When Tate and I have ventured out and away from Valley B, there’s been no sign of him.
I’m outside helping Tate in his flower beds. Tate has quite the green thumb and I find it makes him insanely more intriguing and attractive. My gardening skills are severely lacking compared to his. But I find staying busy like this, skilled or not, keeps my mind from drifting to more dangerous thoughts.
Tate rides up on the four-wheeler and Rocky glances his way from his position beside me on the ground. I turn back to the mulch I was spreading around the beds as he makes his way toward us. “Hey, love. What have y’all been up to all afternoon?”
I hold my hands up, palms up, as if offering the sight before him. “I thought I’d get this mulch out for you. It makes the flowers pop.” I tell him as I stand and take off my gardening gloves, dropping them into the little bucket I’d been carrying with me. Rocky stands then too, tail wagging.
Tate chuckles before scratching him behind the ears. “You’re such a traitor, but don’t worry, I understand, and I still love ya.” Rocky tilts his head like he does when we talk to him and trots off toward his outdoor water bowl.
Tate wraps his arms around me, pulling me in for a kiss. “What do you want for dinner tonight? We can do whatever you want.” I put a finger to my chin and pretend to mull it over. Before I can answer, a vehicle pulls into his drive. I feel Tate stiffen slightly, not because he doesn’t want her here, but because he still hasn’t told her or Sterling about his dad.
“It’s about dang time I catch you at home,” Briella says as she exits her SUV wearing black skinny jeans, a white shirt, and jean jacket with her golden-blonde hair left down and straightened like silk.
He laughs and meets her, wrapping her in a hug. “There’s my favorite officer.” She punches him in the arm lightly. “Officer Brigg to you, Tater. And one day, sooner than any of you think, I’ll make detective…just like…” Tate laughs as she puts her hands on her hips and glares at him.
“Just like you’re big, stubborn brother.”
She guffaws. “I amnotstubborn like him. I’m the most open-minded person you’ll ever have the pleasure of talking to.”
“I’m giving you a hard time, Bree. I’m so proud of you. I can’t believe you’ll be graduating the academy in a few more weeks.” She started in the winter and now it’s spring. The academy she’s in runs anywhere between twelve to sixteen weeks.
I walk up to them. Briella flashes me a knowing grin showing off her sparkling white smile. “I called it.”
“Called what?” I ask, but I’m sure I can guess by the way her eyes bounce between me and Tate.
“I knew y’all would give in to your feelings for each other. Girl, you’ve done the impossible and stolen Tate Marks’s heart. Bravo.” She claps as she laughs. “And you…” She drops her smile in an instant. “You better not break her heart, or I’ll beat you up. You know I can, and I will.” She points a finger at him narrowing her eyes, then throws her arms around him, “I’m happy for you, Tate.” She pulls back, eyes a little glossy. “I’m happy for both of you.” Then she reaches for me and pulls me into a hug.
