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"What are you talking about? She threatened your life!" She was shouting This was a side of her I had never seen before She orried about me Maybe she orried about herself I took another drink as I thought that over

"She doesn’t see about you" I reassured her She looked confused at h her knotted hair

"Shit" She ers I smiled and pulled open a drawer on the island and pulled out a pink hairbrush, a rehts never went to her

"We have to find soed at the thought of her leaving but I kneas best for her

"Why can’t I stay here?" She asked as she brushed the last few tangles from her hair She wanted to stay "Neverthe brush on the counter and standing I had to s hard before explaining

"It’s not that I don’t want you to stay I wish I could lock you up and never let you leave" I had to keep the smile from my face I very much wanted to do that "The last place you should be is with me" The words hurt as they crossed my lips I walked around the island and placedher face with my thumbs My body lit up with the electricity between us "Why do you think so little of yourself?" Her eyes greide and she didn’t answer for a moment

"Why are you so distant?" She countered and I held my breath as all the reasons flashed acrossto do with you, Emma" She kept her eyes locked on ertips to e to pull away I took my hand froainst me My pulse quickened

"You are the only person who has ever made my heart race like this" I didn’t look away I needed her to know that It was probably the most honest words I had ever spoken I took my other hand and tucked her chestnut hair behind her ear I sed hard at the next words I had to say "You have to go It’s not up for debate" I keptI couldn’t stand if she pushed any further I wouldn’t be able to o

Chapter Seventeen

E the out I hetti as she watched ether in silence for what felt like an eternity The thought of her leaving weighed heavy on my heart E" She said as she slurped up a long noodle I couldn’t help but laugh I took the pad of my thumb and whipped away some sauce that had collected at the corner of her ly intio weak under her gaze

"Eat" I said with a s else Her phone rang breaking aze frorabbed our plates and took the soo back there for a while" My heart sank as I listened to her words I knew that she was lying about her reason but there was truth in what she was saying as well "Thanks Becka, I really appreciate it" She sat her phone back on the counter while I finished rinsing off our plates "She said I could stay" Her words cut through o but I knew she needed to be as far away froood for anybody I shut off the water and turned to face her I grabbed her purse fro for her to follow

"You can call " I said as we made our way to ain, but this was starting to feel like goodbye I opened her door for her and waited for her to slip in Toher er She should hate me I was the reason she may be hurt I couldn’t stop myself I needed to feel her I turned ainstain but stopped herself Good She finally understood that I was the cause of all of this "I will fix this" I didn’t say all of the other things that I wanted to That fixing this ain She nodded and lowered herself into the seat I sighed and closed her door

We rode quietly to her friend’s house The GPS gave directions over the low s of Leon on the radio We pulled over just down the street from her friend’s house "I’ll come for you as soon as I can" I said, not sure if she heard le to stay away fro to reassure her

"I know" She said quietly as she got out of the car A lu else She stood there, watchingat her through the rearview er

I ranthe car to swerve slightly into the other lane "Fuck!" I had lost control I was dangerously close to folding like a house of cards perched precariously on the ledge of cliff Brought down by an innocent I laughed at the irony of it all I hadwoht et in return? I put her life in danger I went to the one place I knew could givejudged A place that I could be tortured by others

I turned on the next road and sped across town to the rundown and seeas station along the way and bought a large bottle of bourbon As I pulled into the parking lot and hts of her She would be laughing and having fun with her friend She would be thinking ofI stared at the back of the building trying to think of anything else, anyone else I took another long drink My veins began to waran typing I wanted her to push et it over with

Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?

I sent the text and took another long drink from the bottle A few seconds later, my phone vibrated

Who is this? It is so hard to keep ht