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Where can I go?

And then an idea hits me I know just the place

After packing rab a new piece of paper and write a note to et away I need time to myself to move forward I let the If I do, they’ll send soht now I just need soure out a way to move forward

Since iven to o for my sixteenth birthday—I decide to make the drive It’s four hours to our beach house in Venice, California, but it will dohappens in the car, with the s rolled down and the rocery store to pick up soroceries, since the place will be empty

My parents bought the beach house years ago, since they travel to LA often for UFC competitions, as well as to visit hters and own a UFC training facility they took over froht Club Since we rarely come here, I’ve never been here with Ian

I arrive close to nine o’clock at night It’s the first tihborhood, on the water, and has an alarather e in one hand and the bags of groceries in the other, s I’ the note I left and wondering where I ae, I insert the key into the door and twist it open Withto shut the alaro off

Hmm… That’s weird

I step into the house and notice a light is on My heart beats erratically in my chest Is so the place out But then again, I haven’t really been paying attention I’m about to step back outside and call my parents, when ato run, when the figure grows larger A huge e-worthy shriek My bags fall froe tips over I twirl around to flee, but the door has closed on its own and I run directly into it,into the hard wood

My brain goes fuzzy, stars lighting up behindin pain A strong hand grips my wrist, and it’s then I remember… there’s someone here

“Let go of ain, to flee

“Whoa, calm down,” the masculine voice says

Figuring it’s best to knohat the face of my attacker looks like, I swivel around, only to come face-to-face with Ryan Cruz

“Ryan? What are you doing here?” I ask, confused as to why he’s here, in my family’s beach house The last I heard he was in the military and stationed overseas

“I’rip, which is still holding on to my wrist

“Here?” As I pullrasp, I take a ood foot taller than e sweatpants, which are hanging low on his hips Without a shirt on, his entire body is on display From his hard pecs that are covered in various tattoos, to his chiseled abs, all the way to the well-defined V that disappears into the front of his pants, the man screams sex and—

What the hell a of him like that For one, he’s a friend of e He’s dead and I’ another man

“Yes, here,” he says, ripping hts He crosses his arms over his chest and I make it a point not to look at how ripped his forearaze ascends up to his face, hisblue eyes draw me in—like the color of the ocean on a beautiful, cloudless day

Unable to look at hiround They take in his bare feet My God, his feet are huge I wonder if it’s true what they say… big feetabout Ryan is safe to look at Not even his daly, not a turn-on