Page 58 of Save Me

And yet, I can’t sleep in my car. Arthur will find me and kill me.

Then another terrifying thought hits me. What if Arthur finds out about Micah? He’ll kill both of us. I know without a shadow of a doubt. Arthur hated it when I even looked at another man. If he knew another man was out to take his place?

The thought sends so much panic into me that I buffer for a bit, staring at the driveway. Does Micah know how to fight? Although it doesn’t really matter, Arthur is big and stays one step ahead all the time. Sometimes one step is all that matters.

I lean back in my seat, realizing that Arthur will always be a problem for me. At least until I pay my debt, but more than likely after, too. Which means he’ll always be a problem for Micah if he thinks Micah is after his property. Which will piss Micah off, which means I’ll have two people after me.

I feel a shroud of doom cover me. I can’t put myself in that spot. I can’t handle both of them at once. I won’t escape it this time.

Then the door opens, and Micah is there holding Princess back from an epic escape. I feel numbness creep over my entire body.

None of us are safe.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Did I talk to a psychic to see what kind of healing love spells I can cast for Maddox?

Yes.

Did Princess jump up on the coffee table, light his tail on fire with the candle I was using for the spell, then puke on my toes from the smell?

Also yes.

That was my bad. But honestly, not even cleaning up squishy puke with the smell of burned hair was enough to break me out of whatever haze Maddox left me in. It’s weird, somewhere halfway between wedding bells and I’m-gonna-puke-I’m-so-nervous-he-kissed-me-oh-please-let-it-happen-again.

Is he okay? Did I push him too far? I can back off. But then again, I didn’t really do much; Maddox was the one leading. Fluffer nutter, why is this so complicated? Although it doesn’t matter if it’s complicated, I’m staying. I just wish that I didn’t have to hurt Maddox by accident while I figure it out because he looked so hurt and scared, and I don’t even know what I did.

Nevertheless, I’m staying, and I’m keeping every finger I have crossed that he doesn’t run. He can’t run. We’re meant to be; he just can’t see it yet.

And if he runs, I’m chasing.

When I hear Maddox’s car door in the drive, I dart to the door with no shame. I just want to make sure he’s okay and calm the raging fear I’ve had ever since I saw that look in his eye before he pushed me away. Everything that I want to say bubbles up in my chest, threatening to spill out.

Only Maddox doesn’t get out of the car. I stare until finally, with a frown, he gets out, walking stiffly up to the house. I can’t tell if he’s mad. He doesn’t seem mad; he seems…scared.

Maddox walks inside.

“Is everything okay?” I can’t help the burst of words.

Maddox stops in the hallway but doesn’t turn around, making my chest tighten.

“I’m sorry if I upset you. I shouldn’t have crossed that boundary and made you uncomfortable. You can still stay here,” I say, my heart racing.

Slowly, Maddox turns. His face looks…bare. Completely wiped of emotions. “It’s okay. I was drunk and unprofessional. You hired me to do a job.”

I stare at him. Maddox recites the words with no emotion, like he’s a terrible actor reading a script.

Something isn’t right.

“I wanted it,” I say. “Wanted you.” I realize I’m coming on heavy when he’s trying to pull away, and it’s just going to make it worse. “I mean, it's not unprofessional. I wanted it. You can do anything.”

There’s an awkward silence where Maddox just…stares at the fridge. Or…beyond it? It looks like he isn’t registering anything he’s seeing. Like he’s here physically, eyes wide and almost straining, but his soul is somewhere else. The look makes goosebumps crawl down my arms.

“Maddox?” I whisper, glancing around to see if there’s something that’s making him look so damn scared.

Maddox blinks and looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. When he clears his throat, he winces, like it hurts.

“I…I’m sorry. I’ll stay in a hotel until I can get my apartment figured out.”