He shook his head, stillcoughing.
Maia stepped back. The words were harsh, but she didn’t expect anything less from Reed. “Let me help you home.” His cough was awful and he waspale.
He pressed his hand to his side. “I don’t want you at my house. My dad—” He grimaced again like the words were bitter on histongue.
So Mr. Wilder had convinced London that Maia wasn’t worthy of his time. She’d heard more than one comment from the overprotective father, but she had chosen to ignore them and thought London had,too.
“I don’t care what your dad thinks about me, London. I care about what youthink.”
The pained look on his face said itall.
She held up a hand to save him from having to say the horrible things it would take to break them apart. There was no need to be nasty. “You don’t have to spell it out for me. I get it. I just didn’t think you would be soshallow.”
“Maia—” He reached for her, and she evaded his touch withease.
“It’s fine. Really.” She brushed away the angry tears. “I always thought I was in the wrong league. Good luck with football, London.” She walked away, her head held high and tears pouring down her face. She hit the lobby and called her mom to pick herup.
That wasthe last time she’d spoken to London Wilder until he showed up at the bachelor auction. Dropping her chin to her chest, she worked to block out the pain that accompanied the memory—the one memory of London she hadn’t allowed herself to relive. He hadn’t come to school for three days, and when he finally did, he didn’t even look at Maia in the hallway. She knew because she’d followed him with her eyes as if he were a beacon. She searched for a sign that she’d taken it all wrong, that she’d jumped to the wrong conclusion, but nonecame.
She lifted her gaze to find April studying her with deep concern. “Let’s go to aparty.”
“We can head back to the hotel,” April offered. “A warm shower would do wonders for yourmuscles.”
“No, I need to go out. Need to take my mind off things.” She’d had a totally different life in New York, one without London Wilder. She could slide back into who she’d been before London and pretend for an evening that she hadn’t been given the best kiss of her life just a short timeago.
Chapter Twenty-One
London hungup with Maia and called Officer Bullon. “Please tell me you have goodnews.”
“I wish I did. The trail has gonecold.”
The officer didn’t waste words on pleasantries—a part of his personality London was thankfulfor.
“You have got to be kidding me.” London pulled the phone away from his ear and pantomimed throwing it to the floor before shoving it against his earagain.
“He’s gone into hiding. Until he resurfaces, we’re at astandstill.”
“And I’m stuckhere.”
“We can always try to force his hand, but he’s getting more violent, more destructive. He might light your house on fire while you’re sleeping.Or—”
“Mom’s.” London’s anger subsided. He needed to think about his mother. She’d done so much for him over the years, helped him see his way out of the house and out from under his dad’s rule, taken the brunt of the beatings, and covered for him when he snuck out to be with Maia. He owed it to her to be responsible and levelheaded in a situation that made him want to scream. Not only that, he loved his mom dearly. He’d give up anything for her—he never thought he’d have to give up Maia, even if it was temporary. Once Dad was in custody, he could go to her. “Keep meposted.”
“You gotit.”
They hung up, and London pounded his hands into the mattress. He stopped suddenly, realizing how he must look and who he resembled. He wouldn’t allow himself to beat up a mattress. That’s why he didn’t go sparring with the vets on the team at the gym. He was afraid that if he started, he wouldn’t stop. That the ugliest part of his father would pour out of him and he would become the monster hehated.
“No!” He shoved away from the bed and sprinted down the spiral staircase. Throwing open the front door, he took off at a sprint. He’d run until any resemblance to his old man wasgone.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Maia adjustedher dress in the back of the limo. The slit up her left thigh, the undamaged one, twisted as she sat, and she continually had to make sure it wasn’t drifting to reveal her bandage on the other leg. “I should have gone with the Gelinasjumpsuit.”
“The color was all wrong for you.” April didn’t look up from her phone. She was sending her daily update to Aaron, extolling Maia’s creative genius onThe LateShow.
“I can domint.”
“You can do Oreo mint, notpastel.”
