I’m going straight to hell.
Jessica’s been put through the wringer, and all I can think about is getting her naked?
I lift my hand and run it over my face before letting it drop to the mattress.
When my eyes pop open, I find a sleepy pair of amber irises directed at me.
We just stare at one another for a moment.
I hold my breath, unsure of what to do or what to say. Yes, she asked me to stay with her, but that doesn’t mean shit. Not when the events of last night finally register in her mind.
The corner of her mouth lifts a little, her arms tightening around me slightly. “Good morning.” Her voice is low and raspy, making goosebumps rise on my skin.
“Morning.”
“What—” Jessica blinks, and that’s when it happens. Her smile falls, her eyes grow distant, and I witness the exact moment she realizes that last night actually happened.
I extend my hand slowly and brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “You okay?”
Jessica gulps audibly. “Yeah. For a second, I forgot, but now I can’t unsee it. The wall. The photos…” She shudders visibly at the memory. “I just want to go back to before all this happened. I don’t know how I’m ever going to return to my house again.”
I press my lips to her forehead. “We’ll figure it out. You take your time.”
“He followed me, Matthew.” She looks up, fear reflecting in her eyes staring right at me. “He followed me, he watched me, he took pictures of me when I wasn’t looking. I…”
If the guy were here right now, I would kill him with my bare hands for putting her through this. For making her this scared.
“Hey…” I sit up and rest my back against the headboard, pulling her up with me. She’s nestled against my side, one legthrown over my lap as I wrap my arm around her middle. “Just breathe. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get him, you hear me? We’re going to get him and lock him up where he belongs. He won’t hurt you again.”
Jessica rests her head against my shoulder. “I dated him for a year.”
“This is not on you. You didn’t cause this. It’s all him.”
“How didn’t I see it?”
“Some people are master manipulators. They’re just so good at hiding it, you can’t see it until it’s too late.” I slip my finger under her chin and tilt her head so she meets my gaze. “But he’s not getting away with this.”
Jessica nibbles at her lip. “What if he tries to hurt you?”
“Let him try.”
The words echo in the room, the promise in them unmistakable. A part of me wishes he would try so I have a reason to lock him up sooner.
“Matthew…”
“Nothing will happen to me.”
I skim my thumb over her lower lip and tug at it, making it pop. Jessica’s eyes stare into mine before they dip to my mouth. Her breath hitches slightly.
“You can’t know that.”
“Well, I do. You don’t have to worry about me, Trouble.”
“I always worry about you. It’s impossible not to.”
Her words settle deep inside me. She looks at me through those long lashes, her cheeks turning pink as we just stare at one another.
Suddenly, I’m aware of how close we are. How mere inches separate us. Her fingers skim over my cheek.
