"I know." I reach up and cover his hands with mine. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just scared, and when I'm scared I say stupid things."
"Meeting my parents isn't going to change anything between us."
"That's not what I'm afraid of."
He waits for me to continue, patient as always, and I struggle to put my fears into words that make sense.
"I'm afraid of ruining this," I finally say. "Not just with your parents, but all of it. Every time something good happens, I'm waiting for it to fall apart. And now with the police investigation, with everything that's happened, it feels like the universe is just waiting for the right moment to take it all away."
Phoenix pulls me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. I breathe in the scent of him, clean cotton and something underneath that's just him. My ear presses against his heartbeat, steady and strong.
"The universe can try," he murmurs into my hair. "But I'm not letting you go. Not for my parents, not for the police, not for anything. Do you understand?"
I nod against his chest, not trusting my voice.
"Saturday is going to be fine. You're going to wear something beautiful, and we're going to show up at my parents' house, and they're going to see exactly what I see when I look at you. Someone worth fighting for."
I pull back to look at him, this man who killed for me, who would do anything to keep me safe. His dark eyes are fierce with certainty, and for a moment I let myself believe that everything really will be okay.
"Okay," I whisper. "Saturday. No excuses."
He kisses me then, soft and sweet, a promise sealed with the press of his lips against mine.
When we finally break apart, my phone buzzes on the table. I glance at the screen, expecting spam or a notification from the writing site where I've been posting my chapters.
It's a text from an unknown number.
My blood turns to ice as I read the words on the screen.
I know what he did. And soon, everyone else will too.
CHAPTER 4- PHOENIX
Suddenly, something is different.
Color drains from her cheeks and her hands start to tremble. She shows me the screen without a word, and I feel something cold settle in my chest as I read the words.
I know what he did. And soon, everyone else will too.
Unknown number. No name, no context, no way to trace it back to whoever sent it. Just a threat hanging in the air.
”Who is this?" Jade's voice is barely a whisper. "How do they know?"
"They don't know anything." I take the phone from her hands and study the message, looking for any clue I might have missed. "This is fishing. Someone's trying to scare you into making a mistake."
"Well, it's working."
I set the phone face-down on the table, resisting the urge to throw it against the wall. Whoever sent this wants us afraid and panicking. I won't give them the satisfaction.
"We're not going to respond," I say firmly. "We're not going to engage. If they had real evidence, they wouldn't be sending anonymous texts. They'd be going to the police."
"Maybe they already have."
"Then the police would be here." I pull her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest. She's shaking, and I hate that I can't make it stop. "This is someone playing games. Trying to rattle us. We can't let them win."
She doesn't answer, just presses her face into my shirt and breathes. I stroke her hair and stare at the phone on the table, my mind racing through possibilities. Marcus's family, maybe. A friend who's asking questions. Someone from his business dealings who suspects foul play.
It doesn't matter who they are. What matters is that they don't have proof. If they did, we'd already be in handcuffs.
