I’mthe sheriff of Evergreen Falls.
What the hell have I done?
CHAPTER 31
WALKER
Blake is vulnerable. Someone is terrorizing her. She trusted me enough to lower her guard. I should’ve had more self-control than that. She deserves more than a quick fuck in the conference room at the police station.
Blake doesn’t even know the truth. Levi, Santiago, and I never told her. If she knew, she’d never look at me the same again.
The line that I thought didn’t exist earlier becomes crystal clear, and I crossed it.
It’s as if Blake can feel the shift in my mood. Her hand falls on my shoulder, grabbing my attention, concern filling her features.
“Walk, are you okay?”
My eyes drop, and I spin away, sliding my belt through the loops on my jeans. Her hand drops away, and I lose her touch.
I try to convince myself that this is how it has to be.
I can’t look her in the eye. Not now. I don’t want to see the look on her face. “Get your things. We need to leave.”
If I look at her now, I’ll stay.
“Where are we going?” Her voice relays the hurt I’ve caused.
We finish dressing in silence. I’m done before she is and wait for her to tie her boots. She slips on her coat, or rather, Levi’s coat. Blake did some online shopping this morning, and until her purchases arrive, she’s borrowing whatever clothing of ours she can make work.
When she’s ready, I open the door and gesture for her to go ahead of me. Thankfully, Tessa and Ridge are still gone, but Jolene shoots me a knowing look as she sits dutifully at her desk. To my relief, she doesn’t comment. She gives us a polite goodbye and leaves it at that.
I shut the passenger door to my truck after Blake enters, then I climb in on the driver’s side.
Blake doesn’t waste a second trying to remedy the situation. “Are we going to talk about what we did?”
Unable to articulate the appropriate words, my lips remain shut as I pull out of the parking lot and head toward Falling Sky.
How do I tell her without hurting her? Is that even possible?
The cliché phrase sits in my throat. I try swallowing it down, but it won’t go away.
My only option is to rip off the band aid.
In my next life, I’m coming back as a rusty dumpster.
Staring straight ahead, I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. “This can’t happen again.”
The silence between us expands, pulling taut like a rubber band. When Blake opens her mouth again, the rubber band snaps. I’m left with a welt on my soul, and I deserve it.
“Did you not like it?” Her tone is timid, the complete opposite of Blake.
Regardless, her question throws me off. “I came, didn’t I?”
“That doesn’t always mean it was enjoyable,” she disputes.
“I liked it. I liked it a lot,” I answer honestly. “But Blake, you don’t know everything.”
I can feel her mood flip as her eyes attempt to bore a hole into the side of my face. “Are you saying I’m not smart enough for you?”
