I wanted to ask him why me, and not in a way that I was looking to have my ego stroked, but instead, why was he being so kind to me, a virtual stranger. What did he see when he looked at me, like really, really looked at me, deep into my soul where erratic brush strokes had painted it into a tangled mess of lies, betrayal, hurt, and loneliness. My mouth went dry, and a pit formed in my stomach as the thought of being vulnerable again in front of him brought my anxiety to the surface, stealing my courage.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket, startling me, only for fear to snake up my spine, as only two people had my number, and one was sitting beside me.
Unknown Number: Wrapping someone else around your finger, I see.
I instinctively sat up straight, pushed to the edge of my seat, and surveyed our surroundings.
“Lakelyn?”
The color draining from my face was bleeding my soul dry.
Why was this happening again? How could I have been so stupid to think the messages would stop if I changed my number.
“Lakelyn, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I shivered despite the warm temperature outside. “Do you think we can call it a day?”
“Sure, but first, tell me what’s happening here.” He tried to mask his surprise but clearly knew something was off.
“I ah . . . I just.” I blew out a jagged breath as I could feel panic settling in. “I’m not feeling so hot.” I lightly rubbed my forehead. “I’ve got a bit of a halo developing in my vision. It’s usually the first sign I’m getting a migraine. I just need to go home and lie in darkness.”
My faith that he’d bought the lame story I’d just spun out of thin air wasn’t concrete, but that didn’t stop him from rising to his feet and offering me his hand.
I had no idea how this mystery creep found my number again, but it reminded me that I couldn’t afford to be careless with my identity and surroundings.
Chapter15
Lakelyn
It had been just over a week since I’d been with Boden at his flip property, not for lack of effort on his part but more out of an abundance of caution on mine. It was also why I finally accepted Boden’s invitation and found myself sitting in his truck after his relentless pursuit and determination to get me out of the house tonight.
“Not a fan of surprises, are you?”
When he texted earlier telling me to be ready for eight, I simply replied with an “okay,” but that didn’t mean I had a reprieve from my nerves.
“What gave it away?” I said in jest.
“Well, for one, I’m afraid you’re going to rub your knuckles raw with all the nervous energy you’re channeling, and two, you’re going to give yourself whiplash if you keep looking over your shoulder.”
He was right. I was acting overly paranoid, and if I didn’t get myself under control, I’d have to field even more questions from him, ones I wasn’t ready to face. The mystery texter had been radio silent, and while I was hoping it was the wrong number, I knew the odds weren’t in my favor.
“I promise we won’t see a soul where we are going. It will be just you and me.”
He couldn’t be more wrong if he thought that would calm me down. Just the opposite in fact, my nervousness only intensified. My attraction to Boden was becoming undeniable, and while I kept reinforcing the friends-only rule, my reasons for it were holding less and less merit.
After taking a couple of turns off the main road, Boden steered his truck down a dirt road lined with dense forest on either side until we came upon a gate blocking our path.
“I’ll just be a sec.”
He turned the ignition off, hopped out of the truck, and unlocked the padlock on the gate before swinging it open wide.
“Now, will you tell me where we are going?”
“You’ll see soon enough, beautiful.” He grinned.
It wasn’t until he rounded a bend that the road disappeared, and he flicked on his high beams, revealing a large open field before us. I felt my eyebrows lift with confusion as I caught sight of a body of water out the front windshield and a travel trailer before he turned the truck a one-eighty, reversed a bit, and shifted into park.
I was full of questions, but Boden was out of the truck before I could decide which one to ask first. Instead, I sat dumbfounded until the sound of the flatbed opening jarred me back to reality.
