I’m never going back to that life.
The mere thought of it sent her running.
Her eyes popped open, meeting her reflection in the mirror. She knew what she wanted, and it had nothing to do with her past. Maybe it was a good thing Alex came and confronted her. It made her decision much easier. The path to her future was much clearer now.
Excitement fluttered inside of her like a drum. She needed to get back to Jake. Now.
After washing her hands, she yanked the door open andreturned to the bar. She examined Alex’s intense expression. Something was worrying him.
What was the real reason he came out here? Jerry and Alex knew each other, but there was something bothering her about his story. It was unlike Alex to do anyone’s bidding, much less someone like Jerry, whom he deemed beneath him. He often called Jerry a rat and other derogatory names whenever his name flashed across her phone.
Alex glanced up from his phone, his worried expression clearing again and spreading into a tight smile meant to ease her, but that only made the hairs on the back of her neck rise to the imminent threat.
Something is very wrong.
“Sorry, Alex. I need to get going…” She gestured weakly to the door with a thumb over her shoulder, ready to turn away, when a hand gripped her on her shoulder. The shudder that went through her could only be disgust.
Alex mistook her response for pleasure as he stepped in closer, his voice dipping low like he was sharing a secret with her. “Don’t go. I haven’t given you your present yet.”
“There’s no need. Really.” This time, she tried to move away, but her limbs didn’t seem to get the memo. Fighting back a yawn, she felt her energy draining away like sand through her fingers. She shouldn’t have skipped lunch, she thought, even as Alex folded her into his body with one arm wrapped around her waist. She tried to fight him off, but he steered her away from the bar.
Her feet were weightless. She imagined this was what walking on clouds would feel like.
“Easy there, superstar. We’re almost to my car,” Alex whispered in her ear. His beer breath made her stomach curdle.
No. No. No.
She screamed, but her words didn’t sound right to her. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open, but she knew she couldn’t go to sleep right now, no matter how much her body begged her to.
At the doorway, Alex stopped abruptly, jerking her against him.
“Excuse me, man. We were just leaving.”
“Gia? Are you okay?”
Jake!The rough timbre of his voice seemed to soothe her nerves. Her eyes drifted shut.
The last thing she remembered was a shout followed by a thud.
Then, total and complete darkness.
Twenty-Eight
JAKE
Life sucks, and then you die.
It was a little melodramatic, but after having his entire world rocked last night and going to bed with Gia tucked safely in his arms, he had high hopes for how the rest of their relationship would go. Only smooth sailing from here on out.
Didn’t they deserve it? Hadn’t they fought through enough shit to at least get one morning together?
The crushing sensation of waking up alone had nearly done him in. His first thought was she had regrets about what happened between them. Then Marley barged into his room with a wide smile on her face, yelling at him to put some pants on because she had made pancakes for breakfast with extra chocolate chips.
Begrudgingly, he rolled out of bed and got dressed, following his nose to the kitchen, where the smells of maple syrup and brown sugar hung thick in the air. Marley sat at the table, her plate already piled high with a mound of whipped cream on top. Not a single protein in sight.
“Smells delicious, Marley.” His stomach grumbledin agreement. He plopped down onto his seat, where his plate was already waiting for him on the table.
Marley stabbed a fork into her pancakes but paused before it reached her mouth. “Oh, by the way, I saw Gia this morning.”
