Page 118 of You Saw the Best In Me

“Mr. Muscles, you came all this way for lil ole me?” I tease, and he laughs.

“Oh, Karina, I knew you were trouble the second you started calling me that,” Adam says, pulling a seat for me at their table.

“Can we get you guys anything?” Hunter asks, and I tell them to surprise me.

Maverick holds my hands, unable to let me go a second without his touch. I need it right now. It’s the only thing keeping me from crumpling to the floor.

I put on a brave face, but I’m falling apart inside. I want to eat and hide away from the world, back in the safety of our bubble, in our bedroom.

Stupid game shows, tequila bottles, long nights, and early mornings. That’s my happy place, and Maverick is my home.

Hunter brings us both sandwiches, simple but effective. I eat mine in record time, not bothering to savor it. My ability to function is finally returning to me now that Mav has grounded my reality.

“Someone really wants to talk to you,” Mav smiles, handing me his phone.

“Hi, Harper,” I smile, instantly wiping tears.

I thought of this girl endlessly. She’s my family, and I can’t wait to hold her again.

“Karina,” she cries, and I’m a mess.

We talk for a few minutes, and I say hi to Jules and Willow before it’s too much. I’m overcome with emotion and can’t take this conversation any longer.

Mav takes the phone, and I hold my head in my hands.

A million thoughts are racing through my mind, and I need to get out of here.

Sensing my anxiety from across the room, Maverick rushes over and helps me stand up.

“Please, get me out of here,” I whisper, and he nods.

He excuses us from Adam and Hunter, who decide to stay in a motel for the night.

They offer to bring breakfast in the morning, and Mav thanks them for everything.

Just as they leave, I throw up everything I ate into the nearest trash can.

My body shakes, and I can’t breathe. Images of Asher driving my car and laughing come flooding back, and I feel the pain in my body all over again.

The pain from the elbow that broke my nose radiates through me, and my head suddenly aches from smashing into the window.

My wrists and ankles tingle and burn where the zip ties rubbed my skin.

A roadmap of where he touched my body boils to the surface, and every place is red-hot, like his hands were made of fire.

I’m having a panic attack, but the flashbacks are the driving force. I feel Maverick’s hands on me and hear him screaming for help, but the only thing I can focus on is the taste of poison in my mouth.

My vision goes black, and all I can think about is the drugs that previously coursed through my veins.

This time, though, I float with the darkness rather than attempting to fight through it.

I hear muffled voices and whispers, but my eyes won’t open. I feel heavy, as if my body is weighted to the bed. It’s not Maverick’s bed though, and I’m instantly paranoid.

I feel around for anything that can help me know where I am, and finally, my eyes open. A light touch on my back soothes me, and I feel safe. When I turn over, my eyes lock into Mav’s, and I’m instantly settled.

We’re in the hospital.

It’s all coming back to me, and I rest my head on him.