Page 68 of Dangerous Attraction

Looking down at my naked body, I scoff.

"It's almost two o'clock in the morning, and I just got out of the shower. I'm not coming outside."

He huffs, and I can picture him shaking his head, which makes me roll my eyes.

Opening the top drawer of my unit, I pull out a pair of boxers. Unwrapping my towel, I let it fall to the carpeted floor.

"Okay, suit yourself. I guess I'll just continue to watch her walk toward me and ask why she's here myself."

His words stop me in my tracks, my brows furrowing deeper.

"Who?"

I'm already stretching out the band of my boxers and hurriedly stuffing my feet into each hole. My stomach twists with the conclusion I've already come to.

"Who do you think?"

Pulling open a second drawer, I grab a pair of gray sweats, shake them out, then step into them before whipping a top out.

"Stop fucking about with me, Milo," I grumble as I shove the top over my head. "Is Trix outside?"

He chuckles. "Yeah, she's currently walking down the road. Hard to see her, in all honesty. I had to check the cameras to see who it was when I saw a shadowy figure moving between the trees."

Sliding my arms into the top, I pick my phone up and immediately swipe to the surveillance app Ghost set up for us.

Zooming in on the small, grainy image I find Trix slowly walking down the road, arms wrapped around herself, and her head swiveling around, taking in her surroundings.

What the fuck is she doing walking back here?

"Be down in a minute," I say as I hang up and chuck my phone onto my bed.

Grabbing a pair of socks, I slip them on, then pick up a pair of shoes, sliding them on.

Striding out of my room, I rush down the stairs, almost jogging down the hallway until I'm pushing through the door and out to the porch beside Milo, who's leaning against the wooden post with a lit cigarette in his mouth.

We both stare ahead, past the graveled area lit up by the lights in the house, and down the darkened road.

It's hard to make out where she is at first, but once my eyes adjust, I can see her gradually getting closer.

Stepping down from the porch, I stuff my hands into my pockets, squinting as I focus on her shadowed figure.

Her head is bowed, eyes focused on the ground, and shoulders curled inwards.

"What are you doing back here?" I shout, hoping she can hear me now that she's closed most of the distance between us.

She falters, her head snapping up in my direction. Her hair and the night sky obscure most of her face from my view.

Turning, she looks over her shoulder again, before glancing back toward me, then finally moving forward.

I take another step, lips pressed into a thin line and shoulders tense as she grows closer.

When she reaches the large, circular patch of gravel that's mostly taken up by everyone's bikes, her feet scuffing against the floor, wind billowing through her red waves, she drops her gaze back to the floor before she steps into the light.

My heart drops at the sight of her. The knot in my stomach tightens as my muscles turn rigid.

"Red." My voice comes out quiet and strangled as I storm toward her, not stopping until we're face to face.

I gently cradle her jaw in my hands, and my eyes widen when I see the swollen, bruised skin across the right side of her face.