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“What?”
“When you just melt into me like that.”
“I can’t help it,” I tell him. “You do crazy things to me.”
His eyebrows quirk up and a smile stretches across his lips. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”
“Like you make my heart practically beat out of my chest and my entire body tingles anytime you’re near. You make me feel your love. Words don’t mean much to me anymore if actions don’t back them up and you somehow know that. You just know that I need to see your feelings for me instead of just hear them. But the best thing is that you make me feel safe — in every way.”
His eyes are soft as he looks at me with so much love and devotion that I risk melting into him again. He places another quick kiss on my lips before pulling me into his arms and squeezing me to him. Now that he’s not distracting me, my thoughts float back to Ryan and I wonder again if we’re making too big of a deal out of this.
“Nix?”
“Yeah, babe.”
“Do you think maybe we’re overreacting to this whole Ryan thing?”
His body tenses and he pulls away to look at my face. Just as he’s opening his mouth to say something, my phone rings on the kitchen counter. Now it’s my turn to tense up because I recognize the ringtone. It’s like a sign from God.
When I got myself a new phone, I still made sure to program Ryan’s number in there with a special ringtone so I would know to never answer the call.
“Whose ringtone is that, baby?” From the tone of his voice, I know he knows the answer. He just needs me to say it. The better question is, how the hell did Ryan get my new number?
“Ryan’s.”
He clenches his jaw and releases me, marching over to my phone, intent on answering it.
“No! Don’t!”
He stops and turns to me with wide eyes. “Why?”
“If he leaves a voicemail, it will be more evidence.”
He studies me for a moment, seeming to think it over before nodding just as the ringing stops. A minute later, it beeps with the notification for the voicemail.
“You want me to play it, sweet girl?”
My face must show my fear as I try to steel myself in preparation for hearing his voice. I nod and then he scoops up my phone, messing with it for a couple seconds before Ryan’s voice fills the room.
“What the fuck, Emma? You a little biker slut now? Did you forget who you belong to? He may get you for now but I’ll find a way to get you back. We’re meant to be together. See you soon.”
Silence fills the room and I grab the back of the couch to brace myself as I gasp for air. Tears well up in my eyes. I haven’t heard his voice since that night in the bar so long ago and hearing it now makes me feel weak.
Why can’t he just leave me alone? That’s all I want. It’s not asking much. Nix crosses the room to me and scoops me up in his arms. He carries me over to the couch and sits down with me in his lap.
“Shhh, sweetheart. You’re going to be okay.” He rubs his hand over my back gently. “I won’t let him get you. Do you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you, Nix.”
“I love you so much, Emma. I’ll die before I’ll let him anywhere near you.”
“Don’t say that. I need you.”
A slow smile spreads across his face. “You do, huh?”
“Yes.”
He pulls me into him tighter and just holds me close to his body. “I love you, baby.”
“Me, too.”
