Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
I step back, nearly tripping over myself. My mind replays everything that’s happened between us—the stolen looks, the gentle touches, the heated moments that left me breathless. Had all of that been… fake? Just for fun?
My cheeks burn with humiliation. God, Briar, how could you be so naive? All those times I felt safe with him, letting my guard slip because I actually believed he cared. The tears I’ve been holding back start to blur my vision, and I turn away from the door, forcing myself not to run as I hurry down the hall. I clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle the sob that tries to escape.
Once I reach the guest room that’s become my temporary haven, I throw myself onto the bed, burying my face in the pillows. Tears flow freely now, hot and furious. My chest tightens, making it hard to breathe. I feel a whirlwind of betrayal, hurt, and anger roiling inside me.
How could he do this—tell me he really liked me, then turn around and lie about it?
I force myself to sit up, wiping my face on the back of my sleeve. The swirl of thoughts in my head feels suffocating, like I’m drowning in them.
“It’s okay, Jeb,” I tell the only person I can trust.
Jeb doesn’t say anything, just watches me. He knows I’m upset.
I spot the cardboard box on the nightstand—my box of mementos from my old life. I grab it, pulling it onto my lap as if searching for some sort of solace.
The box is stuffed with random keepsakes: birthday cards from my mom, ticket stubs from movies I saw with Heidi, an old keychain that used to hang from my backpack, and pictures… so many pictures. My hand lands on one of Jason, and my chest constricts with a different kind of pain.
The photo is crumpled at the edges from being shoved into a drawer for so long. In it, Jason’s arm is hooked around my shoulders, and I’m smiling. Why was I smiling so big? The memory of that day stings. I can’t remember if I was actually happy, or if I was just pretending for the camera.
Then I spot another photo, one of just Jason. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this one before. I look closer, wondering when it was. He looks different here, like maybe before he ever met me.
I’m about to toss the photo aside when something in the background catches my attention. Is that the zoo parking lot behind him? I lean in, studying the details—the row of cars, the sign just out of focus. My pulse kicks up a notch. The sign looks suspiciously like the staff entrance sign for the zoo. My gaze locks on Jason’s smug grin. It’s at that moment I notice something else.
My mind flits back to the conversation I overhead just now. Orion was also talking about something going on at the zoo. Fear and confusion twist inside me. Jason’s been so fixated on me, on forcing me to come out of hiding. Could he be planning something at the zoo? A chill crawls down my spine, remembering Heidi’s warning that Jason had shown up there a few days ago. I clutch the photo tighter, a surge of anger fueling me.
In a blur, I’m on my feet, the box of mementos abandoned on the bed. If Jason is messing with my workplace—the place I love more than anything—then I need to find out. And if Orion has no real feelings for me, then what am I doing just hiding here in his house, letting him dictate my every move?
“Jeb, I have to go. You’ll be safe here with Orion.”
“Safe,” he repeats the word back to me.
“Yes, Jeb’s safe. You can’t tell him where I’m going. Okay?” I stare at his little black eyes. I love this bird, and I trust him to keep my secret. “I’ll be back soon.”
Tear tracks still streak my face, but my anger and heartbreak propel me forward. I grab my jacket, wincing at the pang in my chest. How could Orion lie to me? The thought stabs me again, and I feel another hot wave of tears behind my eyes. But I blink them away. I don’t have time to wallow in that pain. Not if Jason is planning something serious.
Without a second thought, I sling my purse over my shoulder and tiptoe toward the back door. The house is eerily quiet, and my stomach clenches at the idea that Orion might be in his office, still on the phone, telling whoever’s on the other end how he’s just “protecting” me. No feelings, no attachments.
It’s humiliating, and it stings more than I want to admit.
Careful not to make a sound, I slip out into the night. My heart thrums with a blend of fear and determination. A part of me knows this is reckless—Jason could be waiting around any corner. But I can’t stay here in this bubble, not when Orion’s apparently been stringing me along with lies, and not when the zoo might be in danger.