Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Pulling my phone out of my purse, I saw Gage’s name with three notifications. I pushed the restroom door open and stepped inside as I opened the text.
On a date with your friend?
Not gonna even look at your phone?
Do I need to send Levi back in there?
I sighed and hoped Levi wasn’t back.
I was eating. Yes, it’s my friend. Why does it matter?
I chewed on my bottom lip nervously.
Leave.
What?
Leave. Go get your food and go home. Alone.
No. That’s rude and crazy.
Shiloh, go the fuck home.
I stuffed the phone back in my purse, silencing it. He doesn’t contact me for three days and then thinks he can tell me what the heck to do. I don’t think so, mister.
Taking a moment to calm myself, I stared in the mirror. I might have just pissed off a man I wasn’t sure if I should be scared of or not. But no one was going to talk to me like that. I would deal with the fact that it might have turned me on later. Right now, I was mad about it.
I headed back out into the restaurant and saw Wilder was done eating and drinking his beer. Maybe leaving was best. I pulled out my chair and sat down.
Wilder frowned at me, looking concerned. “Everything okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. If you’re done, I can get the rest of mine to go. Sorry about that.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You look shaken up. Who was texting you?”
I wished he’d stop being nosy. Granted, up until now, I had told him things, but my life had been boring then. It was currently anything but.
I shook my head. “Not something I can talk about, but I am fine.”
“You can’t talk about it, or you can’t talk about it with me?”
I understood his question, and he deserved honesty.
“I don’t think it’s something we should discuss.”
He nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
I waved at the server and got a to-go box.
Wilder paid even though I’d tried to pay for my half. I felt guilty about him doing it. This night had turned out to be a bit of a mess. We walked back to the apartment in silence. It was awkward, and I didn’t like feeling that way with Wilder.
When we reached my door, I looked up at him. “This got weird. I don’t want that.”
He sighed. “Yeah, me neither. Listen, it’s my fault. I handled it wrong. I’m sorry.”
I hugged him and stepped back, feeling better. “Thanks for dinner,” I told him before unlocking my door and going inside.
I set my food on the counter and pulled out my phone, nervous about what all it was going to say.
Only one text.
Call me when you get home.
II
It isn’t fair to claim that it was toxic when obsession is but a deeper realm of love.
– Abbi Glines
Twenty-One
Shiloh
Letting my anger get the best of me, I pressed Gage’s number.
“That took too long,” he said.
“You don’t have the right to demand I do something.”
He chuckled.
“Why is that funny? I am serious.”
“Because you did it, and now, you’re yelling at me about it.”
I clenched my fists. I hadn’t meant to do it, but, yes, it’d happened.
“Why do you care who I go out with?” I asked.
He didn’t respond right away. I waited because I needed to hear an answer.
“Who do you think about when you finger-fuck yourself?”
This was not a fair question. “You are answering a question with a question.”
“Who, Shiloh?” His voice was softer now, and it caused the fluttering feeling in my stomach.
“You.”
“Right, and I don’t want you around any more fucking cocks.” His tone made me shiver.
“He’s a friend.”
“Don’t care.”
I closed my eyes, frustrated by all of this. “Gage, you haven’t contacted me in three days. Before that, it was sporadic, at best. You didn’t want me as your nurse. I’m getting mixed signals, and it’s confusing.”
He was quiet for a moment.
“Would you come back here?” he asked me.
“To be your nurse?”
“Yes.”
“What about Doreen?”
“I want you.”
Whew, this was tempting. “I’m not sure Uncle Neil will allow me to.”
He chuckled. “Carmichael will do what I say.”
This was a bad idea.
“Please, Shiloh.”
Oh good Lord, how was a woman supposed to deal with this? It wasn’t fair. I was trying to be smart and make good choices. Gage Presley was not a good choice. But in the two years since my life had basically begun, he was the only person to make me feel all these things.
“Are you going to be nice to me?” I asked.
“Very.”
“No more getting angry and sending me away? No more hating me for something I don’t even remember?”
“I’ll be on my best behavior.”
The deep timbre in his voice had some kind of power over me.
“What is it that we are doing?” I asked him.
“You’re gonna be my nurse.”
Somehow, I didn’t feel like that was the case, but I didn’t care. My vagina was currently in control right now. “Okay.”