Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Shock overtakes his features, but as soon as he takes a step back, I dart around him and start running. My shoes slap against the sidewalk as I run, my lungs burning, my heart racing. Don’t look back, keep running.
Like a storm, Lex barrels down the sidewalk after me. Pumping my legs faster, I clench my fist, ready to punch him if he touches me. I make it to the edge of the sidewalk before one of his thick tree trunk arms circles my waist. Tugging me to his chest, he uses his other arm to trap me against him and lifts me in a bear hug, walking back toward his house.
“Let me go. I won’t be a victim. I won’t let you hurt me.” I start to cry, feeling the treacherous tears on my cheeks.
Lex easily unlocks the front door and carries me into the house, his breath not even labored with the effort. Then as fast as he grabbed me, he releases me. Landing on my feet, I wince at the impact as it vibrates through my legs.
Swallowing down my fear, I take a chance, looking up at him. His brows are drawn together, his handsome face filled with annoyance, that sharp jaw of his clenched tight. I’m tempted to touch it, but make a fist, digging my nails into the palm of my hand. Touching him will only encourage him to touch me, and that’s the last thing I want.
Preparing for him to start giving me every excuse under the sun, I’m shocked when he starts speaking.
Placing his hands on his hips, he looks down at me. “Why did you leave? I thought we had a good time, and then you just disappeared.”
“What?” I croak, completely taken back. I just saw him beating a man, and now he wants to talk about what we did, the night we shared, and how I left. Shaking my head, I will him and his question away.
“You heard me, Jude. Why did you leave? Where did you go?”
“N-no… I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to do this.” Wrapping my arms around myself, I sink down onto the sofa and bring my knees to my chest.
It was all a lie. Lex is just as bad as my father. He’s violent and mean. A fraud. He made me believe in some falsehood, made me believe he was a good person, but like all the others in my life, he’s evil on the inside and nice on the out.
Sinking down onto the couch beside me, he watches me with worry. “You remember my promise? How I told you I would keep you safe?”
I remember it well, and I reminded myself of it every single day. It’s what kept me going, it’s the reason I didn’t completely turn in on myself when my father beat me until I was nothing but a shell of myself after I returned home.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Jude. I’m not going to do anything. What you saw… it was a misunderstanding. It was…”
“I don’t care what it was. I don’t want to know. I just–I want you to let me go. You’re just like him. You pretend to be good, but you’re bad on the inside. You hurt people, and you’ll hurt me.”
“Bad? Hurt you? What the hell, Jude.” He seems shocked, like I’m accusing him of murder.
“There is blood on your hands. You’re violent, evil, and I don’t…” my voice cracks, and I don’t want him to know how heartbroken I am to discover he’s a fraud.
“You don’t what?” Lex asks through gritted teeth, his anger rising, his fist clenched tightly at his side. It’s only a matter of time before he raises a hand to me. I should be grateful it’s not a belt, or something else.
I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should finish my sentence.
You’re stronger than this. Reminding myself that I can do this, I push through the fear pressing against me.
“I don’t want to be here with you.” The words hurt as I speak them, but I don’t know this person. I thought I knew Lex, but I only knew one side of him, and I’ve been around men long enough to know there is always a darker, violent side waiting to show its face.
All this time I’d wished I could find him again.
Now I wish I never crossed his path again.
3
Lex
She thinks I’m going to hurt her. Raise my fucking hand to her. The fear trickling into her blue eyes tells me everything I need to know. That’s why she flinches every time I move, which of course, only angers me further, making me look like a crazed asshole.
I can’t help it though. Like I would fucking hurt her? I promised to keep her safe, not hurt her. I’ve never even given her a reason to be afraid of me. If there was ever a time to be scared of me, it would’ve been the first time we met, not now.