Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“Can we not?” I asked him, my voice breaking as my heart began to pound hard in my chest. “I need a moment.”
“But we need to talk about this. Fuck, we were so close for almost four years, Meghan.”
I rubbed the heel of my hand over the center of my chest, hoping to relieve the ache and calm myself down. My meds were in mine and Julian’s bathroom, and I needed to take a pill to ward off an anxiety attack. “Vincent, just give me a minute,” I begged him as I spun on my heel to go grab a clonazepam.
He grabbed my wrist. “Meghan, you can’t keep running—"
“Let go of me!” I yelled at him, tears flooding my eyes as my chest tightened. I yanked my wrist from his hand and rushed from the room, my chest painfully caving in. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to fight back the night that I was alone in the frat house. I pressed my hand to my chest, trying my best to suck air into my lungs.
Meghan, don’t do this, I whimpered.
Vincent burst into the room as I collapsed to my knees, barely able to breathe. “Meghan!” Vince shouted, his voice filled with panic.
I tried focusing on something, anything. Vincent reached out to touch me, and I flinched back from him.
“Move!” Julian roared at Vince. He shoved him out of the way and knelt in front of me. He cradled my face in his hands as Axel grabbed my hands in his. “Focus, baby,” Julian soothed. “It’s okay. Breathe, baby girl.”
Hot tears slid down my cheeks as I kept my gaze locked on his. “She needs her meds,” Axel softly spoke up.
Julian nodded, but never tore his gaze from me. I whined when Axel moved away. “Shh, sweet girl,” Axel crooned as he quickly placed his hands back in mine.
Julian pulled me on his lap and wrapped his arms around me, never ripping my hands from Axel’s. “Fuck, baby, you’re okay.” Julian ran his hand over my hair. “You’re safe. It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you, not anymore. I’m here; we’re here.”
“I’m sorry.” I buried my face against his shoulder, my body trembling.
“Don’t apologize, baby girl. You had no way to prepare for this.” Julian pressed his lips to the top of my head. “Axel needs to get your medicine, okay? He’s not leaving, baby girl. He’s coming right back.”
I nodded. Axel gently squeezed my hands before he released them and dashed into the bathroom. I yawned, my eyes beginning to droop. “Hold on,” Julian coaxed. “We’ll take a nap in a minute. You need to take your medicine first, okay?”
I sleepily nodded, the anxiety attack basically having drained all of my energy. Axel stepped back into the room with my clonazepam and a bottle of water. I obediently opened my mouth without having to be prompted, and he placed the pill on my tongue, handing me the bottle of water after. “Get him out of here,” Julian quietly ordered Axel. “She needs rest. The next time he wants to visit, he needs to run that shit by me or you. He pops up again unexpectedly, and I will beat his ass. To hell with all of my fucking anger management therapy.”
I sleepily closed my eyes, snuggling further into Julian’s warm, muscular body. He rested his back against the wall and tightened his arms around me. “Sleep, my goddess,” he whispered.
“Axel isn’t leaving, is he?” I quietly asked him, my words slurring from being so tired.
“No, sweet girl. I’m not leaving,” Axel promised me. “Now get some rest.”
I curled my fingers into Julian’s shirt and finally let sleep take me.
24
I sleepily rubbed my eyes as I slid my eyes open, looking up at Julian as he slowly slid from the bed, doing his best to try not to wake me. “Julian?” I quietly asked him, my voice husky with sleep.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he quietly apologized as he leaned over and pecked my lips. “My agent called. Apparently, it’s something important. I need to take the phone call. I’ll come back to bed as soon as it’s taken care of, okay?”
I nodded in understanding, my eyes already sliding back closed. He brushed his lips over my forehead before he slid completely out of bed and left the room, pulling his phone to his ear.
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
I jerked my head up from my phone, my face paling.
I tried to scream, but he quickly moved forward and roughly slammed his disgusting hand over my mouth, effectively shutting me up as he kicked my bedroom door closed. I fought like hell, desperate to get the fuck out of the room and to safety—to people who could protect me.
“Stop fucking fighting me,” he snarled down at me, his beady, dark eyes glaring down at me, making my heart pound in fear.