Bile rises in my throat, the bubble I’ve been hiding in since flying to America finally bursting. My reality is that when I go home, Chris can control me again. His hold on me has loosened right now, but if I attempt to run, he’ll find me.
And if I tell Kade, Chris will hurt him.
Chris is the reason my life is upside down, and I don’t want to risk him getting worse.
I somehow managed to tell Tobias a snippet of the truth, but getting the words out to Kade? Impossible.
“Can you call an Uber?” Kade’s deep voice travels through the bathroom door.
I can still feel each inch of him inside me, and I’m exhausted from how many times he made me orgasm. I reckon I have bruises between my thighs from how hard he pounded into me too.
I’m so fucking confused with it all.
All I keep thinking is that it might mean something to me, but he hates me. It terrifies me that I’m just going to break my own heart, because I meant it when I said we can’t be together.
It would be far too toxic. No relationship should have secrets.
There is no future with Kade Mitchell.
I call an Uber, and I try not to let the fresh, dressed and dangerously handsome Kade affect me as he walks out with damp hair hanging over his forehead, fixing his collar.
He stops dead when he sees me staring. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, eyes following him as he picks up his expensive watch from the bedside table. He clips it around his wrist, checking the time, then inspecting the small crack on his phone screen.
“Where exactly are we going? There’s a place across the street that sells phone chargers.”
“I’m not charging my phone,” he says, tossing the dead iPhone onto the bedside unit again. “I’ll do it later. I’m going to rent a car; I can use it to drop you off at the airport.”
“Why?”
Why are you even here? You hate me. Every harsh word you’ve sent my way proves that. I’m dead to you, remember?
He only shrugs. “I won’t try to fuck you again, if that’s your issue.”
I roll my eyes. “My issue is that a couple of weeks ago I was nothing but dirt to you. Are you still drunk?” I walk to stand in front of him as he sits on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes. “Is that why you’re tolerating me?”
I want to throw the lamp off his head as he laughs and replies, “Probably.”
“You know what? I’m not doing this.” I gesture between us, holding eye contact as annoyance seeps into my bones. “Me and you are over. You made sure of that when you left me. So what the hell are you doing now, Kade?”
He stands, towering over me. “Why are you here? Why did you leave the airport to come get me?”
“You needed help,” I reply, crossing my arms in front of me. “Don’t answer my question with a question.”
Kade steps forward, and I step back. “I want you to answer it. I treat you like shit, so why did you come for me?”
Another step forward from him, and one back from me. I breathe deeply until my back hits the door. He doesn’t stop until he’s right there, toe to toe, an inch away.
I flinch as he lifts his hand to touch my cheek, but he stops when he sees my eyes screwed shut. It’s an instinct I’ve picked up from Chris attacking me every chance he gets. He’s had me in this position several times.
Kade notices my reflex, instead resting his hand on the door next to my head. “Answer me, Stacey.”
His eyes are so beautiful, light like his father’s. But they’re also troubled and tired. My voice is quiet as I say, “I’m allowed to still care for you.”
Knocked into silence, Kade’s brows knit together.
My phone dings, and I slip away from him. “I’m not the snake you think I am. Despite what you think, I care. Probably more than I should.”
I open the door and walk out, and Kade follows.
36
STACEY
We grab a burger, chips and a drink from a fast-food place. We haven’t spoken in the two hours since we left the hotel. He grabs my hand while we walk through the mall to one of the stores but quickly drops it when he realises his mistake.
I scowl at him when he asks if I want anything while walking past clothes that would take me years to afford.
When Kyle calls me to tell me Nora is going in for her annual scan on her liver, Kade keeps his eyes on me, smoking a cigarette.
I want to go back to the room, alone, and lie in bed. I want to get away from this imbecile who just did about four one-eighties in his mood.
Him and Lu really are twins. Moody bastards.
“Do we need to go anywhere else?”
Kade nods once.
“Where?”
“You’ll see,” is his response.
“I’ve had better conversations with your grandmother,” I say, intentionally shouldering him as we walk. “And that’s saying something.”
We get in another Uber, and Kade’s knee bumps mine. I glance at him, but he’s staring out the window. “Just pull in here.”
My eyes widen when I see where we are. “No.”
“Yes.” He gets out and pulls my door open. “Come on.”
“No.”
He laughs and grabs my hand, yanking me out and thanking the driver. “Stop being a shitebag.”
I point at the sign. “I’m not going on a motorbike!”
Kade ignores me and saunters into the building, fingers wrapped around my wrist lightly. I sit at the reception in a huff, debating whether I should run now or pretend he kidnapped me.
To my horror, he buys one.
Buys. A motorbike. Outright.
Ten minutes later, he walks towards me with two helmets. “Let’s go.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ll throw you over my shoulder.”
Disregarding the building terror in my gut, I get up and walk towards the back, through the doors and into the car park, where a black motorbike sits, waiting to end my life.
“Jesus, Kade. No. I’m not going on that huge thing! It will honestly kill me.”
He gives me a look. “Are we still talking about the bike?”
“Shut up.”
The worker chuckles, arms folded and leaning against the wall. “Our most recent model. And most expensive.”
I scowl at Kade. “Stop throwing money around.”
He shakes his head and nods to the death trap. “Get on the bike.”
“No,” I reply, my heart beginning to race as he approaches me, lifting his hand and tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“Stop that.” I knock his touch away. “I’ll get a ride back to the hotel.”
“You either climb on or I bend you over it.”
He’s serious. The heated look in his eyes is enough to make my pussy instantly wet.
“I’m happy with both. You choose.”
The man behind us clears his throat and dismisses himself.
“What will it be then, Stacey?”
I force a snort. “Neither are realistic.”
“If you think I won’t pull off your little black dress and make it realistic, you’re wrong.”
My inner walls clench on nothing but the image of him doing just that. I swallow hard, the pulse in my neck fluttering, and I try to appear unaffected. I wet my lips with my tongue and note his gaze dropping to my mouth. “There are cameras.”