Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
She frowns. “I doubt that. I honestly doubt it. The way Slater loves you, tells me you two had something pretty amazing. If you’re wondering about it all, you need to sit and talk to him, get the good and the bad, so if those memories come back, you won’t be shocked. Then you can make a choice, for right now. Because honey, you’re living in the right now...”
“I know,” I admit, “I just feel like I can’t live, not with him around, you know? I feel like he’s going to take me back, and just as I’m getting happy again I’ll be-”
“That will never happen,” she cuts me off, “we will never let him get his hands on you again, Ellie. I promise you that.”
My heart warms.
And I’m so thankful for these people.
“Now, tell me what happened to cause you to run out of Slater’s house this morning. You two slept together, that’s not so bad. You’re a woman, and he’s a man, and you two have a connection that runs deep, so it isn’t surprising. But why did you run out?”
“There was another woman there when I went out this morning,” I tell her, feeling sheepish for reacting so badly. “And they were talking, and Scarlett, he smiled. A real smile. A true smile. He looked at her, and he smiled. And I don’t know, something inside me just snapped. I felt this stupid emotion I haven’t experienced before, and I couldn’t control it. Then I got frustrated with myself because I couldn’t understand it, either. I mean, I don’t even remember anything so why was I feeling so...”
“Jealous?” Scarlett offers.
“Yeah.”
“Because you care about him, I just don’t think you understand why. But you do. It’s clear. And you’ve been through a lot. And you gave a lot to him when you slept with him. And you felt an emotion that is completely natural, honey. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“I could have been taken again, because I over reacted to a silly emotion...” I say, feeling ashamed.
“It isn’t a silly emotion. It’s powerful enough on a good day, with people who understand what it means. You don’t, or at least, you don’t remember feeling it, so therefore it would have hit you even harder. You overreacted, you did something silly, but you have learned a lesson and shouldn’t be punished for it.”
I nod, rubbing my face.
“Talk to Slater, honey,” she advises. “I know you might not want to, but the only way you two are ever going to get over this speed bump, is if you’re both open and honest with each other. He can’t help you with your fears, if he doesn’t know what they are. Tell him what you’re feeling, and let him help you. We’re family, now. We all want to be here for you.”
“Thank you,” I smile at her. “I really appreciate it.”
“Can we have a word to Ellie, darlin’.”
We both turn to see Malakai, Maverick and Boston standing in the doorway. I look to Scarlett, and she nods, smiling. “Come find me when you’re done, and we’ll keep drinking this little problem away.”
I smile at her and laugh softly. She stands and gives Maverick a kiss, long and deep, on her way out. My cheeks go pink, and I turn back to my beer as the three men come in and sit down with me.
“Been talkin’ it over, and while Slater ain’t happy with it, and is refusing to hear us out, it doesn’t come down to him. It comes down to you,” Malakai begins, and I meet his eyes. “Think the quickest and safest way to rid ourselves of this piece of shit, is to set it up and catch him out. Otherwise, could take months, even longer, of torment and you puttin’ your life on hold, and I’m sure you don’t want that.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t want that. I just...I need to be free, Malakai. A huge portion of my life was snatched from me because of him, and I don’t want to live another second in fear. So, I’ll do whatever you think is right.”
Malakai nods. “We’ll make sure you’re safe, no matter what, understand? We’ll have eyes on him at all times, and we won’t let him get his hands on you again...”
I swallow, sick to my stomach with the idea. I also know it’s the best one we have. “Okay.”
“All we know so far,” Boston says, smiling at me, and making me feel at ease, “Is that he’s watchin’ you. That’s all we need to know. We recreate a situation like this morning, where you run out, or are distressed, and he believes you’re alone. We let him get close enough, then we take him down.”
Take him down.
“How...what are you going to do with him?”