Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
I can’t stay.
It’s not just about the rumors. It’s about protecting him, protecting the life he’s built here. He doesn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess, to have his reputation tarnished because of me. Everything I was running from has found me, threatening to take me under and ruin the life I’m trying to build. Trying to ruin my career–no matter how far I run–I can never outrun my past, I realize.
I write a note, my hands trembling as I try to find the words. When it’s done, I leave it on the kitchen table, the weight of my decision pressing down on me like a lead blanket. Just last night he was bringing me to the heights of pleasure right here, and now I’m leaving him, this place, for good.
Grady is in his room, the soft creak of the floorboards the only sign of his presence. Bear is curled up in his usual spot by the fire, his snores a gentle rhythm that tugs at my heart.
I kneel beside him, burying my fingers in his thick fur. “Take care of him for me, okay?” I whisper, my voice cracking as tears sting my eyes.
Bear stirs, licking my hand, and the tears I’ve been holding back spill over.
The early morning light filters through the windows as I close the cabin door behind me, my suitcase in hand. The air is bitterly cold, the kind that cuts through layers and chills you to the bone. But it’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
I glance back at the cabin one last time, the place that, for a brief moment, felt like home. My throat tightens, but I force myself to turn away.
This is for the best. For Grady. For both of us.
Chapter Ten
Grady
The crumpled note in my hand feels heavier than it should, the words scrawled across it clawing at my chest like barbed wire. The cabin is eerily quiet, save for Bear’s soft snores by the fire, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.
I reread the note for the tenth time, hoping to make sense of it. I can’t stay. I’m sorry, Grady. This isn’t your fault.
My fist clenches around the paper as a string of curses rips from my throat. The fire crackles in the hearth, casting shadows that flicker across the walls. She left. She actually left.
“Damn it, Sarah,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. My boots slam against the wood floor as I pace, the weight of her absence pressing down on me like a lead blanket.
Bear lifts his head, his ears perking at my voice, and I pause to rub his head. “Where did she go, boy?” I ask him like he might actually answer. His tail thumps once before he rests his head back down, completely unfazed.
I don’t have time to sit around and stew. My gut twists with a mix of anger and fear. I grab my coat, shrugging it on as I stomp out the door, determination fueling my every step.
If she thinks she can just walk out of my life without a fight, she’s got another thing coming.
The truck’s engine rumbles to life, and I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white. It’s still early, the sky painted in shades of pink and gold, but the cold air biting through the cracks in the cab does nothing to cool my temper.
I head straight for the Mountainside Motel. I don’t know how I know she’s there, but I do. It’s the only place she’d go, the only place she could go. I pull into the lot twenty minutes later, my eyes scanning the rows of rooms until I spot her car parked in front of one.
“Gotcha,” I mutter, killing the engine and stepping out.
I stomp to her door, my boots crunching against the icy gravel. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears as I raise my fist and knock.
The door opens a crack, and there she is, her eyes wide with surprise and rimmed red like she’s been crying all night. She’s wearing one of those soft sweaters she’s always in, and her hair’s a mess like she’s been pulling at it in frustration.
“Grady,” she whispers, her voice shaky. “What are you—”
“Don’t even start,” I cut her off, my voice low and rough. I push the door open wider and step inside, towering over her as I kick it shut behind me. “What the hell, Sarah?”
She takes a step back, her arms wrapping around herself like she’s trying to shield herself from the force of my words. “I— I didn’t want to cause you any more trouble.”
“Trouble?” I bark out a humorless laugh, raking a hand through my hair. “You think leaving like that, without a word, wasn’t trouble? You think I wouldn’t come after you?”