Page 48 of Heartless

“Why aren’t you sleeping?”

My shaky voice pitched higher.“Just tell me what’s wrong.P-please.I—"

The next second, I was plastered against him with his big arms tight around me.

Oh no.He was going to...

His hold shifted, and his hand cupped the back of my head to push my face into his chest.“Calm now, kitten.”

I stayed completely still and curled my fingers into fists.What kind of game was he playing, now?

In a matter of days, I’d gone from a dull as fuck girl who gave shitty blowjobs to ‘kitten’?Seriously?Kitten?Inhaling the scent of the manipulative liar I’d been falling in love with, my heart cracked, and to my dismay, tears burned my eyes.

He slanted back.“Get dressed.”

“W-where are we going?”

He exited my room.Copying his outfit, I pulled on jeans, a black sweater, and shoe-boots I covered with a knee-length black summer coat.Jake was waiting near the double door.

He opened his stretched-out hand toward me.“Let’s go.”

I clutched the lapels of my jacket.Fifteen minutes into the drive, I was about to ask him again where we were speeding through the night to when his deep voice filled the cabin of his truck.

“Do you always sleep in old-fashioned night gown?”

The question made me stammer.“I-I c-collect them.”

“How many do you have?”

This conversation was strange.

“A little more than forty.”I actually had fifty-two.

When he said nothing, I winced and shut up.Maybe he’d been right, and I was boring.But he did ask.

“Look good on you.”

What was happening?

I curled in my seat during the long drive with my head turned toward the night.When the car veered to a stop, I peered through the window.The place felt familiar, but I couldn’t be sure.I unbuckled my seatbelt, and seconds later, Jake opened my door.Once I was onto the gravelly ground, he opened the back door and reached for something.When he straightened back up, he held a large bouquet of lilies.Mom’s favorite flowers.

He snatched my hand.“Let’s go.We only have a few minutes.”

My God.He’d brought me to Mom’s grave.I trotted behind him while tears wetted my cheeks.As we slowed to a stop, he handed me the flowers.“Go to your mother.”

Clutching the thick bunch of stems, I rushed to Mom’s tombstone.

I knelt on the ground and arranged the flowers in the stone vase.“Hi, Mom.I haven’t been writing, but I’m okay.”

It wasn’t really a lie.I would be okay.At the sound of footsteps behind me, I touched the cool stone.“Happy Us Day.I love you.”

I was barely up that Jake caught my hand again, and we hurried back to the truck.

****

Jake

“Thank you, Jake,” Sienna said from the passenger seat.