Page 33 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)

Caleb

Addie’s in bed and I’m sitting on my chair, watching her.

I quickly changed out of my wet clothes and into dry ones.

I didn’t want to let her out of my sight for a second.

The events that occurred tonight…I can’t bear to think about what would have happened had I not found her in time.

She was huddled in the cold, heavy rain, her body trembling.

Seeing her like that made me almost lose it.

I’m upset with myself that I wasn’t there for her. I promised her I’d never let any harm come her way. She believed me. She depended on me to keep her safe. I failed her.

My hands fist at my sides when I think about the cruel trick Clarissa and her friends played on her.

I was in my car outside her house, scanning around to make sure nothing suspicious was going on.

That no strange people approached the mansion or the like.

I didn’t know the girls snuck out of the house because they took a secret passage.

I periodically looked into Clarissa’s room to make sure all was well, and I noticed the room was empty.

At first, I figured they left her room and perhaps went to the bathroom or somewhere else in the house.

But a short while later, they returned to their room minus one person. Addie wasn’t among them. Again, I thought she might be in the bathroom, but the girls were giggling and Clarissa had a wicked gleam in her eyes, and I knew something was wrong. I had a deep feeling that Addie was in danger.

I was left with a dilemma. Do I go to the house and demand answers from Clarissa, thereby risking Addie’s safety by arousing suspicion from the girls? Or do I search for Addie on my own? The latter seemed impossible. How could I find her in the rain, the dark, not to mention she could be anywhere?

I made the quick decision to demand answers from Clarissa. Her mother answered the door. She took one look at me—specifically at my bulging muscles—and her eyebrows shot to the roof. Then her eyes narrowed in anger because a boy was crashing the sleepover.

“I need to talk to your daughter.”

I didn’t wait for an answer. I pushed into the house and made my way to Clarissa’s room.

The girls were still laughing and chatting, and the second I banged the door open, they leaped to their feet in alarm.

Clarissa was standing near the large TV. Her eyes widened as I marched over to her .

“Where’s Addie?” I growled at her.

Her eyes grew even larger. “W—what?”

I inched even closer to her, causing her to back up a little. Of course I wasn’t going to harm her, but I needed answers. I felt like I was going to lose my mind if I didn’t find Addie right at that moment.

“Addie,” I gritted out. “Where is she?”

The others gasped and scrambled away from me.

Clarissa narrowed her eyes. “Why are you looking for that loser?” She ran her finger along my chest. “Stay here and have fun with us.”

I whacked her hand away. “Tell me where she is or you’ll regret the day you entered this world.”

Her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets.

She looked like she had a million questions swirling around in her brain.

Like how did I get here? What’s Addie to me?

Among others. But she must have sensed I wouldn’t be messed with because she took a breath and told me exactly where she and the others left Addie.

They abandoned her in the middle of nowhere.

In the dark, cold, and rain. Were they out of their minds? !

I yelled a string of curses at them before storming out of the room.

“It was just a prank!” Clarissa called after me. She said other words as well, but I slammed the door shut. Only to be met with her mother and father who were rushing up the stairs.

Her dad was about to ask what was going on, but I shoved past them and made my way downstairs and into my car.

My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly, my knuckles turned white. The only thought in my head was finding Addie.

It was very difficult to drive in the rain. I was trying to be careful not to get into an accident, but it was more important for me to get to her.

“Addie,” I muttered under my breath. “Please, please be okay.”

I said the words over and over as I desperately searched for her through the rain. The girls dropped her somewhere, but she could have walked away. Maybe she was looking for shelter. She could be anywhere.

After driving for a bit, I made out a huddled form in a destroyed building in an abandoned area. It was a girl and she was shivering. She wore only pajamas, nothing else. Her long brown hair was plastered to her face as she hugged herself to try to keep warm.

Addie.

“Addilyn!”

The minute she was in my arms, my entire body nearly fell over in relief. All I wanted to do was hold her close and warm her up as best as I could.

She’ll never know or understand how scared I was in those few moments as I searched for her. I thought the worst. It was the scariest day of my life. What she’ll also never understand was how overjoyed I was when she was safely in my arms.

But the best part? When she hugged me after we got back to her room. I still can’t get the feeling of her so close to me, so happy and grateful that I found her, out of my head .

From now on, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she’s never in danger again.

She shifts in bed, almost like she heard my thoughts, but I know that’s ridiculous. I hope she knows I’m here for her. Now and always. Well, at least until those who want her dead are behind bars.

I stand and make my way to her bed. She’s clutching Ellie tightly as though she hopes the elephant will protect her from harm.

I watch her for a bit, noting the furrow in her brows.

She’s clearly not having pleasant thoughts.

My hand stretches to stroke her soft, warm cheek.

I wish I could take all her pain away. I’d be like her sponge, soaking in all the negative aspects of her life and replacing them with positive ones. I don’t want her to hurt anymore.

After rubbing her cheek some more, I return to my seat and keep my eyes on her. I probably won’t get any sleep tonight. I’m not letting her out of my sight.