Page 55 of Pride

“No! I’d rather drug myself than you.”

I didn’t know what to think, but I knew one thing, I really wanted to leave.

“Please let me go,” I said quietly, starting to make my way down the stairs.

He sighed, his jaw clenched, and then he said, “I’ll drive you.”

“I’ll walk.”

“The next house is miles away. It’ll take you all day to walk back to Merivale.”

I was stubborn, but I was also weak. My legs wouldn’t make it to the end of his driveway with how unsteady they felt.

“Fine. I’ll get in the car with you on one condition,” I stated.

“Which is?”

“You give me a knife so I can defend myself if I need to.”

“Are you serious?” he spat.

“Deadly. It’s the only way you’ll get me into the car.”

“Fine.”

He stalked off, leaving me to stand in the foyer. Moments later, he returned with a carving knife and held the blade as he offered me the handle.

“Whatever makes you feel safe,” he said, and then he strode past me.

Alex walked to the door and held it open. Clutching the knife in my hand, I stepped forward and walked towards him, then sidled past him through the doorway to head outside. There was a black sports car parked on the drive, and I followed Alex ashe went down the steps heading towards it. Then he opened the passenger door for me to get in.

“You’re such a gentleman,” I remarked with a hint of sarcasm as I climbed in.

“I am. And I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that,” he replied, carefully closing my door before walking around the car to get into the driver’s side

The engine roared to life, and I began to tell him, “My address for the Sat Nav is...”

But he cut me off.

“I already know where you live.”

“Of course you do,” I replied as he pulled off, racing down the drive of his estate. “Why did I expect anything less?”

We drove in silence for a while as I held the knife in my lap, and I could tell he wanted to say something, he kept flexing his jaw and sighing.

Eventually, he said, “I don’t want this to be the end.”

“I don’t want to feel frightened every day, but we don’t always get what we want.”

He turned to look at me before focusing on the road ahead.

“I’m here for you. I’ll always be here,” he told me.

“I think I need to focus on getting my life sorted,” I replied. “I just want to be left alone.”

He didn’t answer. Just carried on driving.

I took my phone from my bag that I’d put in the footwell of the car and started to scroll to find Gracie’s number. As I did, Alex said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I unlocked your phone when you were unconscious.”