Page 51 of Ruining Him

Maybe?

“You realize I’m not the most patient person, right?” I ask and she laughs softly.

“Trust me, I’m well aware of the fact you’re an impatient asshole. You get it from Dad.”

I go to argue, but she waves her hand in the air. “It’s true, and you know it. But I don’t think there’s any other way with someone like Lana. From everything you’ve told me and from everything I’ve seen when she interacts with people, I assume she’s been through some shit, and you’re just going to have to let her heal before you make any more changes in her life.”

Jesus Christ, this having feelings thing is a fucking headache.

But I’ll do it anyways, if only to see where it leads.

It could work, or it could end up with me being just another one of her victims. Though, for some reason, I have afeeling she wouldn’t be able to do it. She wouldn’t be able to kill me. The way she was monitoring me earlier today told me she didn’t want to actually hurt me, so I’m choosing to believe that we might have a chance.

A chance at what, I’m not sure, but I know in my gut that when the time comes, we’ll figure that out together.

THIRTY

LANA

Agroan leaves me as my eyes flicker open.

Fuck, what time is it?

I remember getting home from Cole’s last night and passing out afterwards on the couch, but I don’t remember moving myself to the bed.

Usually, I’m up with the sun, but it feels like it’s already afternoon.

My limbs ache, and my entire body feels like it’s on fire while my head pounds.

I guess the exhaustion finally caught up to me, weakening my immune system in the process.

I crawl out of bed, standing on shaky legs and dizziness washes over me. I grab onto the nightstand, using it to stay on my feet until the fogginess clears and stumble into the kitchen.

I grab a few bottles of water from the fridge and some cold and flu medicine from the cabinet before making my way back to bed.

I’d kill for a shower right now, but there’s no way in hell I’ll be able to stay standing for so long without collapsing.

I grab my phone, sighing when I see it is in fact afternoon, and send off a text to Dare.

Going off the grid for a few days. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.

There, that should stop him from flying off the handle if he doesn’t know where I am.

And now I can die in peace.

What? I’m dramatic when I’m ill, okay?

THIRTY-ONE

COLE

Ishift in my seat and glare at the empty chair next to me for the third time in ten minutes.

This lecture is almost over, and I swear to God, it has been the longest hour of my life.

It’s not unusual for Lana not to turn up to class per se, but after everything I found out the other day about howI’mthe reason that whoever is after her found out where she is, I’ve had this sickening feeling in my gut, and now I’ve spent the last hour worrying over whether or not Lana just couldn’t be bothered to show up or if she skipped class because she physically can’t be here.

They could have gotten to her. She could be dead right now, and I’d be none the wiser.