Page 52 of The Devastation You Reap

"You know where I am if you need anything," Letty says softly.

"Sure do. See you later." With a smile at Letty and a nod at Kane, I slip out of the coffee shop knowing I achieved what I set out to achieve.

Letty's going to tell Peyton everything, and while I'm not all that happy about then digging into things with Macie, I just really need them to stop looking at me with sympathy and concern in their eyes.

I don't want it and I sure as hell don't need it.

Happy that things are moving in the right direction, when I get back to the house and find the others shooting the shit in the den with an old game playing on the flat screen on the wall, I join them for the first time in weeks.

If I really want everyone to believe that shit is getting back to normal then it's time to rejoin my old life.

Colt nods at me as I drop onto the other end of the couch.

"Good to see you, man," he says, throwing me a bottle.

None of us have ever been the kind of guys to talk about feelings and shit, but I can see in his eyes that it's his way of asking if I’m genuinely okay.

I smile at him as Evan continues telling everyone who's willing to listen about a chick and her two friends that he hooked up with over the weekend. Utter bullshit, he's got no idea what to do with one pussy, let alone three but everyone humors him while losing themselves in their own imaginations. I, however, only have one girl on my mind, and I can't help but wonder if she locked herself in her room and finished off what we started.

Pulling my cell from my pocket, I open my messages and find her contact.

If she thought I didn't get into her cell, then she's about to learn that that isn't exactly true.

12

Macie

I'm almost asleep when my cell buzzes on my nightstand.

I’m tempted to ignore it knowing it'll be some spam message but something forces me to pull my arm from the warmth of my sheets and reach for it.

My eyes almost pop out of my head the second I get a look at the screen and see the name of the sender.

Your King.

I can't help the laugh that erupts from me as I read those two words.

I don't need to put any thought into who it is as I unlock my cell and open the message.

Your King: Can't get you out of my head, Red.

My teeth sink into my bottom lip and heat races through my body once more as I read those words over and over.

He can obviously see that I've read the message because he starts typing.

Your King: What are you thinking about?

Butterflies erupt in my belly knowing that he's on the other end waiting for my response.

Macie: You.

My hands tremble as I hit send knowing that I'm about to embark on a conversation I'm not entirely sure I'm ready for with that response.

Your King: I wish I was still there with you.

Macie: Not sure you'd fit.

Your King: Trust me, Red, I’ll fit. We can make anything work.