Page 16 of His Alone

Chapter 7

The first thought that popped into my head when I awoke the next morning wasn’t particularly romantic, but it was undeniable. All the sounds James wrung from me the night before caught up to me during sleep and my dry throat screamed for water.

Sitting up and clutching the sheet to my chest, I looked around his bedroom. It was pretty much barren, save for the bed itself and the lone nightstand beside it. I could understand that. As a single man, he probably had plenty of space in the rest of the house for his belongings. It looked like he had a closet, so he probably didn’t need a dresser as well. Most of the guys I knew didn’t own a ton of clothes.

James wasn’t beside me on the bed, but his spot was warm to the touch. The light was on under a nearby door and I could faintly hear the sound of running water coming from the other side. The bathroom. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been in there, but my dry mouth wasn’t willing to wait for him to finish.

I swung my legs off the bed and wrapped the sheet around me. I didn’t get much of a look the previous night, but it was easy enough to guess which door we’d come through. I peeked into the hall, letting out a sigh of relief before heading out in search of his kitchen.

When I found it, I stood there stunned for a long moment. Shaking my head to clear it, I started opening the cupboards, a wave of nausea forming in my stomach that I couldn’t repress when I found each one of them completely empty. Panic started to bloom as well, making the room feel small despite the large, open space.

The large, empty space.

I bent my head under the sink and sucked down several gulps of water before securing the sheet around me and walking into the living room in some sort of trance.

Nothing decorating the walls. No furniture. Just… empty space. I could have tried to convince myself he was a minimalist if not for the packed, labeled boxes resting close to the front door.

Slow, deliberate footsteps approached me from behind, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn. My eyes were already watering.

“Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like,” I whispered when I felt his presence against my back.

His hands softly touched my shoulders, resting there for a second before spinning me around.

The look on his face was solemn. I had my answer.

“How could you do this to me?” I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks. “Was this all a game to you? Take my virginity and just leave?”

“It’s not like that, Piper. I would never—”

“Then what is this? The truth.”

Through my tears, I could see that while he was still bare-chested, he had pulled on a pair of sweatpants before coming out. I suddenly felt more vulnerable than ever, clutching the sheet tighter around me.

“I’m moving to Philadelphia.”

I wanted to curse or scream or something, but my feet started moving long before my mouth could. I ran for my clothes, distantly aware of how stupid it was to flee considering I didn’t even have my car.

James followed me to the bedroom, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I fought him hard—squirming and kicking out, my anger at being used bubbling over the surface.

“Let me go!”

“Let me explain,” he fired back, lowering his head to my shoulder and releasing a deep breath. “Please, darling. Please, just… listen.”

The fight drained out of me at his whispered plea. My body slumped and I was grateful for his strong arms as they kept me from tumbling to the floor.

“Why should I?”

“Because I want you to come with me.”

“What?”

James lifted me off the floor and over to his bed, setting me on my feet and gesturing for me to sit on the mattress. He cleared his throat and gave me a tentative smile before he began to speak.

“A few months back, an old friend from college called to tell me that the chief physician at his hospital in Philly announced that he was retiring at the end of the year. I sent an application and they offered me the job.”

“So you knew this whole time?”

He growled and leaned forward, resting a finger on my lips. I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed at having been shushed. He picked up on it in an instant, jerking his hand away with a muttered curse.

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