Page 25 of Defended By Love

No, the time loop is a solid theory. Although, it’s going to take more than one repetition to ensure it’s an actual loop and not just an echo. It’s a lot better of a theory than my VR one or the notion that I’ve suffered some mental break.

It’s a good theory. One that he came up with pretty quickly.

Too quickly?

“You never finished telling me where you were before this possible time loop reset.”

Grant turns to look at the building, just as it gives its final sigh before it tumbles to the ground.

“I was sleeping.”

“Right,” I answer dully as the building cracks and sloughs off its gravitational defiance. Bit by bit, it crumbles into a shadow of its former great self.

“Do you want me to bring you back to my place again?”

It takes everything I have not to spit at him that I know it’s not his penthouse. No, I never reveal my strategy to opposing counsel right away. Instead, I search for a bit of truth.

“I think I’d like to go home, to my home, to sleep.”

It’s all I trust myself to say. I already know that which Grant is going to find out really soon: lies, like everything else, eventually fall apart and decay into nothing.

With an effort, I tear my eyes away from the ruins of the tower. It won’t do to dwell on thoughts of what could have been.

Chapter 13

The whole way to my apartment, Grant cradles me against him. The wind and the rain whip at us, but I feel warm and safe in his arms. My instincts, which I thought were vicious and precise, fail me. They sing out to me that he’s safe, that he’s mine. Like me, they’re having trouble seeing the bad behind the brown eyes that look at me like I’m his everything.

“Was it easier this time?” Grant asks as we touch down on the little terrace that leads into the patio door of my ground-level apartment.

I know he’s talking about the building—being inside it, watching it fall, but I can’t help but think about last night (or maybe tonight 1.0) when we landed on his (not his) balcony. Then, enchantment shone in my eyes. I wanted him. It felt like everything in my life had been leading me to him. I felt the most delicate kind of lust, a blushing hint about feelings to come.

Now all I feel is suspicion and foreboding.

“Tonight was harder.”

He nods, pulling me in closer to his chest. For a moment, I close my eyes and enjoy this moment. When I pull away, I’m going to start on my task of uncovering just who he really is and how I can take him and Zagreus Hart down. So, for now, I want to just feel his warmth and imagine what could have been.

I step back.

“I never did thank you for saving me. Again.”

“Well, we’ll see how much you want to thank me when I send you the bill.” He laughs to himself. “Although, I guess I can’t really charge you for yesterday’s save since that one didn’t really take.”

I press my lips together, reminding myself that he’s a part of a giant corporation that’s (allegedly) polluting the environment. He is not the goofy dork he appears to be.

“Yeah, I guess it didn’t.”

“If we’re going to make a habit out of this, I can offer you a punch card. I’ll stamp it every time I save you. Tenth one is free.”

I cock an eyebrow.

“And just where do you plan on keeping a stamper?” I ask, eyeballing his tighter than tight spandex outfit.

He blushes, then clears his throat.

“You’ll have to wait until the third date to figure that one out.”

Despite myself, I laugh. I laugh and he looks at me like he’s seeing the sun rise for the first time. God, he’s good.

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