Page 79 of The Runaway

I let her sleep in the car as I drive, mostly going around in circles. I shoot a text to Noah, letting him know that I found her and then shut off my phone.

My chest is tight with what Pepper confessed. What I’m positive she never shared with anyone. And it’s been eating her up for eight years.

My fists tighten around the steering wheel when I think about what could have happened to them. I’m not going to deny what she believes. Because, believe me, a guy will never forget his mother’s face either. I live with the memory of mine every day.

“I’m not letting you go, Princess.” The words slip out of me in a murmur before I realize what I’m saying.

But it doesn’t bother me one bit.

Because she’s officially mine to protect. And there’s a ring on her finger to prove it.

20

It’s dark when Chase opens the passenger door and reaches over to unbuckle me. My exhaustion is real. I didn’t sleep much last night when I went back into Chase’s bedroom by myself. After he’d yelled at me for spacing out and insisted I tell him why.

I lay in bed last night expecting him to greet me in the morning with a well-rehearsed monologue on how this isn’t working out. That he’d made a mistake thinking we could fool everyone.

I expected him to drop me off at the cottage this morning then head straight to the Inn to talk to his brothers about an alternative to my hideout.

But…he stayed with me. Helped me go through Elliot’s things. Talking, laughing, and telling me stories as if last night’s argument hadn’t happened.

I thought it was out of guilt. Some sort of obligation he felt to either me—or the brother he lost so…I played along.

And then…he looked for me.

Not only did he look for me. He found me. Somehow, he figured out where I’d be.

And he held me. He held me hard. Like he wanted me to feel nothing but his arms. Nothing but the fact that someone is here for me. Someone will hold me when I’m falling apart.

“Can you walk?” Chase’s deep voice brings me out of my daze.

I smile weakly. “If I say no, will you carry me?”

A breathy grin as he holds out his hand. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Another princess.”

“What?”

“Cinderella…Sleeping Beauty. That’s what you call me. Princess.”

He pushes strands of hair behind my ear and extends a hand. “I think I’ve been selling you short.”

We step into the dark house, and Chase immediately flicks on the lights, keeping me at his side. He sweeps the open space with his eyes before releasing me.

“Everything okay?”

“Just being extra cautious.”

I slip off his jacket and step into the kitchen, needing water—or a good scotch to lessen the anxiety I’m feeling over what I confessed to Chase back at the lake.

We haven’t talked about it. I’m not even sure he plans to. He must think I’m crazy. Or maybe emotional? In denial?

Probably thinks all those things.

A big brown bag sits on the counter with a bottle of red wine next to it.

Chase steps behind me and sighs. “That’s either Dad or Noah.” He plucks the note stapled to it and shows it to me. I blink twice to make out the message.

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