Page 23 of The Price of Forever

He wrestled against my grip even harder, but it just egged me on. I punched him so hard both his lip and nose started gushing at the same time. A twofer.

“You have two options,” I told him. “Wait until the cops show up so you can get arrested, or get the fuck out of here and never show your face anywhere near Jordan again.”

“I’ll go,” he whispered, his front teeth bloodied.

“I don’t believe you,” I hissed, tightening my grip on his jacket until we were nearly touching foreheads. The man reeked, but he was a wimp. This was too easy. He wouldn’t show up again. And while he would have a case against me at this point, he had no information or evidence to come after me with.

“I’ll leave!” He held up his palms. “Just don’t punch me again, please. I’ll leave. I’ll leave.”

I loosened my grip slowly, watching him like a hawk to see what he’d do. He walked sideways against the brick wall, palms up. The second I stepped toward him, he broke into a sprint.

Gone.

I turned, ready for damage control. Jordan watched me with big, watery eyes, blinked once, and then bolted up the stairs. I followed her, taking the steps two at a time. She had her front door open in record time. I shut it behind me as I stepped inside, reinforcing it with the nearest chair. I didn’t think that douchebag would show up again, but Jordan needed peace of mind first and foremost.

The sight of her nearly crippled me. She sat on the couch, knees pulled to her chest, face buried in her knees. Her body shook with sobs. I joined her, moving slowly. I didn’t know what had happened yet, and I didn’t want to make things worse. The weight of my body next to her indented the couch, causing her to fall against me slightly. I wrapped my arm around her back, wanting to comfort her—if that was what she wanted. I couldn’t tell yet.

And then Jordan melted into me. She released and unfolded into my arms like an opening blossom. Even though she was at my side, I felt like I was catching her falling from some great height. She buried her face in my chest and cried. I wasn’t sure what to do—pat her back, shush her like a baby, offer encouragement?—so I said nothing and held her. Until she was ready.

She must have been there for at least ten minutes. Long enough for me to get used to the weight of her against me. Her warmth. Then she sniffled hard, recoiled slightly, and said, “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”

The entire front of my shirt was damp from her tears. But it had been made damp by worse things. “For what?”

“I’m sorry.” She scooted to the far end of the couch, tucking her loose hair behind her ear repeatedly. She reached for a tissue, dabbing at her eyes, and the room grew colder from her distance. “I didn’t mean to…I don’t know.”

“You were just attacked. There’s no rulebook.”

Her chin trembled at that, her eyes filling up again. Her body shook with a silent sob but she seemed to force it downward before more could join. “You’d think I’d have one by now.”

“I can promise you that whenever you’re with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

This seemed to calm her a little.

“Do you know him?” I asked.

She nodded, folding her tissue so she could dab it at her eyes again. “His name is Dustin.”

“Has he tried this before?”

“No.” She drew a shaky breath.

“Are you friends with him?”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Hardly. I just know him from playing Pokémon Go. He never had any of my personal information. But he showed up at the club tonight.”

She played Pokémon and was a stripper—she was a living wet dream for an untold portion of gamer guys. Not to mention the rest of the population of American men who didn’t game. “So he…found you. Somehow.”

“Yeah.” She sniffed hard, examining her nails. “I thought he was harmless. A bit dense. Overbearing. But when he showed up tonight, I started to realize there might be something more to the picture.”

“But you still wanted to walk home alone.”

She sent me a sharp look.

“I’m not blaming. But we can’t stay here. Not even for one more night.”

Her throat bobbed, but after a few moments, she nodded.

“Let’s pack your things. Just necessities. We’ll find someplace to stay for tonight and then come back to collect the rest. You thought he was harmless, but he’s proven otherwise. I don’t want to bet on his next moves. I want you to be gone. He could show up when you’re asleep and try to finish whatever the fuck it was he tried to start. We can plan your next moves from safety.”

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