Page 103 of Wanted
“I did what I had to do,” Fylox told his best friend. He pushed me off of his body in one swift move, and I collided with more mud.
Fylox rose, but I couldn’t move.
“We’re done playing now. You can have her. She’s your wife, after all,” Fylox spat. His fingers jittered, and I welcomed the worry about his well-being. My guilt trip was officially reinstated, and I swallowed. I felt crushed. I couldn’t move to get myself out of this mess.
“Why do you have to be like that?” Alex’s voice was calm. I picked up the tremor in his tone, though. I didn’t like it. Alex left me there, dirty and entangled with nature. I should have loved it. Gardening was a part of my life that I couldn’t let go of. But when I spend time in my backyard, it was on my own terms. “Why? You’ve got everything now. I’ve given you every comfort there is. You even have a girlfriend now. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
I twitched at the curse word. Poor Fylox. I didn’t want him to hurt. We were one. Why did he discard me? Oh, right. I was dirty, and he needed something pure. I reminded him of everything that had gone wrong in his life.
“What the fuck isn’t wrong with me? That’s the correct question,” Fylox responded in an exhale. He turned around, leaving us here alone. I didn’t want him to go. In a twisted way, we’d bonded last night. “She’s messed up. She doesn’t obey. I can’t deal with her anymore.”
“Why? Because she’s a mirror to your fucked-up-ness?”
Fylox balled his fists. “Watch what you say to me.”
“Just admit you want her. Get it over with so that we can move on with our lives,” Alex muttered. He faced me again, pity coating his beautiful face. He knelt down beside me, picking me up with all of the dirt attached to me. I breathed hard. He was pure. He didn’t need my troubles in his life.
“You just want to have a babysitter for her,” Fylox retorted. He watched me as I clung to Alex, shaking in his embrace.
“In case you haven’t noticed, there are tons of babysitters around. Nobody gets to her alive,” Alex reminded Fylox. We shuffled past Fylox, and I attempted to reach for him, but there was no strength in my movements. I couldn’t even lift my arm.
“Stop this. We all know you can’t wait to leave Katantia. You hate, no, you DESPISE the fact that we’ve dragged you here. You want to go back to the States and finish your season!” Fylox alleged. I shuddered. I hadn’t even considered what this trip meant for Alex’s career.
“Some of us have a job, you know,” Alex snarled.
We were almost at my house now, and I couldn’t wait for the treats that waited inside. I shut my eyes, envisioning my bathtub full of bubbles. I’d be clean once and for all.
Alex dropped me, and I fell on my ass. Fylox was on him in a matter of seconds, fists flying. With wide eyes, I followed their hasty movements. Alex evaded the punches. He was quicker than Fylox in his emotional rage.
Besides, Alex didn’t want to hurt his friend.
“S-stop.”
Alex was the only one who reacted to the sound of my voice. He turned toward me, and he almost got battered because of it. Alex had eyes everywhere because he managed to block Fylox’s knuckle. He demanded, “You heard her.”
The muffled cry that came out of Fylox pained me.
“I’m s-sorry,” I said. I cleared my throat. Taking a deep breath, I called upon every inch of my body to play along. “I won’t do it again, Fylox. I’m sorry. I know you worry about me, and I went out without protection. I apologize. I’ll never leave your side.”
“You did what?” Alex asked breathlessly.
“I visited my mother’s grave, and I ran into Travis,” I confessed, swallowing.
“In the middle of the night? And the guards didn’t notice? What the…” Alex cursed under his breath.
Shaking my head, I intervened, “I climbed the fence, and I used my secret routes to get there. It’s not their fault. They’re doing a great job. Don’t fire them. I didn’t mean any trouble—”
“That’s up for my dad to decide,” Alex interrupted me. His best friend panted next to him, looking like he had just been dragged out of a one on one with Hades. “He’s looking for us, by the way. He went out to get Travis and Felicita. Spencer Rawlins has arrived, and his welcome party is happening tonight. We’re all expected to make an appearance.”
And so it began.
♥♠♥
I tied the knot of my emerald wrap dress below my chest. It reached midthigh, too revealing for Alex but just right for Katantian customs. My dark red hair was loose and wavy. The heels on my feet were hurting me since I was out of practice.
Alex had a tough time breathing. I watched his chest rise and fall abruptly. Trembling, I added, “I don’t want to go. I can’t see him.”
“Baby, why are you so afraid? We’re here with you. Fylox. My dad. Travis. Our men. You’re safe. He can’t touch you,” Alex commented, stepping forward to touch my shoulder. I winced. That hurt Alex. “I never hurt you. He does.”
