Page 68 of Last Boy

“Shh,” I say, stopping her. “Trust me, in the next few hours, they won’t be thinking about that money. And you won’t have to worry about them anymore either.”

She relaxes against me, and I listen to her breathing softly.

“What’s going to happen to them?” she whispers.

Rubbing my fingertips up and down her back, I rest my head against hers. “Let’s just see how it all plays out, okay? But no matter what, they’ll never hurt you again.”

No one will ever hurt my girl again.

Poppy

After showering and putting on a pair of sweatpants and Walker’s hoodie that basically hangs to my knees, I walk out of the bedroom and find him on the couch.

I silently giggle because, to be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever look at a couch the same—especially that couch. At first, it felt a little awkward to literally…take a seat on his face. But once I let myself enjoy it…holy shitballs, I can feel my heart fluttering, just thinking about it.

He grins at me as if reading my thoughts, and I bite my lip.

Holding the remote in one hand and Sour Punch Straws in the other, he shrugs slyly. “So, here’s the thing. Hudson called me the dude from Pretty Woman, and I don’t have a clue what the fuck that means. Well, aside from there’s a hooker in it. So, we’re watching it.”

“First off, you got me one of my favorite candies?” I grin before walking toward him. “Second, you and I? We’re going to watch what could debatably be the biggest chick flick in the history of movies.”

“I mean, I guess we don’t have to. I could always go hit the gym and—”

“No!” I yell, practically leaping onto the couch and curling up beside him. “No. A movie sounds great.”

Throwing his arm around me, he plays with my hair softly before kissing the top of my head. “Let’s see if I’m Edward. The rich, hooker-loving fella.”

I shoot him a glare before twisting his nipple. “Shut up.”

This feels good. This feels…just like it did before.

Before he left me the first time.

19

Poppy

I give Jake one last hug good-bye, squeezing him probably a little too aggressively. Until an hour ago, I hadn’t seen him in ten days. That’s the longest we’ve ever gone without seeing each other. Walker stopped in to visit Jake several times before or after practice. I didn’t want him to see me until the remains of my bruises could be covered with concealer.

“Good to see you, stinker.” I release him. “I hope you didn’t enjoy that little hiatus from me too much. Because it’ll never happen again!”

His grin only spreads more, and he moves to Walker and hugs him.

“Thank you,” Jake says. “For making Poppy smile again.”

Walker tenses but pats him on the back. “Talk to you later, buddy.” He steps back, glancing at me. “Ready?”

Blowing out a breath, I bob my head up and down. “Ready.”

Hudson was able to trace the call I received from my attackers and locate the scumbags. And because of the connections Beckett has, those men are now in prison—probably the same one as my dad, where they can all conspire against me. Nonetheless, I’m free to go about my everyday life again.

And yet I’m kind of sad about that.

It’s like doomsday is coming, and I know Walker and I both feel it. His uncle has demanded he come to South Carolina this weekend, and we both know that the girl he is going to soon be married to will be there.

As we head outside to his truck, I’m lost in my thoughts. What if she’s prettier than me? What if he falls for her and forgets I even existed?

And the thing that’s killing me the most is thinking that I might never get to see him again. Like, really see him. Sure, I’ll see him in passing. But we’ll never be the way we are right now. Not when he becomes someone else’s other half.

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