Page 33 of Unexpected

In her eyes, I saw her determination. She wasn’t going to back down, and I didn’t want to either. We could stand in a stalemate all day for all I cared.

Apparently, she also saw the determination on my face. She glanced down at her phone one more time and cursed under her breath.

“Shit.” When she looked back up at me, her eyes were brimming with tears. One fell and I quickly swiped it away. I let my hand linger on her cheek, her skin was so soft beneath my calloused and worn palm, and she leaned into my touch for a second before she caught herself.

“I will text you later, I promise. But for now, you have to go.” She used her hand on my chest to push me back. I was too caught up in the way she surrendered to my touch that I didn’t react quick enough to catch her before she was back inside and had locked the door.

Defeated and with no other plan up my sleeve, I lumbered back home. Sadie was in the front yard, and I sighed. I patted my thigh and whistled so she’d follow me into the house. Once I stepped inside, I texted Hazel.

If you need me, I’m here.

FIFTEEN

Luke

Her toned,bare legs make my mouth water as I run my hands down her thighs and lift her into my arms. She giggles, and the sound is contagious. Her hair tickles the top of my arms as it falls down her back. I bury my face in her neck and begin kissing and licking up to her ear. Her skin is smooth beneath my lips, and she tastes so sweet.

“Mmm… Luke,” she mewls as she grasps the back of my head, pulling me to her mouth. Her tongue peeks out between her lips and she hungrily licks my bottom lip.

“Fuck you, you little cunt!” I jerk my head away and try to look in the direction of the yelling, but my little Angel in my arms won’t be deterred. I close my eyes and cherish the way her warm mouth feels on mine. I release one of my arms from around her, easily holding her with only one, and grip her face.

“Ouch,” she whines, and I peel my eyes open to see what I could have done. Her eyes that were perfectly clear a moment ago are now rimmed with darkness and ripe, red blood is trickling from between her lips. The taste of her blood is metallic on my tongue as more blood runs down her chin and her chest. In a panic, I try to move and find her help, but I can’t. My feet won’t move no matter how hard I try. She moans in pain and coughs, spitting more blood all over my face…

I jolted out of bed and quickly realized that it was just a dream. A very graphic and real dream, but just a dream, nonetheless. I took a moment to calm my breathing and steady my pounding heart. Once my heart rate was relatively normal and I could fully fill my lungs with air, I patted Sadie’s head as she continued to sleep undisturbed next to me.

“You’re such a fucking bitch!” I jerked my head to where I believed the sound was coming from. Sadie popped up next to me and let out a low warning growl.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and looked out the window into Hazel’s room. I left the curtains open—deciding her safety was more important than my semi-creepy behavior—so I could see if anything happened in the middle of the night.

All the lights were on in her house, but there was no one in her room. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table. At almost three in the morning, there was no good reason why all of the lights may be on.

I took one final look through the window, and when I didn’t hear anything or see fuckface or Hazel, I made for the door.

With Sadie on my heels, I quickly jerked open Josh’s door in search of backup but found his bed empty. Dude was probably passed out at the bar again after another late-night shift.

Luckily, I fell asleep with my clothes on, so I wasn’t slowed down by having to change. I pulled up Hazel’s number and wedged my phone between my shoulder and ear as I slipped my shoes on at the front door. When her phone went straight to voice mail, my heart plummeted.

I whipped the front door open as Michael’s car peeled out of the driveway and sped off down the street. He flew through the stop sign and made a quick right turn out of the neighborhood.

Sadie sprinted out the door just as I stepped outside. She barked as she ran to Hazel’s house, up the porch and inside. Realizing the front door was still open, I took off after Sadie.

I took her porch stairs two at a time but stopped at the open door. The heat emanating from inside the house was welcome against my cold face and hands. I went to close the door but paused with my hand midair. There was blood smeared on the door handle, and I prayed it was his blood, not hers. If it wasn’t his blood, I knew I’d make him bleed.

“Hazel?” I called out, pushing the door closed and locking it behind me, careful not to disturb the blood. The house was eerily quiet, and I fumed. I knew I shouldn’t have left her alone. I might have made the situation worse, but he wouldn’t have had the fucking chance to touch her with me around.

When there was no response, I peeked in the dining room and continued down the entryway. The living room was empty, although the coffee table was out of place and the cushions on the couch were tossed on the floor. The decorations on the side table that Hazel took so much effort to place only a few days before were scattered over the floor. A frame holding a picture of her family was cracked. Pieces of glass crunched under my shoes.

The kitchen also looked somewhat normal. A half-eaten pizza was still in the box on the kitchen island. Next to the trash can on the opposite side of the island sat an empty bottle of wine along with two empty liquor bottles.

“Hazel?” I called again and paused to listen for any sound. Still nothing.

I tried not to disturb anything but tripped over more pillows on the ground near the hallway. Near the side of the house, I heard Sadie’s faint whining. Sadie was not one to whine about anything, and pure panic set in. I tore down the hallway flinging one door open after the next. One was an office, the next the bathroom, a guest bedroom and all were completely empty. Finally, I made it to the main bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar, unlike the rest of the rooms. All of the lights—each one on the nightstands, the one on her dresser and the overhead light—were on. The curtains were open, and I could see directly into my bedroom through the slats of the blinds.

The bed was unmade, and it was there that I found the only other blood in the house. I fisted the white comforter as I inspected the lines and drops of blood over the corner that seemed to be closest to Hazel’s side of the bed. On her clean nightstand sat an empty, stained wineglass, her engagement ring, and a hundred-dollar bill. I looked at the picture there and my stomach rolled. Michael had his arm wrapped around Hazel as he smiled at her, and she smiled at the camera.

I wanted to wipe that fucking smile off his face, and I imagined the ways I could do that as the panic turned to rage and continued to course through my body. The situation warranted anger and I wanted to rip off the tight lid I had on the emotion, but first, I had to find Hazel.

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