Page 60 of Run From Me

“It doesn’t look like you and me will be going anywhere for a bit. Probably.”

I put the sculpture down as I fumbled around in the bags. There was a lot more than I’d realized. Cas even managed a small bag of kitty litter and a plastic tray. Right. That would be helpful.

I glanced back at the flower. It would never die. I liked that in a flower. But what if the man who made it might? My heart caught in my chest, and I had to brace myself against the counter. What in the hell was I thinking?

I was thinking maybe even if I thought this was all going to just be fun and games, in the end it wasn’t.

I was falling for him. I was falling for an emotionally unavailable man who just made me a gift.

“Here, O. Enjoy your cat food. I should maybe actually put some clothes on so I’m prepared for a night of nothing.”

The clock on the oven was slower than my will to live on a Monday morning. Fucking hell. Had it really only been two hours? My phone was still blank. No texts. I’d picked it up and put it back down more times in the last two hours than there were minutes. But why? I knew that everyone I could bother calling was at some fight I wasn’t invited to.

I typed a quick text to Rylee.

Me: Do you know if Xander is okay?

Rylee: I’ll text later.

What the hell did that mean? Text later? Was she allowed to go? Was it just me that wasn’t allowed in the inner circle? I blew out a breath and not even O cared what had me stressed out.

I looked down at my clothing and realized I was dumber than I’d originally given myself credit for. I’d gotten dressed in case Xander had… what? Come back begging me to come support him? But that was something a clingy little girl would do.

“I’m not clingy, am I, O?”

He’d gotten comfortable on the counter, right where I’d rested my forehead for the first few minutes of my pity party. It was a little sweet, at least he wanted to comfort me.

He meowed in response.

“Thank you. I appreciate your support.”

The screen for the motion camera turned on and a chime sounded right before there was a thudding knock on the door.

I pressed my lips together, trying to hide the smile. False hope bloomed inside my neglected heart. When had I ever hoped for anything? Never. Never had my mother ever given me something other than death to hope for. I’d never known love, and I doubted what I felt for Xander was that. But it was something.

My hand shook with nerves. It was dangerous to hope. Hope gave me something to live for. Something to lose. Something that would stop me from ever escaping here.

I breathed in and out. Xander could be my escape though.

“Xander, is the fight…” The words died on my lips as I reached the last lock and the door flung open, nearly hitting my face.

“Well, well. If it isn’t my favorite little puppet.”

I backpedaled.

“I thought you were?—”

He stepped in like he owned the place and so did two others.

“Where’s Ripple, princess?”

I swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

Ripple had his faults, but he was the safest of the little gremlins the Vipers sent after people. He’d at least kept the worse ones away. He’d always said I was his, and right now, maybe, I needed him back for that. Except the dead didn’t come back.

“You don’t know?” he asked.

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