Page 133 of When Hearts Surrender

“B-But Cole wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t. He was my friend.” My chest throbs, thinking about my shelter buddy who used to cheer me up after dogs or kittens got euthanized, who was charming and funny…until recently.

“Plus, how would he poison me? I don’t see him that often.”

“I don’t know and frankly, at this moment, I don’t fucking care. I’m going to find that motherfucker and strangle the answers out of him before returning the favor tenfold.”

A vein riots on his forehead and Maxwell trembles, his muscles locked in so much tension, I’m afraid he’s going to hurt himself.

“Maxwell, promise me you won’t do anything until we have all the answers. Promise me you won’t make any decisions without me.”

A muscle twitches in his jaw and he looks away.

Dread curls itself around my rib cage.He won’t look at me.

“Please. Promise me. We make decisions together.”

His breathing is heavy in the air, his intense gray eyes snaring on mine. I can see turbulent emotions swirling inside them, wanting to be unleashed. I clutch his hand tighter, begging him to let me in, to not lock me out again, but those dark pools only grow stormier.

Bang!

The door slams open and I see Taylor, Grace, and Millie rushing in, with Ryland, Steven, and Charles behind them.

“Belle! You’re awake! We were so worried about you!” Millie rushes over and hugs me. “Ethan, Rex, and Lana were here earlier and your parents came by last night too.”

“Shit, Belle. Don’t ever do that to us again. My black heart can’t take it,” Taylor mutters, her eyes glistening with moisture. “Fuck, you’re making me cry and Inevercry!”

Grace bursts into tears, and Steven pulls her into his arms as she sobs against his shoulder. My own eyes burn and my lips tremble as I see my girlfriends so distraughtover me.

“I’m okay, girls. I’ll be fine.”

Charles walks up and clasps his hand on my shoulder. He gives me a strained smile. “You gave your husband a heart attack. Thank God you’re okay. Shit. Poisoning. What on earth is going on?”

The girls exchange a glance, and I shake my head. Please don’t tell me they’re buying into the curse now.Come on Belle, with everything going on, the curse is a possibility, don’t you think?Fear grips me, and I shove the thought away. If I believe in it, then there won’t be any hope for Maxwell and me to be together.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this. Don’t worry about anything, just focus on getting better,” Ryland murmurs, his brows pinched. He sneaks a concerned glance at Maxwell, who is staring at my hand—the one with the IV in it.

Maxwell’s face is mottled with anger, his lips parted in a snarl as he breathes rapidly. Tears prickle my eyes again.

He’s so angry right now, and amid the confusion, the fear racing through me, I’m most concerned about him, about what’s going through that beautiful mind of his.

Swallowing, I gently shift my hand with the IV under the blanket, out of view, and the motion snags his attention.

He releases a heavy exhale, his lips twisting in an unconvincing smile, and he leans down and presses a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Rest well, my little muse. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

He cups my face, his fingers trailing over my lips. Without another word, he stands up and strides out of the room, the men following him quietly.

As the girls converge by my bedside, I stare at the closed door, my pulse thundering in my ears, and the pit in my stomach grows. I have the strangest urge to cry, to run after him and tether him to me.

To tell him not to leave me. Panic clutches my chest, and I can’t breathe. A sharp pain sears my chest and I touch the aching spot, noting a scabbed over wound. I must’ve nicked myself when I fell.

My eyes catch on a shiny object on the bedside table.

My locket—the one I haven’t taken off since Maxwell put it on me that last night in Austria—glimmers under the florescent light.

The clasp on the jeweled chain is broken, the face of the locket is streaked with blood.

My blood.

---