Page 17 of Better Hide

Dad shakes his head and walks away from me. “I love you, Mary. Don’t make me do this again.”

I want to chase after him. To scream at him to love me. To look at the bruise on my face and care for me.

But he just walks away.

After that, nothing changed. He spent more and more time away. I cried about that for months. I picked more fights with him whenever I could. He hit me every time. And every time, I felt a little more alive while little pieces of me died.

10

JO

Present Day

I startleas I’m jostled awake. I blink, trying to figure out where I am.

I take it in slowly. The car. Fuck. Jayden and Cole took me back.

A rush of adrenaline fills me. I sit up slightly, seeing Jayden driving still.

It looks like the middle of the day, and we’re out in the middle of nowhere. Jayden doesn’t see me, and his eyes are heavy. His head droops, and the tires rumble over the strips on the side of the road.

“Shit,” Jayden cusses, and I jump.

I’m still exhausted, and now my arm hurts like a bitch. My head hurts, too. The more I wake up, the more reality sets in, and my heart starts to pound.

I’m back with the men. They’re mean and unforgiving and exactly like they were in the cabin. With a little bit of sleep, I see the red flags. I’d rehearsed meeting them again in the mirror, and in my mind, there were nothing but green flags. In my mind,I stood up for myself, and they opened up to me. Even groveled a little. Treated me like an equal.

Which is certainly not what they’re doing now.

I swallow. What the hell am I doing? I feel more alive than ever, but I’m shacking up with someone who kills their exes.

Am I an ex to Jayden after I ran? Does that mean he’ll kill me too?

I don’t even know where we’re going.

My heart starts racing again. Cole moans and tightens his warm grip on me. I lay back down, pretending to be asleep.

“Fuck it,” Jayden mutters from the front seat. I feel the car veer off the side of the road, and immediately, we bump along like we’re on dirt.

Cole’s breathing changes, and then his voice rumbles over me, “Where are we?”

I keep my eyes shut.

“Cattle field. I’m gonna nap. Go back to sleep.”

Cole moans. “I can drive.”

“No, you’re exhausted. It’s better to drive at night anyway.”

Cole grumbles, and I feel his hand tracing up and down my arm.

We slow to a stop, and Jayden lets out a big sigh.

The car is quiet, then Cole mumbles, “Where are you going?”

“Your mom’s house.”

Cole huffs. “Good one.”