Page 26 of Now You're Mine

“I think it’s best if I move back in here with you, too, just…for a while.”

I look at him like he’sseriouslylost it. “No.”

The end. Period.

He reaches out to me, but I back up, so he doesn’t make contact. “Lux–”

Holding my hand up, I try my very best not to raise my voice. People are still sleeping, and I’m not a total asshole. “Roman, you need to leave me alone. Hire security, fine. Whatever. But all I can think about right now are all the different ways I can kill you and get away with it. So, yeah, you and me being in the same room isn’t a good idea.”

The pain in his eyes guts me. It really does. I wish I could just turn that part of me off, the part of me that cares about him, but it’s not that easy. Honestly, I wish I’d never set eyes on him. But that was never really a choice, was it? He’d started manipulating me before I ever even set foot in Malibu. I never stood a fucking chance.

“I didn’t want any of this to happen,” he says, his voice breaking. “You have to fucking believe me, Lux.”

I shake my head. We’re already getting into territory I’m not ready to explore. “Is this why you came? Because if it is, we can end this conversation right now.”

He blows out a breath. “No, um…” His voice trails off and I can tell whatever he’s about to say isn’t going to be good. “I got a call last night, and my brother has…left the rehab facility.”

I hear the words, but they don’t sink in. “What do you meanleft?”

“He escaped.”

Escaped.

I reach over and push the door shut, so it clicks, then I lock it.

“What the fuck do you meanhe escaped?I thought those places were supposed to be secure?”

Panic rises in my throat, and I suddenly feel faint.

“I’ll find him, Lux,” he says, stepping toward me. “I won’t let him touch you.”

My gaze collides with his, and I’m sure he sees the fear in my eyes because I can’t even hide it at this point. The idea that James is out there somewhere—walking around freely—is fucking terrifying. “He doesn’t know where I am,” I say out loud, more to myself than to him.

“He had access to the internet,” Roman says. “And before Bree died, she posted a picture of the two of you at ExU on social media.”

I remember her takingonepicture when we first arrived. It was Bree and me in front of the Exeter University West sign. I’d asked her not to post it because after everything happened, I was still reluctant to put my information out there on the internet. But she just teased me for being overly cautious and posted it anyway.

If she were here now, I’d tell herI told you so.

I fall back against the wall behind me. “I deleted all of my social media accounts, so she couldn’t have tagged me.”

“But James knew you were friends,” Roman says. “And he knew where to look for information. I found the post pulled up on his laptop.”

I want to scream, or cry, or throw up. Maybe all three at once. “I can’t believe this.” I walk over to Roman’s bed and sink down onto it.

I’d blame Roman for this, and believe me I want to, but in the end, I’m the one who agreed to the rehab center. I’m the one who wrote to the judge.Me.

“We should leave,” Roman says. “Go somewhere.”

I look at him like he’s crazy. “I have class, Roman. And anyway, you said you hired security. If it comes down to it, they can handle James.” I pause. “They have guns, right?”

“I won’t let you get hurt, Lux. Trust me.”

My gaze flicks up to meet his. “You’re far too late for that, Roman. I’ve been hurt more in the last few weeks than I’ve ever been hurt in my life. The pain you inflicted wasone thousand times worsethan what James could ever do to me.”

And it’s the truth. I trusted Roman. I gave him my whole heart, and what did he do? He betrayed me in the worst possible way.

I don’t think I can ever forgive him for that.

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