Page 55 of Twisted Collide

Yeah, this might not be a well-thought-out plan, but it’ll have to work.

Do I sound like a petulant child? Probably. But such is life.

“I might need to contact her. I’m sure there are things on your schedule that you might not even know about.”

“She left a link to share everything relating to me. It’s well organized, and if you open it, you won’t need to reach out to her.”

“You really don’t want me to talk to her, do you?”

He inhales deeply, and I wonder if he’s going to answer me or if I’ve just pissed him off more, but then he shocks the shit out of me when he meets my gaze.

There is so much emotion in his blue eyes. The iris is practically gone, and I feel like I’m drowning in the black abyss of his soul.

“Josephine.”

“That’s a change. It’s not often that anyone calls me by my full name, especiallyyou.”

“Would you rather I call you Hellfire?”

“Well, no, but . . .”

He shakes his head. “I know you wouldn’t, but it does suit you.”

“How do you figure? You don’t know me.”

“I’d say I know you pretty well.”

His intense stare and blatant mention of our night together makes my knees quake slightly.

“I don’t care if the sun falls and the Earth is on fire. Molly has taken care of me ever since she graduated from college. She has asked for nothing in return. She deserves a break from me. She deserves a piece of her own happiness.”

I bob my head, understanding where he’s coming from andhaving so much respect for his sister and all she seems to do for him.

“If it were up to me, she would stay far away and live her life, but it’s not, so this is the best I can give her.”

His words and tone have my mouth glued shut. There’s so much to unpack in one sentence, and I don’t know how to, but I know I eventually want to.

The sadness there is a beacon to me, and I just want to make him shine again. Like he did that night.

Maybe because I don’t like to see my own sadness reflected in others.

“I’ll send you the link.” Then he’s gone, leaving me more confused than when this started.

22

JOSIE

The first thingI do when I walk into the arena this morning is look for Dane. Yesterday, I went through everything Molly had lined up for him. Today, I’m ready to hit the ground running.

As I walk toward Dane, my father waves. “Josie, do you have time to talk?”

That’s the last thing I want to do right now.

“Actually, I need to speak to Dane. He has something.”

I don’t stay long enough to hear if he has anything to say about me blowing him off. Instead, I stride to where Dane is.

“It’s time,” I say as I make my way to him.

---