Page 24 of Tomorrow's Never Promised

“You were thinking about Liam, weren’t you?” she pushes for my dirty little secret.

My cheeks heat, feeling guilty for thinking about Liam when Killian has been an absolute gentleman. “I was, but it doesn’t matter. He’s gone, Lee. He chose his path.”

She slides her hand across the table and places it on mine. “You are happy, right?”

“Yes. I am.” And I mean those words. I haven’t felt this alive—probablyever. Okay…that’s a lie.Once. If I am being one hundred percent honest.Ugh, Liam. Get out of my head!

* * *

I am blastingmusic and dancing on my drive down I95 toward the Bridgeport Ferry. The EDM music makes me reminisce.

Killian and I dancing in my kitchen while cooking for Thanksgiving. Me straddling him in the VIP room at The Triskelion. Liam about to claim my lips outside by the fire.

Fuck. I really need to stop this.He’s only coming up in my mind because Leah brought him up, I try reasoning with myself.Another lie.He crosses my mind at least once daily. I’m always wondering if he’ll ever message or call me.

I check my rearview mirror and get off the exit for the ferry. The same damn car has been following me since I left school. It’s probably just another student taking the ferry home.Wait. Liam has a black Audi. This one is almost the exact same. With dark-tinted windows and rims. It couldn’t possibly be him. My mind is just fucking with me.

I pull up to the dock and hand them my ticket before following the instructions to board. The car behind me must have gone up the opposite ramp of the ferry. I shrug it off.Guess it was another student.

As soon as I reach the upper deck, I get in line for a coffee. You’ll be here forever if you don’t get in line fast enough.

I sit in one of the booths, pop my headphones in, and hit shuffle on my music. Scrolling through my phone, I open the Kindle App and start to read a book. Nothing like diving into a romance novel for the next hour and twenty. My eyes scan the crowd, wondering if there is a chance Liam could be onboard, but feeling ridiculous.What are the chances of that being his Audi?

A young bearded man wearing a leather jacket and beanie is about two booths in front of me. He is facing me, scrolling through his phone. He looks familiar, yet I can’t place him. We exchange glances every few minutes. Warning signs fire away at me. He is watching me.My intuition is telling me something isn’t right.

I try to stay calm and continue reading my book, looking up every few chapters. I don’t want to bother Killian. There are plenty of people onboard as witnesses.

* * *

We are pullinginto port when the speaker announces it is time to get back in our cars. I follow the crowd down the stairs, checking behind me to make surebeaniedudeis not following me.He’s gone. Maybe I have become paranoid because of who I’m dating.

I get into my car and hit the locks.You can never be too careful these days. Scanning the crowd—as the people watcher I am—I spot beanie dude getting into the black Audi across from me.The same car that was behind me since I left school. Guess that solves that mystery. It’s not Liam—but it’s still strange.

The ferry docks and begins unloading cars. My lane goes first. I pull onto the main road and head towards my home, anxious to see my family and tell them about Killian. Well, maybe noteverything.

My rear view is clear. No Audi in sight.It was probably all in my head. I only get a few miles down the road before the black Audi shows back up behind me. My heart beats widely in my chest, warning me of real danger. My fingers fly over the screen of my phone, calling Killian. It rings once before he picks up.

“Hello there, myQueen. Are you almost home? How was the ferry ride?”

“Killian,” my voice is quavering and filled with anxiety. “I think someone is following me. They have been behind me since campus and got on the same ferry. Some guy sat across from me on the ship and kept looking at me, and now—”

His soothing yet commanding voice interrupts me. “Sweetheart, take a breath. He’s one of my men. His name is Conor—big guy with a bushy beard? Drives a black Audi?” his gentle voice comes through the speakers of my car.

“Yes!” I let out a sigh of relief, sagging into my seat cushion a little more. Anger replaces my fear. “Why the hell do you have someone following me, Killian? Why didn’t you tell me?” I raise my voice at him.

He laughs.Fucking laughs. “Killian, this isn’t funny!” I shout again. He attempts to contain his laughter. “You are a spitfire, sweetheart.I absolutely love it.”

Silence fills the car when I don’t laugh or say anything. “It’s to keep you safe when I can’t be with you, Madison. I want to be. Trust me, I do. You don’t even know how fucking bad it’s killing me that I can’t be with you right now. Things are just difficult around here lately. Conor isn’t going to interfere unless he needs to.”

I can’t tell if I feel comforted by that fact or mortified. “So he’s going to be spying on me,” I groan, like a petulant child.

“No. He isn’t going tospyon you. Conor will not be reporting back to me on your every move,” he laughs. “I don’t need my men ogling over you.”

“What are my parents going to think, with his car parked outside my house?” I say, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel apprehensively.

“He will not be seen, butknow this—youareprotected. The only time you will see him will be if you are driving somewhere…he may tail you.”

I let out a sigh. “Fine, but you could have told me.”

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