Page 89 of Consume Me

But after I had her, things have changed irrevocably. Once I opened the door to more, I couldn’t slam it shut again. No, because after I stepped inside, I wanted to stay.

I drive along the ocean. Pulling my window down, I inhale the cold breeze and scrunch up my nose, disappointed that I can no longer smell her scent—a mix of amber, orange blossom, and her natural sweet scent. She’s all I can think about—everything I burn for and everything I should stay away from. It was hard to leave her the first time, but now it would be nearly impossible.

What options do I have? Tell her how fucked I truly am? Confess my greatest sin and hope she won’t leave me?

That would be naïve and stupid. Nothing would hurt more than her looking at me like I am a monster—a cold-blooded killer.

There’s just something about her that is made to stitch all my pieces together, threading them with lightness so that the weight, sadness, and regrets I carry ease.

Stopping the car, I walk toward the beach, the crisp air biting into my face. The waves crash at the shore, like my need for her in my chest.

Sitting in the sand, I sense someone approaching. Turning around, I groan.

“Really, asshole?”

“I thought you’d need company,” Kaden says.

“I wasn’t leaving.”

“I know, but this damn waiting makes me antsy.”

We look out at the sea when my phone pings with a message. I pluck it from my jacket pocket, only to find a picture of me carrying Mia home last night. The text from a blocked number makes my blood freeze.

I’ll take her from you.

“Where is Mia?” I ask. Swallowing hard, I look down at my shaking fingers as I tighten them around the phone. My knuckles turn white.

“Blake, what is it?”

“We need to go back. Now, right fucking now.”

“You need to calm down for a moment.”

I shove the phone in his face, and his eyes widen. “Fuck.”

“I can’t lose her, Kaden. Not her.”

It takes me half the usual time to reach the house. Once inside, I shout her name and take two stairs at a time. When I don’t find her in her room, my knees weaken. I palm the wall for support, breathing through the anguish to avoid losing my shit.

“Blake?” Abi approaches me, putting a hand on my back.

“Where is Mia?”

“She’s visiting her father.”

The relief is so potent it almost knocks me down. Getting a grip on my erratic emotions, I storm into Bailey’s room and show her my phone.

“Can you tell me anything about the sender’s location?”

My father wouldn’t be that stupid, but I know one thing: someone at the college works for Felix and Caleb, and I will not rest until I find them.

Bailey types rapidly on her laptop. “No,” she says dejectedly, closing her eyes in frustration.

“Access the cameras from the college. Someone must have passed by when we walked home last night.”

She nods, and Celine walks into the room, asking, “What happened?”

“My father sent me a message. He is after Mia.”

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