Page 27 of Unleash You

When I reached the edge of the woods, a rustle to my right and the muffled sound of angry voices caught my attention. A hand clamped over my mouth and effectively shot my pulse into overdrive.

“Shhh,” Zack whispered in my ear, putting his index finger up to his lips. “Something’s going on.”

I nodded and pulled on his arm. “Who?”I mouthed.

He shrugged in response but didn’t meet my gaze. What was he up to? “Let’s check it out.”

We were in Derek’s home, which was heavily guarded. It couldn’t be anything bad or dangerous. I rolled my eyes because before Wesley had mentioned it, I’d never stopped to think if a certain situation was dangerous or not.

I followed the gravel path around the hedges to what I knew dead ended in a cozy sitting area with a water feature, a sculpture, and gardenia bushes. When I turned the bend, my stomach rolled a few times, then dropped. Wesley had some woman in a red dress in his arms. They both looked happy, as if they were old friends. And I felt like the stupidest girl in the world.

Was I just completely wrong about Wesley? One minute he wants to protect me and help me find Charlie. The next he’s kissing me and telling me I’m beautiful, that he misses my letters, only to turn around and meet up with someone not even an hour later. What was he playing at? He couldn’t be this mean to string me along knowing I’d been in love with him all my life.

My head buzzed with more questions that made no sense and scenarios that were so embarrassing to think of they made me sick to my stomach. Like how easily I succumbed to his touch and his kiss. How easily I believed all his words. I’d hoped for an answer tonight, and there it was. Wesley couldn’t have real feelings for me.

When I turned to leave, Zack came up behind me and gripped my arm. “You said let’s find out...so let’s find out.” He cleared his throat loud enough for Wesley to look up.

His mystery woman turned to us too, and I recognized her immediately. She was the woman Valentina and I met while shopping for dresses last week. Valentina had happened to see Rebecca changing and noticed her back was covered in cuts and bruises. We invited her to the party to see if we could do something for her. Just my luck, she’d found Wesley to help her.

8

I Don’t Know What I Am

Wesley

Shit. This night could not end soon enough. After I completely messed things up with Anabelle, she had to catch me with Rebecca in what I was sure Anabelle thought was a compromising situation. That wasn’t it at all. But if Zack and Anabelle’s eyes could shoot daggers, they would right about now.

“Anabelle, this is Rebecca Smith.”

“We already met.” Anabelle waved at her with a kind smile. “Valentina invited her to the party.”

Zack did a double take to Anabelle. “She’s Valentina’s friend.”

“Not really. We met at the dress shop last week. Valentina was kind enough to invite me.” Rebecca glared at Zack.

That had to be the first time I’d seen a woman not look at Zack with stars in her eyes. “Great. I’m glad everyone knows each other, then.”

“I’m Zack. Wesley’s twin brother.” He offered her his hand, his gaze intense with none of his usual charm sprinkled in. What was his deal?

“I got that. Nice to meet you, Zack.” Rebecca barely touched his fingers in the exchange before she turned to Anabelle. “It was really very kind of you to welcome me in. I don’t think I mentioned that before.”

“I’m glad you could make it. You know, I have to go. I wanted to talk to Wesley, but it can wait.” Anabelle’s cheeks flushed red as she hung on to Zack’s arm with a death grip.

If only she could trust me the way she trusted my brother. “I’ll come see you in the morning.”

“Oh no, you guys can talk now. I’ll go.” Rebecca made to leave, but I gripped her elbow. Her body jerked and her eyes went wide, so I loosened my hold on her. Jesus, after all she’d gone through, of course, this was her reaction to any sudden touches.

“No, Rebecca, we need to talk now. Please stay. Just one sec.” I stalked over to Anabelle and pulled her toward the garden path, away from the others.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“I do. I promise I will explain everything tomorrow. But right now, Rebecca needs me.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if my words pained her. “Right. She needs you.”

A tress of blond hair flew up and away from her face. It looked like gold pieces of paper. She glanced up at me with eyes full of longing. She wasn’t mad at me anymore. Was that why she’d come looking for me? To tell me that she believed I wrote those letters and that she forgave me for being an insensitive asshole?

“I want to kiss you.”

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