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But when I was just a few minutes from my place, my phone rang. And when I saw Alana’s name on the display, my stomach sank.

“Alana?” I answered.

“Come back,” she begged, fear like I’d never heard dripping from those two words. “Please, Ty. Please come back.”

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

The pain in my throat was unbearable, and the twisting in my gut had me on the verge of losing my dinner.

I turned the car around and made my way back to Alana. I just hoped when I got there, it wouldn’t be too late.

SIXTEEN

Alana

It had been the best night of my life.

Over the last couple of weeks, the attraction and connection I felt to Ty had grown tremendously.

Tonight had solidified the feelings I had for him—the knowing looks, seductive smiles, and playful touches had been building me up in a way I hadn’t expected. Combining that with the conversation and laughter we had tonight and nearly every day we’d spent together, and it would have been impossible to not find myself growing fonder of him.

Then he brought me home and kissed me at my front door. It felt like the perfect end to a first date. But it was strange. Not the kiss. The kiss had been perfect, better than I could have hoped for it to be.

The strange part was that even though it was technically our first date, I felt like I’d known him for months. And for that reason, it became an exercise in self-control not to drag him inside with me.

There was something that held me back, and at first, I didn’t know what it was. But eventually, it hit me.

It wasn’t that long ago when Ty had shared with me that he’d just broken up with his ex-girlfriend. It had been a matter of weeks since he ended things with her. When that thought popped into my mind, I thought it was better to wait, to be sure that I wouldn’t wind up being a rebound for him.

Granted, Ty hadn’t done a single thing to indicate to me that he was still hung up on his ex—even now, it horrified and baffled me to think a woman would actually cheat on a man like Ty. I couldn’t imagine it was possible to find a man better than him.

Regardless of the attention he’d shown me and the attraction I felt to him, I thought it was best to go slow.

So, I didn’t invite him.

But perhaps I should have.

Because then I wouldn’t have been in this predicament.

I wouldn’t have been pacing inside my house, terrified, and looking out the window for him with my phone clutched in my hand and held up to my ear.

I couldn’t hang up.

I refused to lose the connection to him.

Not when I wasn’t sure I was even safe in my own home.

“I’m coming down your street now.”

“Please, hurry,” I begged, the tears pouring down my cheeks. My stomach was trembling. Every muscle in my body was quaking with fear.

“I’m almost there, baby. Just stay with me.”

His words barely registered, and it was only the sound of his voice that was keeping me from losing it completely.

The moment I saw the lights and his vehicle, I opened my door and bolted out as fast as I could for someone who still had a boot that made even walking awkward.

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