Page 31 of Echoes of Temptation

***King***

“Is everything ready?”

“You know, I really shouldn’t be helping you out. I’m still royally pissed at what Maddy told me. You’re a fucking idiot.”

“I’ve told you half a dozen times,” I remind him. “I didn’t fucking mean it. I was pissed that I thought she had lied to me and I wanted to hurt her. I thought she was trying to pull something over on me and my family.”

“And, I get that,” Blackhawk says over the phone. “In your place, I probably would have done the same thing. But the fact that you did it to someone I love like a sister, well, that pisses me the fuck off. You called her fat, man. She’s always had issues with accepting how beautiful she is because of her size. It would have been less painful had you stabbed her in the heart.”

I want to fall to my knees and tell her how beautiful I think she is. I’ve never been with a skinny woman in my entire life. Of course, I wouldn’t tell her about my exes, but the fact remains, I love that she’s not skinny. Holding her in my lap last month was the best and worst day of my life. Nothing had even felt more perfect than her sleeping against my body. But it hurt deeply because I knew I most likely wouldn’t get the chance to have her that close again.

She fucking hates me and that guts me to my very core.

“I’ve spent the last month trying to get her to talk to me,” I tell Blackhawk. “She won’t return my calls or texts. I’ve tried showing up at her parents’ house but her dad just sends me away. She’s not accepting my gifts. Or those of my brothers. How the hell can I tell her I’m sorry, to explain why I was such a fucking idiot, if she refuses to see me?”

“I told you that I’d help,” he reminds me. “You need to fight like your life depends on it, brother. Fight for this woman because she fucking deserves it.”

“Agreed,” I growl.

I don’t care how long this takes. I’ll show her what she means to me even if it kills me.

“To answer your question, yes, everything is ready. But you do know that there is a high probability that she’s going to call the police on you, right?”

I smirk as I head out to my car.

“Yep,” I say brightly. “But it will be worth it. Thanks, man. Talk to you later.”

I take a few minutes to clean the snow off the windows of my car. Winter is in full force right now, but I don’t mind. I’m about to see my woman.

Chapter Fourteen

Maddy

“Bye, Ms. Burton,” Lucy waves. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Thank you, Lucy,” I smile. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

To say I’m exhausted would be an understatement. Today is my first day back at work since I was taken. I almost forgot how much energy it takes to keep up with these little monkeys.

I take a few minutes to clean up the class and check the silent room. Then I spend the next half hour preparing for tomorrow’s lessons.

By the time I’ve finished, I’m equally exhausted and starving. Knowing that I don’t have anything in the freezer at home, I place a quick order before leaving. I don’t live far from the school so I’ll make it there before the food does.

Fifteen minutes later, I’ve parked my car and am heading into my apartment building, food in hand.

“Well, hey there, stranger,” my downstairs neighbor, Link, says. “I haven’t seen you in a long while. I figured you met some hottie and left us.”

I laugh and give Link a one-armed hug.

“Was just staying at my parents for a little while,” I say.

“Well, you’ve definitely been missed. What happened here?”

I look at the spot above my wrist that Link nods to and try not to wince. Most of the burns Patricia inflicted on me weren’t too bad and the marks have all but faded. However, there are roughly five that I was told will scar. This is one of them.

“It’s a burn” I shrug, hoping to avoid any other explanation.

“Damn. I’ve gotten a few of those myself. Well, anyway, I need to head to the store and get that husband of mine some socks. Ican’t for the life of me figure out how he keeps putting holes in them. See ya.”

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