Page 45 of Texting My Valentine

“Hello?”

“It’s me,” Mom says. “Juliette texted and asked if you were okay after what happened.” Juliette is Cleo’s mom. “What happened, Tori?”

“You were passed out when I came in. I didn’t want to wake up.”

“Can I come in?”

“Uh, I’ll meet you in the living room.”

Tori:I’m sorry. My mom’s awake. I haven’t told her about Damien yet.

He doesn’t reply. Is he annoyed? Do I care?

I join Mom in the living room. She rises from the couch and cradles my face in her hands. It’s the most maternal thing she’s done in a long time, and it doesn’t seem to matter that she’s probably only doing it because she’s still a little drunk.

“What’s wrong? You look shell-shocked.”

“Sit down.”

Mom watches me closely as I explain about Damien. “I thought he was just a bit weird, but then he started talking aboutconnections, and today…” I take a breath. “He lured me out back and tried to threaten me. My – uh, friend was there to help. Damien ended up pulling a gun.”

“Damien, with connections,” Mom murmurs.

“Yeah…”

“What’s Damien’s last name?”

“Kent. Why?”

“Oh, God.” Mom buries her face in her hands and starts sobbing.

I swallow a ball of annoyance. I don’t know why she’s crying, but she’s doing it in the way she sometimes has of making it all about herself. I’m not in the mood for this.

“Mom?” I say.

“There was a man I never told you about…”

I listen until I can’t take it anymore. Then I leap to my feet.

“Where are you going?” Mom yells.

“Away from you!”

CHAPTER 14

ALEX

When I see Tori rushing down the street with a small bag slung over her shoulder, I climb out of the car and jog after her. I catch her arm and turn her toward me. “Where are you going?”

“Away from here. To stay at a friend’s. I don’t care.”

“What happened?” I take her hand, consciously calming the savage inside me, the beast who wants to pick up in real life where we left off in our text exchange. “Come on, Tori. The night’s getting cold.”

She’s only wearing a strappy top and sweatpants, both of which outline her perfect shape temptingly, her round breasts making me want to touch her, take away her emotional pain with a physical release that will have her shivering all over… not from the cold this time.

In the car, she wraps her arms around her middle.

“You’re not going to believe this,” she whispers.

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