Page 31 of Moth to a Flame

“Who was that?” Rosemary’svoice is nearing a scream. “You stormed off after him, he stormed off now, and…Who was he? Is he one of the men from the website? Dad said he’d vet them before they come anywhere near you. Why aren’t we doing that?”

As I stare at my sister, my brain filters out everything she says. Other than her first question.

Who was that?

That’s actually a really good question.

He started out as a stranger. Then he became this man who held me like I wanted to be held.

Today, he gave me my first-ever kiss. An orgasm. Landon subtly asked me for my consent the entire time, and I didn’t freak the fuck out. No brown evil eyes came to mind. No invisible knife pressed to my throat.

When his finger pushed inside me, I didn’t think about a disgusting monster forcing himself on me, then forcing his—

I didn’t think about any of these things. I refuse to think about them anymore.

Landon helped me when I asked him to.

Landon also knew too much. Way too much.

Where I live.

A part of my conversation with Marshall. He asked about my name.

I’m not worried, though, and I won’t tell Rosemary any of it. Landon won’t hurt me, and I crave my independence.

I hope I won’t live to regret it.

“He’s Landon.”

“So you said.” Her hands are on her hips, one of them holding on to Mojo’s leash.

He tried to run after Landon when he left. Again. Another sign that this man who knows things he shouldn’t isn’t dangerous.

“What about the store?” I deflect.

“Fuck the store. I was worried about you.” I start walking, and she blocks me with her arm. “I locked up when you stayed out for too long, before I came up here. Regan…”

Diversion it is. “We should get back, then. I need to fix Willie’s laptop, or he’ll miss out on the video call from his grandkids tonight.”

“This is more important.” She raises an eyebrow at me. “He has his cell phone. We showed him how to use it.”

I lift an eyebrow right back. “He can’t talk for long with the tremors in his hands and he isn’t great with placing it at the right angle.”

“Ugh, fine. We’ll go. But first. Do we send people to spy on Landon? Or…” There she is. My sister. My partner in crime. “Tell me this isn’t a mistake, leaving Dad out of this.”

The side of me that packs a Ruger, who just made a stranger come over her stomach, begs me to keep what I have with hima secret. The other side, Rosemary’s best friend, who’s always been honest with her, says I should tell her.

So I do. About everything but the eyeballs. That’ll really make her go to Dad.

“Fine.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “I get it. Kind of. Promise me one thing?”

“Anything.”

“If he ever feels unsafe, or if it starts getting serious, we’re running a background check.” Mojo whimpers in agreement. “You’ve been hurt enough for a lifetime, Regan. No more.”

“No more.”

I’m not blowing her off. She’s right, and trust me, the last person who wants a repeat of what happened to me that night is me.

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