Page 106 of Outside The Wire

“Maybe, but you haven’t given her the chance to prove you wrong.” He snatched the coffee mug out of my hand and took a long drink. “Go home. You’re not working today. You look like shit. And I mean that in the worst way possible.”

“You’re so kind.”

“Well, that’s why I’m the boss.” He backed up a step and raised my mug in the air. “You know, I’m glad this happened.”

“My misery?”

“No, you fucking this up. It was disgusting to see you being so fucking perfect.”

“Well, the bubble was bound to pop sooner or later,” I huffed.

“You took a needle to it at the perfect time,” he chuckled. “Go home. Take a few days off and fix what you fucked up. And get some sleep. You’ll do me no good if you fall asleep on an engine block.”

I did need the sleep, but where the hell I was supposed to do that, I didn’t know. I considered going home, but the thought of being that far away from Holly just didn’t sit right with me. Twenty minutes later, I was in front of her house with an alarm set on my phone to wake me up around noon. Then I closed my eyes and finally let sleep take over.

I jerked awake after what felt like only fifteen minutes. At first, I wasn’t sure what woke me up, but then I heard the soft knocking again, and turned to find Holly outside my window.

“What are you doing outside?” I asked after rolling down the window.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Her face looked even worse today. When I checked on her this morning, it didn’t look this bad, but that was in the dark of her bedroom where I could pretend it was shadows I was seeing on her face. Out here in the light of day, it was clear just how bad the bruising was. She was damn lucky that asshole hadn’t broken her cheekbone.

I moved without thinking, shoving open my door and nearly knocking her over. I hadn’t meant to be so rough, but she was out here in the cold when she should be inside resting. I scooped her up in my arms, ignoring her protests as I stomped up to her house, determined to get her back inside where it was safe.

“Asher, stop! What the hell are you doing?” she shouted, pounding her tiny fists into me.

But I didn’t stop. Not until I had her on the couch and tucked in with a blanket. “You need to stay here and rest,” I ordered, stalking over to the kitchen to grab an ice pack.

“And who do you think you are to tell me what I can and can’t do?”

I spun around and there she was, not on the couch where I left her, but right in front of me, hand on her hip and just as damn beautiful despite the beating she’d taken. “I’m?—”

“You’re what? You left!”

Fuck, I was so angry, but not at her. I was pissed at myself. For putting her through this when she was already in pain. She didn’t deserve this shit. She was Holly—so clean and pure and innocent. I was tarnished by the things I had seen and done inmy life. I didn’t want any of that touching her. And if I told her, it would all taint her.

“Asher—”

“I’ll go.” I stalked past her, forgetting about the damn ice pack and what I came in here to do in the first place.

“Asher, stop right now!”

“I’m sorry I came here.”

“Asher Stone, you will stop right now!”

“Lock the door behind me.”

“I said—oh!”

I paused, then heard a thump and spun around. Holly was on the ground, passed out. Shit. I ran over to her, my heart racing as I knelt beside her. Fuck, fuck, fuck. “Holly, baby. Open your eyes, sweetheart. Come on. Open your eyes and tell me you’re okay.”

I patted her good cheek, terrified when she didn’t respond. She just laid there, limp and lifeless. What the hell happened? She was fine and now she was passed out on the ground. I shouldn’t have argued with her. I shouldn’t have been such a fucking asshole.

“Holly! Come on, baby. I’m sorry, okay? I won’t leave. I promise. I’ll be right here. I won’t ever leave. Just come back to me, okay?” I swallowed hard. “Please, baby.”

Her eyes flew open and she grinned. “You swear?”

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