Page 85 of Even if You Fall

I twisted to look up at him, a stilted laugh punching from my lungs as I reminded him, “It’s Hudson, Superman. He’s harmless.”

“Hey,” Hudson said, only partially sounding offended, but he was smiling good naturedly when I focused on him again.

“Did you really watchPride and Prejudice?” I asked excitedly.

At that, his mock offense deepened. “Watchit?”

I gave Hudson a dry look. “That quote isn’t in the book...”

He made a face and gestured to me as if to saypoint proven. “Nerd.”

“Valiant effort though,” I told him and felt my entire body light up when Adam smoothly settled me back against his chest. Once again, right there, in front of nearly all his friends.

As if this was something we did. As if he was truly that comfortable in whatever we were. As if we hadn’t been working through so many suspicions, worries, and miscommunications just this afternoon. As if a part of me wasn’t still worried I’d wake up tomorrow to find out none of this had been real either...

Hudson’s approving stare bounced between us before he winked at me. “I try,” he said as he walked to the table and sank into one of the chairs.

Squeezing Adam’s hand, I maneuvered out of his hold and softly repeated, “Harmless.”

He gripped my hand before I could slip away and gave me a grave look. “Tell me that the next time a girl falls into my arms and tells me she loves me.” My stomach dropped as I remembered Wren hanging onto Adam and touching him, andthe way he’d smiled at her. “Exactly,” Adam murmured as if sensing I was imagining something I really didn’t want to be.

“Gray still hits on Lainey,” Cameron said from where he was tapping on a tablet, never looking up from it. “If Briggs can get over it, you can too. Now, get set up.”

I forced away the unwanted memory, knowing it didn’t mean anything. Not to Wren, who acted that way with every guy, and not to Adam, given all the things he’d said to me.

Right?

Slipping my hand from Adam’s, I gave him an understanding smile and whispered, “I’m gonna go read on the couch before Cameron has me fired for being a distraction.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed as they darted over my face, easily catching onto the worries I was trying not to think about, but he let me go. Watching intently as I grabbed my purse off the top of my suitcase and hurried away.

Once I was away from the dining room, I released a slow, weighted breath as I fought the insecurities that were quick to return.

I didn’t want to be one of those annoying, insecure women I sometimes read about. I wanted to be confident in myself and...well, I wasn’t sure there was anusyet, but...us.

But I’d been that confident woman with Owen, who’d been my firsteverything, and I’d missed every single lie. I hadn’t seen how he’d been controlling me until it was far too late. I’d failed to notice the darkness that apparently emanated from within him.

Not that Adam was anything like him. Not that he treated me in any way like Owen had. Not that I’d ever felt an inkling of that nauseating chill with Adam. But some hurts weren’t surface level. Some cut deep and lingered, never fully healing. I had a feeling having a man manipulate all your thoughts and wants until you could no longer trust yourself was one of those hurts.

Slipping my book free, I stepped out of my heels and set my purse next to the couch, then settled onto the plush cushions, determined to get lost in the pages I’d been struggling through all weekend. But hours later, I was still there. Curled into the same position, hand pressed against my chest, staring at the pages but not seeing the words as I replayed every conversation with Adam these past days. Every look, every touch, every kiss...

Chills skated across my arms at the same moment I realizedwhyI was pressing a hand to my chest.

It was hard to breathe. It felt like there was a weight on me I couldn’t lift. But this weight and those chills...they felt like a warning.

I slowly lifted my head and glanced over the back of the couch, in the direction of where I could hear the hushed sounds of Adam and the other Shadow members talking, as they had been ever since I’d left. Each pained beat of my heart felt so heavy and so sluggish as I listened, waiting for some sign of what had caused the reaction in me.

When nothing happened, I contemplated going and sitting in the dining room with them for a few seconds before realizing that was ridiculous. It was most likely just my subconscious leaking through, worrying about what Owen had done—what he was still trying to do.

I forced as deep of an exhale as my lungs would allow and settled back against the couch, a scream clawing up my throat when I saw the four strange men standing in the room with me.

Three of the strangers began talking all at once.

“Whoa, hey.”

“Maybe don’t do that.”

“We’re not gonna hurt you.”

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