Page 71 of Live for Me

Beau’s truck rumbled as he drove us on empty, two-lane road on the outskirts of Hallow Ranch. The sun was setting, drowningthe edge of the sky in rich pinks and oranges, giving me something to look at in the tense silence.

His father’s words echoed in my head like the broken record I’d found at the thrift store last Christmas. I’d almost given into the old man. I’d almost told him the truth, the dark, shameful truth that caused me and everyone around me so much torment. I still had the taste of blood in my mouth from biting my tongue. I couldn’t.

If I told anyone the truth, lives would be at risk—no, lives would be lost.

All because of me, Abbie Spears—the failure.

“We’ll be staying here until your stalker is in custody,” Beau said, breaking the tense silence.

I twisted my neck to look around, seeing nothing but fields, trees, and mountains. “Where?” I asked.

I watched his jaw work for a moment, and then my eyes drifted down his neck, over his shoulder and across his long, outstretched arm until I reached his hand at the top of the steering wheel. His knuckles were white from his grip. He cleared his throat, and my eyes shot back up to his face. He still wasn’t looking at me.

In fact, he hadn’t looked at me once since leaving me in shambles in Denver Langston’s foyer.

“It’s a cabin on the edge of the property,” he told me, easing his foot off the gas.

My brows rose. “Oh, the hunting cabin?” I guessed, trying not to grimace. Back in the day, when Beau wanted to get away from everyone, he would bring me up to the small hunting cabin on the mountain. It wasn’t livable by any means back then. Last time I was there, it only had an old table for animal cleaning and a bucket to use the bathroom in. It was small, only enough room for three people to stand in comfortably.

When Beau didn’t respond, I silently hoped Denver made the place somewhat decent.

You deserve this, Abbie.

You deserve to rot in hell, so staying in a shack out in the woods should be the least of your worries.

Beau pulled off the road quickly, jerking me. My hand shot out, slamming against the window to steady myself as he drove us down a small hill. We drove in the grass for a few minutes, staying beside the Hallow Ranch fence. Up ahead, there was a small patch of trees, and as we got closer, I saw an opening. Beau drove through it with ease, the trees covering us. It was a natural tunnel of sorts. Trees surrounded us on either side of the truck, blocking the view of the road, their branches above giving us cover.

“This isn’t the way to the hunting cabin,” I muttered, looking over to the silent cowboy in the driver’s seat.

When he didn’t reply, I looked straight ahead and spotted a small wooden gate in the fencing, the warm glow of the sunset seeping between the trees, giving it a spotlight. All at once, I felt like I was in a dream. It looked like something out of a fairytale.

Beau brought the truck to a slow stop and shifted it into park. I didn’t move, not looking away from the cute wooden gate and the paved path behind it leading us into the woods. Wildflowers were scattered in the tall grass, and I could hear birds chirping outside.

“Beau, where are we?” I whispered, my voice cracking.

“Look, I didn’t know about this place until this afternoon,” he clipped. “When this shit is over, I’m going to offer it to the twins. Maybe one of them will take it.”

My head whipped over to him. “Beau,” I snapped. He still wasn’t looking at me. “Beau!”

Nothing, not even a flinch.

My heart was aching now, and I felt the beginnings of another panic attack coming. “Look at me,” I pleaded, my words coming out as mere breaths. His jaw jumped twice before he moved, grabbing his hat on the seat between us and placing it on his head in a motion that used to drive me mad with lust. Now, in this moment, it was just pissing me off. “Look at me,” I ordered through my teeth.

I expected him to get out of the truck and give me his back, but the only thing he gave me was his blue. His gaze collided with mine, and I swore I could hear the outside world shattering, crumbling into pieces no one would ever be able to put back together again. Those fire blue eyes held me captive, the scorching heat of his hatred burning me from the inside out.

“This cabin was a gift to my father from John,” he answered, his voice dangerously soft. “My father, being the kind of man he is, didn’t take it. He saved it for me—for us.”

My breath caught, and suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to be out of this truck. “What do you mean, for us?” I whispered, devastation looming over me now.

Please don’t—please God, don’t let it be what I thought it was.

Our gaze never broke as he completely destroyed me.

“This cabin was supposed to be for you and me, Abbie. It was our wedding gift from my father.”

Before I could respond, the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with was out of the truck, slamming the door behind him. My eyes followed him as he grabbed our bags out of the back, holding them over his shoulder with ease. His head was bent, his hat shielding his face, which I counted as something of a blessing. I didn’t think I would survive seeing the emotion painted on his face, the hatred, the resentment. I was frozen as he came around the front of the truck. The hair on the back of my neck rose as he yanked my door open, and yet, I still couldn’t move. I couldn’t face him.

Seconds ago, all I wanted was his gaze, and now, I was the one who couldn’t look at him. I remained where I was, teetering on the brink between insanity and despair. Karma was on her game today, reminding me exactly how deserving I was.

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