Page 144 of Play Pretend

“I’ve been watching you for a while,” he admitted, oblivious to my fear. “Only two months. But in that time, I feel like I’ve really gotten to know you.”

My throat was too tight. I turned to look at him, finding him already staring at me. There was a gleam in his eye I didn’t like, and I stumbled back a step.

“But then—” He followed me, step for step, until the back of my knees hit his stained couch. “Then you chose that fucking sheriff guy overme, your soulmate.”

I blinked. “Wh–what?”

He slapped his hand against his chest. “I’m your soulmate, Willow! Don’t you feel it too?”

His hand rested against my chest, and I had no doubt that he could feel my heart thundering beneath his palm. “I’ve even got all this stuff”—he threw his hand out, vaguely gesturing toward the room—“for us to start our lives with.”

I looked around again, noticing that most of the stuff were random house items. “Have you been stealing things from people, Braydon?” I asked, and he frowned.

“Not stealing,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve been preparing our home. For you and our kids.”

It was too much. I laughed—it was filled with terror and hysteria, maybe a touch of insanity. This wasnotmy life. It couldn’t be. This was a dream. Nothing else made sense.

The back of Braydon’s hand connected with my face, and my head snapped to the side, my smile falling from my mouth. I sank onto the couch, and he braced his hands on either side of my body. He brought his face only inches from mine.

“Don’t fucking laugh at me!” he shouted, and I cringed away from him.

“Okay,” I breathed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I searched for something to say, something to appease him. “You’ve done all this for me? For us?”

He blinked, and some of his anger melted away. “I did,” he murmured. “Do you like it?”

I looked around again. “And you’ve been—watching me?” When his face morphed again, I quickly added, “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

He leaned away, suspicions rising. “You’re still dating that cop,” he muttered. I swallowed the rise of bile in my throat.

“No,” I rasped. “I—I broke up with him tonight. That’s why I was out there alone.”

He stared at me for a long moment, like he was weighing my words. “Really?”

“Yes.” I tightened my grip on my purse, hoping Ronan was still on the line.

Was he on his way?

His eyes stayed on me as he began pacing, his lips moving as he muttered to himself.

“I’ll be back,” he suddenly said, turning and moving into a room at the back of the apartment. I glanced over my shoulder, my breath lost in my lungs. I counted to seven, letting it ground me before I peered into my purse. The call was still there. Ronan was coming.

I turned the volume up and quickly pressed the phone to my ear. “We’re at Blue Haven Apartments in Blackrock Bay. Apartment 104.”

“I’m coming, baby. Just hang?—”

The phone was ripped from my hand. It crashed against the wall, shattering to a million pieces. A scream ripped from my throat, and I jolted around, finding Braydon’s blazing eyes glaring at me.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he screamed, spit flying from his mouth. “Who was that?”

“What?” I licked my lips. “It was—it was no one. I—I don’t—it was no one.”

“Was it him?” His voice rose with every word. “Lying whore!”

His hand connected with my face again, sending me flying back. I landed on the floor with a hard thud, and pain radiated up my tailbone.

“After all I’ve done for you?” he roared. “You ungrateful bitch!”

He rounded the couch and loomed over me. My heart hammered in my chest. I didn’t know what to do. There was nowhere to go, my phone was broken, and I didn’t know where Ronan was.

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