Page 70 of Haunted

“Don’t thank me, Jules. That shit should have never happened, and I’m sorry my asshole brother thought he had a right to do what he did.”

She nods and bows her head, her thick hair falling over her shoulders, hiding her face. I reach out and gently grip her chin to bring her head back up.

“You’ll be safe here with me,” I let her know. She needs to understand that just because I flipped my shit years ago, doesn’t mean it will happen again. I’d sooner rip off my arms than do anything to harm her. “I swear, Jules. You have nothing to fear from me.”

Her small smile is watery, and it rips a hole in my heart, but when she whispers, “I know,” and looks like she really believes it, it mends back solid.

Fuck if this woman doesn’t wreak havoc on my emotions.

“Would you like something to eat or drink?”

She shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

She looks tired and her whole body sags, like a thousand-ton weight rests on her shoulders. My anger toward Theo strengthens.

I grab her bag off the couch and gesture toward the hallway. “You’ll be in the room I keep for Aria when she’s over. You look exhausted. Why don’t you rest for a while?”

She nods, then follows me down the hallway to the small room that has a twin bed covered in a bright purple bedspread. I drop her bag on the end and turn around. Jules is at the side of the bed, gently running her fingers along the blanket, a soft smile playing on her lips, making her look even more beautiful.

“This is the second bed I’ve slept in that belongs to Aria.”

I don’t know why that knowledge pleases me, but it does. I assumed she slept in Theo’s bed from the beginning. Anytime that thought crossed my mind over the last few weeks, barely restrained anger coursed through my body.

“She won’t mind,” I inform her.

“I know. She’s such a sweet girl.”

I walk over, then before I can think better of it, I bend and place a kiss on the top of her head. She stiffens slightly, but doesn’t try to pull away.

Stepping back, I look down at her.

“Get some sleep. I’m gonna go make a phone call to my parents.”

She nods, but then bites her lip in worry. “Do you… do you think they’ll hate me?”

I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, needing to touch her, even if just briefly.

“I don’t plan to tell them the details yet. I just want to warn them in case Theo stops by. And no, they won’t hate you. They’ll be shocked and angry and hurt on your behalf, but they won’t hate you.”

Her head dips in acknowledgement, hopeful relief flashing in her eyes. “Okay.”

I leave her behind and walk out to the living room, the rage in my blood once again heating now that I’m not in her presence. My feet pound the floor as I make my way out of the back door and into the backyard. The green grass flattens beneath my purposeful strides. I don’t stop until I’m behind the small wooden shed in the far corner of my property. It’s there that I stand, tilt my head back, and roar to the blue sky. My fist flies forward and lands hard against the structure, splintering it enough to leave shards of wood embedded in my knuckles when I pull it back. The stinging in my hand only amplifies my need to run my fist through Theo’s jaw. With another bellow, I repeat the move over and over again, until my hand is a bloody mess and there’s a hole the size of a soccer ball in the wall.

It does nothing to wash away my anger, but at least now I can think past the blinding rage.

20

JULES

IJERK UP IN BED when a loud banging wakes me. I blink quickly, confused when I don’t immediately recognize my surroundings. I look down at the purple blanket covering me then glance over the room. Memories flood in when I remember this is Aria’s room, and I’m at Luca’s house because he came and got me from Theo’s.

I rub my tired eyes, trying to wipe away the sandpapery feeling from just waking up. I must have slept later than I intended, because the sun is already setting.

Another loud bang and a muffled yell have me jumping from the bed. I fly into the hallway, just as I see Luca, wearing a navy-blue shirt, jeans, and wet hair, opening the front door. I brace myself when Theo stalks into the house.

“Where in the fuck is she?” he growls, getting into Luca’s face.

“Where’s Aria?” Luca counters, not backing down as he looks over Theo’s shoulder toward his car.

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