Page 39 of My Secret to Protect

‘Think of it as you going undercover if it helps. We’re doing what we need to do to stop this guy.’

‘We need ground rules.’ She straightens her shoulders, and I smile… there she is.

Bree

‘So,we’reclearonthe plan?’ His ice-blue eyes lift to meet mine, and I nod, yes.

Earlier tonight, I thought we were reconnecting for real, and now I’m about to startfakedating this beautiful man—this ex-biker, ex-con,myex, with all his tattoos and rough edges—in order to draw out my stalker.Great. I love my life right now.

I’m embarrassed. He was so charming to me when I didn’t know this was fake, and now, he corrects me that none of it is real every chance he gets. I let myself hope, and now, I feel like an idiot.

‘This will work, Bree,’ Grandma says, her hand reaching out to cover mine on the table as Arlo pushes back his chair and stands.

‘We should get going. I’m going to take Beans outside.’

Arlo and Beans say goodnight to Grandma and head out the front door, and I turn to her.

‘Bree, before you get mad…’

‘I’m not mad, Grandma.’ I lean in to hug her, suddenly exhausted. ‘It’s just a lot.’ I know she was trying to protect me. ‘It’s just going to take me some time.’

‘What happened between you two?’ I turn to look her in the eyes, and she smiles so sweetly. ‘Y’all were thick as thieves, and I’ll be honest, I thought there was something pretty special happening, then the next thing I knew, you wouldn’t even say his name, and he didn’t want even hear yours.’

That hurts. It hits me right in the center of my chest, and I fight to hide a reaction.

‘He got locked up. Kind of hard to run off into the sunset with somebody when they’re behind bars.’ I lean in again and kiss her cheek. ‘Goodnight, Grandma.’

Climbing into the truck, I sit, and Beans immediately snuggles up to me, dropping his huge head back into my lap like he did the whole way here.

‘Why did you agree to this?’

‘She asked me to.’

‘But you clearly have issues with me.’

He smirks now, one side of his mouth pulling up as he nods. ‘Got nothing to do with anything. He didn’t deny it. ‘I love Mrs. C, and I owe her a lot, so when she needs me, I say yes.’

I nod, and he starts the engine.

‘I need this to work.’ Oh god, I hear the emotion and desperation in my voice and from the look in his eyes as he turns toward me to respond, he heard it too.

‘It’ll work, pix. We’ll get the son of a bitch.’

You Make Him Sound Like Sasquatch

Bree

Ididn’tgetalot of sleep yesterday. I fell asleep in the truck on the way home, but by the time I climbed into my own bed, it was almost six thirty am, and the sun was coming up.

I tried to get some shut-eye, but it was no good once I heard my cell vibrate on my nightstand.

Unknown: What did I tell you, Breanne? Don’t push me!

Once I read those words, sleep was off the cards. I sat, hunched underneath my bedroom window, with my knees pulled into my chest, watching for any movement outside. I should have called Arlo. That’s why he’s here after all, but I didn’t. I’m not ready to admit even to myself that I have accepted this insane plan.

I feel like I got hit by a truck; the sleep app on my watch looks like it’s malfunctioning when in fact, it’s just saying damn girl, take a pill. I’m so tired that I spent the hours pulled back and forth between wondering where Nolan is and thinking about the morning I spent with Arlo, before I knew that none of it was real.

Before I knew it, I’d been lying flat on my back, staring at the ceiling for hours, remembering how it felt to ride out there with him, enjoying his company. He was sweet, comforting. At the time, I thought he was just being nice, but now, knowing that he knew why I was crying and why I was tired, I know that his comfort came from a place of concern, but still, he holds himself away from me.

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