Page 83 of The Catalyst

His oceanic eyes rise to mine and I catch empathy in them.

“How bad?” he asks.

“I had to use double the amount of makeup I used to.” That’s enough information to paint a picture. There’s nothing else to say.

We’ll see how she is after treatment.

Martin stands there for a moment, staring at me, not saying a damn word. He just watches me and it’s a bit disarming. I’m not used to people staring. The only other people that have stared at me at all in recent times are Oliver and Martin’s father.

Martin’s stare doesn’t feel like his father’s. It’s not snakes slithering across my skin, but like a gentle hug, an acknowledgement that I’m not alone.

It’s comforting.

Did I really misjudge Martin Gray so horrifically?

I guess my ability to tell the good ones from the bad ones isn’t as on point as it used to be.

“Come on,” he utters as he walks back over to me, swinging his car keys around his finger. “Let’s get you out of here before they figure out where you ran off to.”

* * *

I don’t haveto direct Martin to where the old house is. He takes the correct turns and doesn’t ask once for assistance. He pulls into the short driveway and parks next to the walkway that leads to the porch.

It’s been so long since I’ve been here it feels like a stranger’s house.

“How did you know where my house was?” I ask, turning slightly to face him.

He smirks. “Because I drove you home the night we met.”

Oh.

I didn’t know that.

I never asked Teigan or Delaney how I got home. I just figured they dropped me off after Martin and I finished up. I may not know him very well, but I do know myself. I wouldn’t let some stranger drive me home unless I had a reason to.

Then, there’s how easily he touched me with such affection earlier.

We sit in silence for a moment as I dig my teeth into my lip, contemplating if I really want to know the answer to my question.

“It…wasn’t just sex that night…was it?”

That’s the only conclusion I can come to. Something happened that night besides the sex.

His eyes narrow, his expression pensive, before he mutters, “Yeah. It was more than that.”

It’s something I knew the second I realized Martin was the guy I hooked up with that night. I don’t know how I knew, but I justdid. I knew it was more than just a random hook up and part of that scared the fuck out of me.

He looks out the windshield before he continues, “We were supposed to meet up the next day, but…you never showed up.”

I stood him up and I didn’t even know it.

“Sorry.” I’ve never been stood up before, but I bet it sucks.

“I came to check on you and make sure you were okay, but your mom answered the door. She said you weren’t around so I went back to Grove Hill.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal, though his expression tells a different story.

He was hurt. He might not be anymore, but he was when it happened.

I don’t know what more to say than how sorry I am and I’ve already done that, so I take off my seat belt. “Thank you for the ride. I really appreciate it.” I give him a soft smile before a truly evil idea hits me. “Wait here for a second.”

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