Page 35 of Crossroads of Innocence
Standing, Chet covered her hand with his. “I’ve told you once. Stop apologizing. Speak your truth, no matter how weird it makes shit.”
A pinch of admiration squeezed Wade’s chest. Chet had come a long way in a very short amount of time, and his words were wiser than anything Wade had said to Jude. And he hoped she listened. That she’d keep talking, keep confiding in him, until there was no more weirdness left in her confessions.
But the question remained. Could he do the same? Could he open up about his life and his mom and what he’d endured in the years since she’d been away? He mentally rolled his eyes as he watched his friends leave.
It didn’t matter what he told Jude. She didn’t need to know, and there was no reason to strengthen any bond he had left with her. Their situation was temporary, and he couldn’t lose anymore of himself to Jude than he already had.
* * *
The energy shiftedwith the closing door, and Jude jumped to her feet to clean off the remnants of their game. “This was nice. I like Mia. She seems really good for Chet.”
“Yeah,” Wade said, scratching the back of his neck. “Listen, do you mind if I grab a shower? It’s been a long day and I didn’t get a chance to take one earlier.”
The uneasiness in his tone had her focusing way too hard on the pretzels she shoveled back into the bag. Throwing them away seemed liked a waste, even though there was no way she’d eat any of them after they’d been touched by so many people. “Go for it. I’ll clean up.”
She busied herself righting the small kitchen until she heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on. A well of frustration bubbled inside her. She dropped into a hard chair and folded over the table, using her crossed arms to cover the top of her head. She was thirty years old, and her life was a mess.
Even before the nightmare she currently was fighting to survive, things hadn’t been easy. Yes, she loved being a photographer. But other than her camera and her passion, she had nothing. She was no more than a drifter, a tumbleweed rolling from town to town with no connections, no plan, no real life.
No matter what, she couldn’t go back to such a meaningless existence. Back to a life without friends and laughter and impromptu poker games.
A life without Wade.
The thought straightened her spine and made her heart seize. She and Wade had bounced between falling into an old rhythm, battling through nerve-fraying awkwardness, and her spilling long-held family secrets. She’d never felt closer to him, yet at the same time farther away. Their relationship—their past—was too messy. Riddled with too much pain to even think there was a chance at a future with him.
But the idea of losing Wade again squeezed her chest so tightly she could barely breath.
The creaking of the shifting house reached her ears, and she stilled, paying attention to the noise she swore was at the back of the duplex. A swift flash of jealousy struck her like a bolt of lightning. Probably Chet and Mia sneaking onto the back deck with a warm blanket to snuggle in and a bottle of wine. Longing reverberated inside her. She used to have someone to steal kisses with and cuddle under the stars.
And that man was naked and standing under a warm spray of water twenty feet away.
Heat flamed her cheeks. She should go to bed. The last thing she needed was to be sitting here all hot and bothered with a headful of nostalgia when Wade waltzed out of the bathroom. Besides, she didn’t want to hear any other sounds that may or may not leak into the apartment from the doting couple.
Decision made, she stood and walked to the front door to double check the locks then shut off the light for the kitchen and living room. The sun had set, and shadows moved around her. More creaking, along with the distinct silence that told her Wade was out of the shower, set her nerves on edge.
As if sensing her anxiety, Macey stood from her spot beside the fireplace and let out a low growl.
“You’re fine, girl. Just a weird night. Let’s head to bed.” She took a step toward the hall, determined to be behind her closed bedroom door before Wade came out of the bathroom looking scrumptious.
A loud screech, like the sound of furniture dragging across the deck, raised the hairs on her arm. A dark shadow loomed across the living room floor, swallowing the small dog in the corner. Confusion rippled her forehead, and she turned toward the glass sliding door.
Moonlight outlined the frame of a man. Panic filled her as he pointed a gun at her chest.
Bang!
She screamed and dove for the floor. Glass shattered and Macey barked. Fear pounded a frantic beat inside her skull and she stayed on the ground, scrambling toward something to hide behind. She lunged for the couch, pulse racing.
Footsteps crunched on glass. A low laugh twisted her insides. “You really thought I wouldn’t find you? I mean, you made it more interesting than I expected. But your time’s up.”
A cry caught in her throat. She darted around the couch. Tears welled in her eyes. She didn’t want to die. Not like this. Being hunted down like a terrified animal.
The footsteps got closer. “No use running. Might as well make this easy on yourself. There’s no way out.”
A hard yank on her foot dragged her backward. She clawed at the ground, thrashing her body. “Help!” she yelled.
A hard twist on her ankle flipped her to her back. The man stood over her, gun pointed at her head. “No one can help you now.”
15
