Page 157 of Without a Trace
And still—still—I wanted her.
Even if she never looked at me the same way again.
Even if the bond burned like a fuse I couldn’t stop.
Even if Alden had her now.
The laughter died down. Forks scraped against empty plates, drinks more than half gone. The moon had crept higher above the bay, casting silver ripples across the water.
Scarlett stood, her chair sliding back with a screech that cut through the tables lull. She didn’t need theatrics—her silence did enough damage.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said lightly, too lightly. “But I’m done playing twenty questions.”
“Where are you going?” Rhett asked, blinking blearily at her.
“Anywhere but here.”
She didn’t wait for a response.
I was up before I realized I’d moved.
Zeke caught my eye, but he didn’t stop me. No one did.
I followed her across the stone path. She didn’t turn around. Didn’t slow. Just kept walking toward her villa like the night could swallow her whole if she let it.
Behind me, I heard Brielle’s voice float through the stillness.
“I kinda like her,” she said, dry and amused. “You boys are screwed.”
She wasn’t wrong.
But she didn’t know the half of it.
Scarlett
Ididn’t wait for the door to close behind me. I just walked—past the gauzy curtains, past the clothes I’d stripped out of hours ago, past the ache in my head I couldn’t shake.
I turned the faucet until the tub roared to life.
Steam climbed the mirror, blurred the edges of my reflection. I didn’t care.
My skin felt too tight. Too full. I dropped the dress and stepped in any way. The water scorched at first—sharp enough to make me gasp—but I welcomed the sting.
My knees curled to my chest, arms locked around them, the water swaying with every shallow inhale. The bracelet still pulsed faintly on my wrist, a quiet throb under the surface.
“So that’s it,” I muttered. “I’m bonded. Ancient, forbidden bullshit, sealed like a curse and handed no instruction manual.”
No response.
I dragged a wet hand through my hair, tilting my head back to rest on the tub’s edge. My voice came quieter. “They didn’t even tell me who I am.”
I heard him shift behind me. The soft sound of him sinking to the floor.
“You know who you are,” Trace said.
“No,” I answered. “I know what I’ve been told. Which is apparently... nothing. Except that I’m dangerous. Except that I wasn’t supposed to exist.”
A beat passed. “You always existed.”
