Page 44 of Wicked Lies Grow Wildflowers
“I’m Trent.” He offers a warm smile and sits down on the floor across from me.
Staring at my phone and thinking of who to call I suddenly feel like a bucket of ice water has been poured over me. Because Xander said he wasn’t the one leaving me notes and flowers and whatever else. He swore he wasn’t lying, and he obviously isn’t the one who just broke in. He has to be telling the truth.
I have a sudden feeling that whoeveristhe one following me and leaving me tokens is the same person who broke in. I want to throw up. I’ve never felt more unsafe in my life.
My mind is made up instantly and I dial Xander’s number. He picks up on the second ring. “Hey, I have an emergency, and we need to talk. Can you come pick me up?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
XANDER
I’ve textedMaeren every fucking day. It’s only been four days but it might as well have been eternity. It feels like it’s been a lifetime since I’ve been able to simplylookat her, let alone soak up the sound of her voice, the smooth texture of her skin, the feel of her lush lips against mine, and the smell of her intoxicating aroma. She hasn’t even bothered to text me back. For all I know she fucking blocked me, cut me out of her life entirely. But I’m much harder to get rid of than that. I stare at my phone screen, rereading the same four unanswered messages over and over again.
Friday at 10:02 am: Can we talk?
Saturday at 9:06 am: I know you’re mad but we really should talk, you know.
Sunday at 2:15 pm: Maeren I don’t know what I did wrong, I told you the truth. Please just hear me out.
Monday at 11:34 am: I’m going fucking crazy without you. If you don’t answer me soon I’m going to sit outside of your door until you let me in. I’m only willing to give you so much space and my patience with this is wearing thin.
I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back and make her see reason. I’ll wait my whole life if I have to because that’s how much she means to me. I turn the new security camera over in my hands, getting acquainted with how it works. I plan on installing it tonight when the sun sets so that no one notices a man fucking around in the bushes. That would screamI’m crazy and probably a murdererand fuck that, even if it is true. The last thing I need is someone getting too nosey and fucking up my whole plan.
When darkness descends I park in front of Maeren’s place, having circled her apartment once to check if she was home or not. She’s not, and my mind wanders to where she could possibly be at eight pm, who she may be with. No—not going there. I heave out a breath and shake my head, dispelling any thoughts about infidelity. We may be in a fight right now, but she never officially ended us, so for all intents and purposes, we’re a couple. And she’s loyal, always so fucking loyal, which makes this whole ordeal even more painful for me.
I slowly approach the front stoop, sticking to the shadows the bushes grant me while trying to find a good spot to attach the camera. I flinch at any sound, not wanting a resident to walk out and spot me. Thankfully everything goes smoothly and less than ten minutes later I’ve got a live feed displaying on my phone. I spare a glance at her window and on a split decision I run inside and up the stairs to her front door, wanting to check for any flowers or notes. Nothing. Placing my palms on the door I drop my forehead against it, wishing I were walking overthe threshold right now instead of feeling like an unwelcome outcast.
Images of nights wrapped up in each other infiltrate all my thoughts and I start to shake, my emotions trying to rear their ugly heads. I tamp them down because I need rational thoughts right now. Instead I focus on the feel of her, how fucking euphoric it is to sink inside of her. I want to drown myself in the memories, and if I focus hard enough I can almost relive it all.
I hear a rattle from inside and drag myself from my daydreams—she must’ve come in through the back door. Ever so slowly I make my way down the stairs and quietly leave the building so I don’t tip her off to my presence. When I’m peeling away from the curb I see her bedroom light flicker on and wish like hell that I was up there with her, or that at the very least she’d look out her window, hoping I was out here waiting for her. The curtains never move.
My phone ringsonce and wakes me. I answer the second ring without checking to see the caller I.D. Maeren’s voice is on the other end and I sit up in bed, startled to be hearing from her at three am after several days of radio silence.
She sounds scared and panicked as she rambles off, ““Hey, I have an emergency, and we need to talk. Can you come pick me up?”
Every one of my senses goes on high alert, and I try not to let the excitement from finally hearing her voice overpower my concern for her. “Of course. What’s wrong? Are you at your place?” I have the phone tucked between my shoulder and ear asI slide on sweatpants and slip on shoes. I throw on a hoodie and grab my keys before running outside and to my car.
“I um–yeah my apartment. I’ll tell you everything when you get here.”
“Okay, I’m on my way. Are you safe?” I ask, slamming my car door shut and turning the engine over.
“I am now, yeah. I’ll see you when you get here.” She hangs up on me before I can get another word in and I drive fifteen over the speed limit across town, hoping to God I don’t get pulled over.
When I arrive to Maeren’s apartment building I park out front and sprint up the stairs to her place, pounding on the door with no answer. I hear her voice from down the stairs timidly call out “Xander?” She sounds so fucking broken. Turning and racing down to her, I find her standing inside a neighbor's apartment with the door cracked. When she sees me her lips wobble and tears start pouring down her face as she rushes out to me, throwing herself into my arms.
A man comes out behind her and my blood heats. Is he the reason she’s crying?
Before I can ask what’s going on the man speaks. “Everything okay, Maeren?”
Who the fuck is this guy and why is he on a first name basis withmygirl?
Maeren sucks in a snotty and ragged breath before answering. “Yeah, I’m good now, Trent. Thank you so much. Seriously, I can never repay you.”
The man—Trent, smiles and nods, “No worries at all, I’m just glad you’re safe. I’m here if you need me.” And with that he shuts the door as I glare daggers through the wood.
I pull away from Maeren’s shaking body just slightly. “Mind telling me what the fuck is going on now, Wildflower?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
