Page 65 of From the Wreckage
I watch him stride out the door, then collapse against the counter with a sigh. My phone sits on the table, taunting me. One text to Everett. One excuse to see him. That’s all it would take.
But I can’t. Not right now.
I need space. I need to think clearly without his touch clouding everything. Without his voice in my head, drowning out reason.
I need to stop feeling like I’m falling... Because I don’t know if he’ll catch me when everything goes up in flames.
The post officeis quiet when I pull into town. A few minutes later, I swing by Dad’s shop, the package in hand. He grins as he takes it, ruffles my hair like I’m still ten years old, then shoos me away, already deep in a project.
I head for The Pine & Page, craving coffee and distraction. The bell jingles as I step inside, the warm scent of espresso and old paper wrapping around me. I breathe it in, letting my shoulders drop.
I drift through the aisles, my fingers brushing the spines, trying to focus on anything but Everett. Romance, thrillers, history, it all blurs together. I curl my hand around a random book, flipping through pages I don’t actually read.
That’s when I feel a shift in the air. A familiar, heavy cologne slides around me before a voice rasps low in my ear. “Bri.”
My heart sinks. I don’t even have to look to know that it’s Joey behind me.
I keep moving, hoping he’ll take the hint, but of course, he doesn’t. His footsteps echo mine, his presence crowding me even though we’re not touching.
“We need to talk,” he says, his voice low and coaxing.
I whirl on him, my pulse hammering. “No, we don’t. It’s over, Joey. I told you that.”
His smile fades, his jaw tightens. “Because of him?”
I stiffen, saying nothing, because even denial feels like admitting too much.
Joey steps closer, cutting off my retreat, his voice sharpening. “You think I’m just gonna walk away? That you can throw us away like nothing?”
“There is nous,” I snap, trying to sound stronger than I feel. “There hasn’t been for a long time. Leave me alone.”
His eyes darken. “You’re mine, Brielle.”
And before I can move, his hands clamp down on my forearms, his body pinning me against the bookshelf. My breath stutters, panic surging as his grip tightens.
“You hear me?” he growls, his face inches from mine. “You’re mine. I’m not letting you go.”
Fear slams through me, colder than ice.
For the first time, I realize Joey isn’t just stubborn.
He’s unhinged.
CHAPTER 44
Everett
I drive downtown,my mind preoccupied with the thought of seeing Brielle again. Quite honestly, I’m surprised she wasn’t at my door as soon as her dad left for work.
I waited and waited, but she never showed. And my phone is still stubbornly silent. No calls or texts.
Unable to stand it any longer, I decided to go to town to get groceries. I’ll make her a meal. I can get steaks, potatoes, and her favorite veggies. Maybe a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine.
My eyes land on Grayson’s truck, parked in front of The Pine & Page.My heart beats faster, knowing it wouldn’t be him at the bookstore.
Slowing to a crawl, I spot a glimpse of Bri through the wide window.
My chest tightens. She doesn’t see me, but even so, I can’t just drive past. The urge to see her is too strong.
