Page 28 of Twisted Lies
Thirteen
Days had passed then weeks, Mikah had not once seen hide nor hair of her mate. Though she often felt like he was close by, keeping an eye on her. His behavior should have creeped her out, but it didn’t. There had been nothing threatening about his actions. They provided safety—comfort. He’d left little gifts for her to find every day. The first day that she had actually managed to pull herself out of her depression and returned to work, she’d found a single red rose and a box of chocolates waiting outside of her door with a note that read: “I’m giving you the time you need, but still thinking about you. xoxoxo -J.”
Every day after that he’d left her something to find at work.
Yesterday, he had left her gift with Cam. A golden key with a note: “You hold the key to my heart! -J”
Her personal favorite, a sparkly tiara and a note that read: “No matter what, you will always be my queen. -J”
Each note, each gift had chipped away at her defenses. Could he finally be the one to see past her lies to the real woman inside of her who was begging for love and affection? The woman who wanted so badly but feared rejection, feared all things love and relationships?
Just once she wanted to be brave and show the world the person who hid under the lies and false truths.
Deep down, she had hoped—had prayed Jason would finally be the one. He was her mate after all. That had to account for something? Right?
She missed seeing his sexy smiling face, even though he’d invaded her dreams every time she closed her eyes. Mikah wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or bad thing that she hadn’t plucked him from her dream into reality again. Part of her wished like hell she would have. The other part of her found happiness in the fact that she didn’t have to face him after such smutty—wicked dreams.
Mikah skipped through the door of the diner—yes actually fucking skipped. A smile plastered to her face, excitement poured through her at the possibilities of what Jason would leave her today.
“Don’t you look happy today? Someone get lucky last night?” Cam teased.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Not a lie, not quite an answer either. She looked at Cam expectantly, not so patiently awaiting whatever goodie Jason had left for her today.
“Sorry, Romeo hasn’t been in with your daily bribe,” Cam said.
The smile fell from her face. “Oh. I see. It’s not like I was expecting anything anyway.”
“Lie.”
“It’s weird though.” Cam refilled her water.
“What’s that?” Mikah tried to keep the hurt out of her voice.
“Jason’s been in here every day for breakfast since his first morning in town. He’s never missed a day. He always comes in at the same time every damn day—like clockwork.”
Carter flew through the door as Cam finished her sentence. “Have either of you seen Jason?”
Mikah noted the concern in his voice. Her heart sped. “No. Why?”
“I know you’re responsible for this! I tried to warn him that he could do so much better than with a girl who had no interest in him. Who lied through her damn teeth—each time she opened her mouth,” Carter sneered at Mikah.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. Andthatis the absolute truth.”
“Why don’t you calm down and tell us what happened?” Cam wedged her pregnant body between the two.
“When I got back to the hotel room this morning there was blood everywhere. So much blood.”
Mikah gasped, her heart sank. “Oh God!”
“You really don’t know anything about this?” Carter asked.
“No! Why would I?” Hurt filled her mind, her body. How could anyone think that she would want something bad to happen to Jason? He’d crept into her heart when she had least expected it.
“The way you acted—I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with him,” Carter explained why he thought what he had.
“At first, I didn’t. Now—I”
“We can figure out all of this later. Right now, we need to find out what happened to Jason,” Cam said, saving Mikah from having to spill her guts in front of a complete stranger.
