Page 53 of Twisted Redemption

I hold Soph until Blaze steps through the front door. His hair is messy, like he hasn’t been able to stop running his hands through it. He looks absolutely exhausted.

Him and Dominic have a short conversation that I can’t hear. And then Blaze is pulling me back outside and to his car.

“I want to see Alex,” I say as he opens my door and pushes me inside.

“You can’t.”

I glare up at him as he slams my door, stalks around the car, and gets in. Earlier, when he held me back, it took everything in me not to turn and cry into his chest. Not that he would’ve let me.

I sigh as he backs out of the driveway and takes off down the street. My heart always seems to miss Blaze more whenever I’m upset.

Maybe a distraction will help.

“Charlie seems excited about the wedding.” I fiddle with my dress.

“There isn’t going to be a wedding,” Blaze says flatly.

My heart skips a beat. “What?”

“We’re eloping.” He cuts me an icy glare. “Keep that to yourself.”

“Eloping. When?”

He doesn’t answer. On top of looking exhausted, he looks... contemplative. And pissed. A lot has happened this afternoon, so it’s understandable.

Still, when we pull into my driveway, I can’t shove away the concern I have for him. He honestly looks ready to collapse.

Inside, Angel immediately runs to us, and I pick her up, stroking her soft fur.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” I know I shouldn’t ask. I know he’s going to snap at me for this. But the way his shoulders are sagging reminds me of how he used to crash after not sleeping for days when we were teenagers.

“You lost the right to care a year ago,” he says, typing away on his phone.

I flinch. Maybe he’s right, but he’s the one who refuses to fix things. Instead, he’s opted for this whiplash-inducing, hate-love cycle.

Angel squirms in my arms, and I set her down. And then I head upstairs without a word.

Be a dick all you want. Doesn’t mean I have to stick around for it.

AFTER A QUICK SHOWER, I head back downstairs to tell Blaze that I’m going on a walk whether he wants to come with me or not. But I find him passed out on the couch, still in all his clothes.

For a moment, I just watch him. When he’s like this, I don’t have to worry about getting glared at or taunted. Nor can I deny the relief spreading through me at the sight of him finally getting some rest.

I grab a blanket and spread it over him. Then, with a light kiss on his forehead, I type the code into the security system and head out.

The neighborhood I live in is nice. The houses are spaced out perfectly, leaving enough room for privacy. On top of that, I’ve always felt perfectly safe here.

As I make my way down my street, I put my earbuds in before video calling Liling and Imani. I already texted them that I need to vent, so they pick up quickly.

“Hey, girlie,” Liling says. “What’s up?”

“My brother just got arrested. On top of that, Blaze is being a complete asshole. And David won’t stop texting me. I just got a message from him saying that he misses my hugs. It’s fucking weird.”

Imani frowns, tugging a few of her box braids with her fingers. “That’s creepy, honestly. And what do you mean Alex got arrested?”

I sigh. “We were at my mom’s birthday party, and these three cops showed up and arrested him for my dad’s murder. They think Alex killed Francis.”

“I thought it was a boating accident,” Liling says.

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