Page 31 of Belle

“You’re in bed. I found you outside in the back yard. What happened? Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. I woke up and heard something outside, so I went out, trying to see what it was. Someone grabbed me. They told me they’ve been watching me. They told me they know everything. Then I wake up and I’m here with you.” I’m shaking.

Maddox climbs into bed and wraps his arms around me. I want to tell him to get off. I want him to tell him to leave me the fuck alone. But it kind of feels good.

“We gotta figure out who that was,” he says out loud. I don’t know if he’s talking to me or himself.

I don’t say anything. I just allow myself to feel a little bit of comfort from him.

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” he asks.

“Fuck no. I’m fine. I’ll just take a pain pill or something.” I rub the back of my head.

“You were bleeding. I cleaned you up.”

“I’m gonna take a shower.” I hop out of bed before he makes this anymore uncomfortable than it already is.

“You can just say thanks, you know?” He smirks. I turn around to face him. He looks so fucking sexy laying in my bed right now.

“That’s not my style.” I shrug and walk into the bathroom.

I lean up against the door and take a deep breath. I can’t let him cloud my thoughts. When you get attached to people, that’s when you give them the opportunity to fuck up your life.

When I get out of the shower, I find Maddox still laying in my bed. “By all means, make yourself at home,” I say sarcastically.

“Speaking of that. After what happened last night, I think we need to stay together.”

“Fuck that,” I say immediately. “I just left a house with a roommate. I have no intention of doing that again.”

“You just told me you’d move to California with me,” he points out.

“Exactly. So, until then, I want to be alone.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Belle. You could have died last night.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re dramatic.”

“I’ll leave you alone during the day if you want me to, but we should stay together at night.”

“You just want to fuck me.”

He shrugs. “That’s just a bonus. I also want to keep you alive.”

“You didn’t last week,” I point out.

“Fuck off. That’s completely different.”

I laugh and walk into the kitchen. It would be nice to get to fuck him every night. “I get to pick where we stay,” I call from the kitchen.

“I had no doubts that you would,” he grumbles.

“So, when do you wanna pay a visit to Destiny?” he asks, walking into the kitchen, pulling his shirt over his head.

“We need to have a plan first. But since someone is on to me, we need to do it fast.”

He nods in agreement. “You’re right. We also need to try and figure out who that was last night.”

“The voice was familiar,” I tell him, pulling a box of cereal from the cabinet.

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