Page 99 of Unsure in Love

The need to get away from the sometimes-annoying intrusiveness of small-town folk was why I’d invested in the house a few years back.

“Yet another secret I’ve kept from my family,” I sighed.

No one knew about my little getaway cabin, which I was able to afford by selling my paintings… which my sisters also didn’t know about.

No one in my family knew I was more than a tattoo artist, except Damian. He knew my art extended beyond human canvases. He knew all my secrets… with the exception of this house.

The heavy sigh I blew out ruffled tendrils of hair that had escaped my messy ponytail. “I really need to stop keeping secrets,” I said out loud.

But it was so hard to escape the innate need of emotional self-preservation by keeping most of myself locked away from the world.

Was I really selfish as Lucy had accused? The memory made my eyes flood with tears, which I dashed away. Huffing, I got up from the overstuffed armchair I’d been lounging in for about two hours just staring out the window. I really needed to shake this shadow of self-pity.

Throwing on a jacket, I headed out the backdoor for some fresh air. I enjoyed my walks through the woods, but I never went very far. While the area was deemed safe, I was still cautious. Plus, my nearest neighbor was about ten minutes away so if I sprained an ankle, or worse, and couldn’t make it back home, I was doomed.

“And I left my freaking phone,” I grumbled. In my mad dash to get out of town, I left it in my apartment, so I couldn’t stay in my hidden sanctuary much longer. I imagined Damian would call to check up on me although things felt strained between us, lately. It was my fault. I’d asked him to give me time to sort things out with my sisters and he did. However, I’d taken so long going about everything and I hadn’t mentioned a word to him yet. He was probably pissed at me, but I knew he’d worry if he called and I didn’t answer.

Before I made it out of the backyard, I heard something like a vehicle come to a screeching halt. I whipped around a little confused and a lot annoyed. If it were teenagers looking for a secluded spot to make out again, I’d lose my shit. That happened way too often around here.

I marched toward the front yard. Two vehicles were parked in the driveway. One was a police cruiser, and I knew it had to be Nic. I didn’t recognize the other car but quickly discovered who drove it. Damian hurried up the cobblestone walkway, his agitation evident in each stride. Nic was right behind him.

How on Earth did they find this place?

“Damian,” I called.

He was about to knock on the door, but he stopped and turned around. When his gaze zeroed in on me, he ran down the porch’s steps. My heart did the flippy thing it always did at the sight of him.

As soon as he was close enough, I said, “Hey, what are you—?”

The rest of my question was swallowed when his lips met mine in a furious, hunger-driven kiss. I was a little stunned at first but quickly melted because I longed for his kiss. The way his mouth commanded mine was almost desperate, and I didn’t understand it.

“Cassandra, mi amor, are you alright?”

Dazed from our delicious, passion-fueled lip-lock, I struggled to speak so I just nodded. He broke out into rapid Spanish, which was impossible for me to follow considering I hadn’t been taking lessons long.

“Er… I don’t understand. Is something wrong?”

“Is something wrong?” he hissed, fury flitting across his face. “Jesus Christ, woman, you can’t do this to me. You can’t just disappear.”

Understanding finally dawned on me. “Oh, no. Damian, I’m sorry. I left my phone—”

“Yeah, we found her.”

I glanced at Nic approaching with his phone pressed to his ear.

“You can stop worrying, Lucy. Yes, she looks fine. Tell the others they can stop freaking out too.” He hung up to assess me. “Cass, I’ve been searching for you for almost two days. Are you okay?”

“What do you mean? I wasn’t missing.”

“Like hell, you weren’t. Your sisters have been out of their minds with worry. Lucy almost filed a missing person report.”

“Oh, my gosh,” I groaned.

Nic clapped Damian on the shoulder. “This one here completely lost it a few times. I swear I’ve never seen him panic.”

“Yeah, well, if it was Lucy who went missing, you would have wreaked havoc on all of Nebraska too, Nic,” Damian said.

Seeming to contemplate, Nic nodded. “Damn straight I would.” He came closer and cupped my face to peer at me. “Are you sure you’re alright, kiddo?”

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