Page 83 of Forget Me Not

“Be together. Just you and me. Anywhere but there.” He reaches over and places his hand on my lap, wearing a gorgeous smile on his face.

I bat my eyelashes, trying to cover up the fact that I'm falling for all the little things that make him, him. His smile, his urgency to keep me safe, the way he makes me forget all my worries. No matter how hard I try to fight it, I gravitate toward him. His words are kind yet demanding, and his actions are both selfish and self-sacrificing. Alaric has become a complete enigma to me.

I’m not sure why my stubbornness is so strong. He is growing on me fast, but for some reason, I don’t want him to know it. He’ll assume everything he’s been doing is okay, and it definitely isn’t. He’ll think that his tactics are luring me in, but they’re not. It’s not what he does that has me so captivated by him, it’swhohe is.

No one has ever made me feel so many different emotions at once. No one has ever looked at me the way this man does. And I’m positive I’ve never looked at anyone the way I look at him, either. Totally and completely entranced.

“Okay,” I tell him.

His eyes shoot to mine, wide and surprised. “Really?”

“Sure.” I shrug my shoulders. “Why not?”

He gives my leg a tight squeeze, showing me how pleased he is with my response. I look down on it, contemplating my reaction, then finally, I lay my hand over his. I can feel the electricity between us. This warm tingle in my palm.

When I look over at Alaric, and see him stealing a glance at me, I know he feels it too. I have no idea what it means, and I’m terrified to find out because it’s definitely nothing I’ve ever felt before in my life.

ChapterTwenty-Six

ALARIC

Rhea's fingersintertwine with mine, melding together as if they'd been designed for no other purpose than to fit in this moment. It’s the touch I’ve been waiting to feel for a very long time. It’s not forced or demanded. I didn't steal it or beg for it. Out of her own free will, she chose to hold my hand. Even though she’s staring out the side window as if she could care less.

She’s coming around, as I knew she would. The walls she's put up around her heart are crumbling more and more each day. I can feel the distance between us shorten as she gets closer and closer to me.

We're almost there, Wildcat.

The threat out there is still strong, and I don't foresee it going away anytime soon. But I've got some men searching for Ian and they're fully prepared to take him out once they’re close enough. It’s not an easy feat capturing a man of his power, but I have faith the job will get done.

Until then, my focus is my girl. Keeping her safe while deepening the bond between us.

I'm actually glad we're making an appearance at this party. Heather will be there and this gives me the opportunity to watch her actions while attempting to pick up on anything she does out of the ordinary. I still don't trust that girl. The timing of her arrival in Lockhaven, a small town no one gives a damn about, is just a little too convenient.

Trailing behind Tyler down a narrow dirt road, I press on my brakes when his brake lights come on. He pulls off slowly to the side, parking behind a row of cars, so I do the same.

“Guess this is it?” I say to Rhea, reluctantly taking my hand from hers so I can hold the steering wheel with two hands.

“Yep. It’s nothing special. Just a party in the woods. I guess this is what people in Lockhaven like to do for fun.” She unbuckles her seat belt and looks over at me.

“It’s not just Lockhaven. Parties like this are common in small towns. Seems like yesterday I was spending my weekends on top of a keg in the middle of nowhere after football games on Friday nights. Granted, I didn't grow up in a place as desolate as Lockhaven, but it wasn’t the city either.”

I watch as Rhea’s features tense. She wraps her fingers around the door handle, but hesitates topush it open. “I wouldn’t know about any of that. I didn’t have a normal upbringing, and didn't visit many small towns.”

Fuck.I inwardly curse myself for being such an insensitive prick. I know Rhea didn’t have the luxury of a traditional childhood. My life is a stark contrast to the struggles she’s faced throughout hers.

“I’m sorry,” I say to her, my words laced with an emotion that burns my throat.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” She shrugs, pretending it doesn’t matter to her. She tries to be so strong all the time when all I want is to shoulder the weight for her. Eventually, maybe I can earn that from her too.

I can't help but feel like I’m partially to blame.I knew Rhea’s mom took her away and I should have helped Grayson find her sooner. He didn't care to find her, though. Never once mentioned her until she was of age and he was ready to pay his debt.

If I'd known a monster lurked beneath Grayson's facade, I may have reacted sooner. Looking back, I realize he enjoyed the suffering of innocent people. In his mind, Rhea's mom was getting exactly what she deserved, living a life of turmoil on the run, and Rhea was just collateral damage.

It breaks my heart to think about all she endured. One day, I want her to tell me all about it so I can seek revenge on every living soul that has hurt her. Killing the mayor of that town, the one that raped her and knocked her up, was just the beginning for me. But I saw the way she looked that night. She’d been through hell already; I was just arriving to the train wreck that was her life.

“You know,” I begin, but before I can finish my sentence, Rhea pushes open her door.

She leans down and says, “Don’t think too much into it, Alaric. I’m fine. The past is in the past.” She closes the door and I slap my hands to the steering wheel, hating that I’ve trudged up painful memories for her. She might not have said anything, but I know she’s thinking about all she’s missed out on.

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