Page 122 of Timber

Taking a deep breath, I force myself to focus on the words when a shadow falls over me.

I don’t look up. I know who it is.

My body always prickles with awareness whenever we’re in the same room. Too bad it’s never worked in reverse.

“Sunshine,” he whispers as he shifts on his feet.

I shake my head, not wanting to talk to him right now.

He sits down on the coffee table and reaches out for me, but I don’t move a muscle. I can feel Reaper’s body tensing against my back.

“You’re supposed to be at the house.”

Anger rises in me and I finally look up at him, letting him see the hurt, the pain, the anger I’m feeling. His face blanches as he flinches back.

“Why? So you can continue to flirt with your whores? Have they been keeping you company all this time when you made me stay at the house? Have you been with them since we got here?”

“No,” he replies angrily. “How can you even ask me that?”

I huff. “How? Let’s see. I’ve been here for two hours. Two hours and you only just noticed me, and that’s only because Dad made you. Instead, you’ve been flirting with those two whores since before I came here. When they touched you, you never brushed them off. Instead, you laughed and flirted back with them. They both knew I was in here and whenever they saw me watching, they’d touch you. Give you soft smiles while rubbing it in my face that you weren’t paying attention to me. Your Old Lady. Am I even that anymore?”

His face darkens and his hands clench.

“Do you know how much it hurts when the person you love the most doesn’t even want to touch you anymore? When you kiss me, it’s barely even a peck on the lips. You never hold me anymore. If I sit next to you and lean against you, you move away or get up completely. In bed, you lay as far away from me as possible and turn your back toward me.

“Before I was kidnapped and we were in the same room, you always found a way to touch me. Every kiss, even the chaste ones, held more love than what you’ve given to me the last few days. Instead of being by my side, I felt like I was locked away again since I wasn’t allowed to leave the house.

“Or is it that you don’t believe me about not being raped? Or do you not want me anymore because you see me as damaged? Scarred for life because of what that asshole did to me? If that’s the case, if you don’t want me as yours anymore, tell me now and I’ll leave you to your whores.”

He doesn’t answer me. He just stares at me, shock written all over his face.

My heart cracks further and I hastily grab my things, ignoring the pain of getting up too quickly and stalk toward the back door. Tears streak down my face, but I make no move to wipe them away.

Getting in the golf cart, I floor it toward the townhouse. I’ll pack the necessities, grab my stuff out of the safe, and leave.

Dad gave me a fake ID the other day in case I ever needed it along with a credit card. Told me this was so I could always have an escape route if need be since we don’t know the lengths Bruce, X, Preston and Phillip will go to get me.

I think it’s finally time for me to see the ocean and get as far away from Timber as I can. I’ll pay Dad back later—I’m sure he’ll understand. There’s no way I can stay here and continue to see Timber flirting or screwing those women. It would shred what little’s left of my heart.

What the fuck just happened?

Candi and Star had come up to me earlier and apologized about hitting on me before. Then I found out they were both taking online college courses and we got to talking about that which spiraled into other things. I’d never really justtalkedto them before, but they’re pretty cool and have a sense of humor. I had no idea that we’d been talking for over two hours, or that Sunshine had come to the clubhouse.

Shame rolls through me at not even noticing her come in. Normally, I’m aware of wherever she is and always gravitate toward her.

A punch to my jaw pulls me out of my thoughts and I barely catch myself before falling off the coffee table and onto the floor.

“You fucking bastard,” Punisher seethes as he towers over me.

Instantly, I’m on my feet, but Reaper pushes us apart.

“Enough. There’s been enough damage done today.” He turns to me, and I force myself not to flinch back from the dark look on his face. “Go to your woman and fix this before you lose her forever. I’ve known you for years and know you’d never cheat on a woman, especially someone you’d make your Old Lady. I’ll deal with the bunnies. They knew what they were doing and did it anyway.”

Not wasting another minute, I stalk toward the backdoor, ignoring everyone else, though I do notice enough to know that they’re all pissed at me. In the hallway, I pull up short, pissed as fuck that he’s blocking me.

At the end of the hallway, Smoke’s standing in front of the door, arms crossed.

“You don’t fix this; you will never see her again. Got me?”

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