Page 120 of Betrayed

“It’s not really mine. I rent it,” he said, “but thanks.”

That made more sense. I couldn’t imagine him spending a lot of time tending flowers. Cutting down trees, sure, but not pruning roses.

The inside was even cuter than the outside, with pale yellow striped wallpaper and dark wood built-in bookshelves. He’d adjusted the center shelves to hold his TV and gaming console.

“I’ll give you the penny tour.” He chuckled and put our bags down. “The two bedrooms are off to the right, but one is being turned into an office. The only bath is just around the corner. This is the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen is there.” He pointed to corners in the open space. “Not that you can’t see most of it from here.” He grinned, making his dimples pop.

“Only one bed?” I asked, my voice hitching up an octave.Really? That’s what I want to worry about?

“Yeah, but I’ll sleep on the couch.”

The couch in question was soft, black leather, with a recliner at one end. It looked comfortable, but wasn’t big enough for AJ’s long body.

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure if I was more relieved, or less. We’d shared a bed last night, and it was the best sleep I’d had in a long time.

“Let’s get you settled.”

His apartment was cleaner than I’d imagined for a bachelor pad. The space was cluttered, like he didn’t have time, or the space, to put everything away, but it wasn’t dirty. An American flag decorated one wall, but there wasn’t much else.

“Sorry, it’s a bit messy. I don’t usually have people over.”

“It’s okay,” I said, my cheeks heating from embarrassment. Who was I to judge? The dorm room I shared with Paige always looked like a hurricane had blown through.

AJ carried my bags to his bedroom and set them down. “I’ll get clean sheets and make the bed.”

“Thanks.” His room had closets along one wall, a kingsize bed, and one bedside table.He sleeps on the right side of the bed.Was it weird for him to be on the left side when he slept with me at the safe house?

While he went to get sheets, I pulled out my phone and looked through my messages. I skipped the ones from Priscilla, knowing they contained nothing but anger and hatred.

I also ignored the messages from curious acquaintances.They can wait.

Paige had sent non-stop messages asking if I was okay. Her messages grew more desperate the longer I didn’t answer. At some point, she’d reached out to my father.

He must have lied, because her tone changed from worried to hurt.

Does she know the truth yet? I was sure it had to be all over the news by now.I’ll call tomorrow and apologize.

Danny sent a bunch of texts too, but unlike Paige, he wasn’t concerned when I didn’t reply. He took it as a personal insult that I was ‘ignoring’ him.

“Blake?” AJ said, rushing to my side, one hand going around my back and the other wiping away the tears I hadn’t felt. “Want to talk about it?”

Putting my phone down, I shook my head back and forth. Needing comfort, I curled into him and gave up the fight. Fear, anger, and sadness flooded my system—each taking its turn at the top of the list. All making me sob uncontrollably.

AJ soothed me with soft sounds and gentle touches until I finally stopped crying. His kiss on the top of my head was a gentle reminder of how much he loved me.

“I shouldn’t have read my texts,” I admitted. “You remember Danny?”

“I do,” he sounded like he wanted to say more, but didn’t.

“He’s mad at me for not answering his texts and emails after the situation.”

“Mad? Not worried?” His voice was borderline growling.

I nodded.

“He’s a selfish ass, Blake,” he said. “Don’t let him get to you.”

“It’s not just him.” I sniffled. “It’s, it’s everything.” Another sob broke free. I wiped away my tears as we sat in silence.

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