Page 47 of Wild Card

“If I see the lightning up here, it’ll take me back to that night. I haven’t slept in this room since we found out he wasn’t coming home. I slept on the front porch for a few nights…after…before making myself a bed in the shed. Nothing since then.”

His lips brushed against my ear, and my heart nearly burst. Tears clogged my eyes, but I tamped down the urge to let them fall. He didn’t need weakness right now; he needed strength, needed someone to help him through the storm.

“Just keep them closed, Decker…hold on to me and fall asleep. I’m not going anywhere.”

Silence stretched as the thunder rumbled, and my eyes fluttered shut. I was sure he was asleep, until I felt his grip on me tighten and heard him mumble near my ear, “Promise me.”

I realized as the sounds outside echoed around us that there was a fatal flaw in this night. I couldn’t let Taylor have him. I couldn’t let anyone have him, because whether he knew it or not, he was mine and I was going to be his. Even if it broke me to let him in, even if it ruined me. There wasn’t much left of my heart, but whatever there was I’d shove into his massive palm. Then I’d just let him decide what to do with it. Maybe he’d realize that our tattered pieces matched. He needed someone who matched him, and she didn’t. She never would, not with her silicone heart.

Blinking away a tear, I shuddered in response.

“I promise.”

Chapter Eighteen

My phone buzzedwith another incoming text, forcing an odd twinge to creep up my neck. I already knew who it was, already knew what it probably said, and just like the other fifteen or so times, I was going to ignore it.

“Duggar! Glad you came. Where were you all weekend?”

All weekend? I had only been gone for a period of twenty-four hours, but fuck if I was about to say that to my manager.

“Just headed home to help my mom out.” I set my backpack down on the office table and sorted through it to find my apron.

“Well, we’ve been busy. There was a girl in here looking for you yesterday, said her name was…” My manager snapped his finger. “Something with a T. Blonde, real pretty.”

Taylor? Why would she come looking for me? Unless maybe it had to do with Mallory. Maybe she hadn’t texted her stepsister telling her where she was for the night. The alternative reason she might be visiting my place of work wasn’t something I could stomach yet. I knew I needed to; the entire goal was to ruin Elias, and in order to do that…I needed to sleep with and potentially date Taylor.

“Thanks Geno, I’ll figure it out.” I smiled at the old guy and headed toward the back. I knew a few boxes had arrived with fresh inventory, so I decided I’d start there before the rush started up. Sundays weren’t usually too crazy since most of the college kids were at least attempting to get to bed early for a decent night’s sleep before Monday’s classes.

A few brown boxes were waiting for me against the back wall, just like I knew they would be. I found the box cutter and started opening each one then my phone went off again.

“Fucking hell.” I sighed before giving up and grabbing the device. “What do you want, and why do you keep calling?”

“Geez, I texted first, but you weren’t answering those,” my little brother replied defensively.

I snapped my jaw shut, trying to steer clear of the vindictive comments that swirled in my head.

“Anyway…what the fuck gives, D?” he asked incredulously.

I pictured my little brother with his hair askew, his favorite Raiders shirt wrinkled because the fucking washer had broken, something I’d realized the day before when I was there.

I closed my eyes, completely unprepared for this conversation, and that alone spoke volumes. Kyle and I never talked about girls.

“You slept in your room with her then took off without even saying goodbye!”

I rubbed the stress out of my forehead while I thought of what to say.

“I’m sorry. She had to get back, and I didn’t want to wake you,” I lied.

I was such a fucking coward. Mallory had wanted nothing more than to head downstairs and make pancakes, talk to Kyle, see if my mom had made it home yet. But I couldn’t. Things were already twisted enough as it was, waking up to her against my chest, my eyes darting to the ceiling of my bedroom, looking for relief.

The very fact that I actually slept in my childhood bedroom and woke to inhaling her scent with a fucking smile plastered on my face was reason enough to get some distance. The last thing I needed was to let Mallory charm my family and create an emotional shitstorm.

“I liked Mallory. It’s shitty that you guys just left. I want to see her again,” Kyle demanded in between yawns.

“Yeah, but I told you about this already—”

“You’re still trying to go after the sister?” he shrieked, like he couldn’t believe I’d even consider something so crazy.

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