Page 63 of Love in Pieces

?CHAPTER 24

Dallas

Iswear my heart stopsbeating. From where she stands, only her back is illuminated by the moon. She circles a tree, tracing the bark lightly with her fingertips, the same fingertips that traced my skin a couple of nights ago. I can still feel it, my skin humming from the thought. I swallow. Hard.

“Are you ... falling in love with me?” I ask, about to go over to her. But her phone lights up on the bench and I catch a glimpse of what’s on the screen.

Unknown: You can’t hide forever babe. I know more than you think.

“I...”

“We need to go,” I cut her off, even when I so badly want to know the answer. Standing abruptly, I stuff her phone in my pocket and grab our things. I offer a hand as I start heading back toward my bike. She blinks, but takes it quickly, slightly jogging to keep up.

“Why? What happened?” She pulls her helmet over her loose black hair in record time while I let the bike warm up. “I ... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ...” she trails off.

“I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to go home.” I jump on the bike and pull her phone out of my pocket.

Another message.

Unknown: I’ll see you around.

A picture is presented below the message. Abby’s bike. In front of my apartment.

I freeze, my blood going cold. And then hot, so furiously hot. He was there. Might still be there. I could pummel him right now.

If he’s there, I’ll do just that.

If he’s there, I cannot bring her back there.

But I have to. It’s the safest place for her, in the apartment. I can’t risk him showing up out here in the middle of nowhere. He figured out where she’s staying, so who knows what else he’s learned since being home? It’s only been a few days.

Abby flips her visor up, coming around to the front of the bike. She tips the bottom of my helmet up to see my face, my pained expression. “What is going on, Dallas?”

I grip the handlebars so hard I’m sure the whites of my knuckles glow under my gloves. But looking into her eyes forces me to think clearly, or as clearly as I can when I know Sam is looking for her. No,stalkingher.

“I need to get you home, and I need you to not ask any questions until we get through the front door, and it’s locked.” She looks worried, but I can tell she’s trying to understand. “Can you do that for me, please?”

She nods, the movement growing more rapid with each passing second.

I tip my head behind me to tell her to get on. She does as she’s told, and I speed home, slowing only when we pull into the parking lot. We rush inside, sliding the lock into place, my hand pausing on the cold metal.

Abby turns to face me, her helmet already dangling at her side. Her voice wobbles when she says, “Tell me what’s going on, Dallas.” Her face is flat as she surveys me.

I pull her phone from my pocket, the messages still showing in her notifications. “I didn’t want to scare you until we were somewhere safer.”

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