Page 57 of Endurance

“Wait. You shouldn’t go out there. It isn’t safe in your condition. Please, Sloan. Stay in the house,” I begged and placed a hand on his arm. He glanced down at it with disgust, as if it were an annoying fly he wanted to swat away.

“Why do you even care? You’re wasting your time. You can’t stop history from repeating itself. I am who I am, baby. It’s in my blood!” he shouted and jabbed a finger into his chest.

History? His blood? Is he talking about his father’s drinking?

“What are you talking about?”

“Jesus Christ! I told you I don’t want you here! Don’t you have someone else who needs fixing?” Ignoring me, he continued another few steps toward the door. I knew he was only acting like an asshole to get me to leave. It stung but little did he know, I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Sloan, stop this right now. You’re not your father!” The words were out before I could think. Sloan’s steps faltered, and he turned his head to glare at me through narrowed eyes.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing,” I responded hurriedly, not wanting to say anything else to upset him. “Just forget it. Let’s go downstairs. I can make some coffee and—”

I stopped short, my breath catching in my throat as my fears came to fruition. When he reached the balcony door, his foot caught on the threshold and caused him to stumble. Before I could think to react, he grabbed hold of the doorframe to stop himself from falling. In the process, he dropped the bottle of Jack Daniels. The glass bottle hit the tiled floor of the balcony and shattered into hundreds of tiny glass pieces. The brown liquid slithered like a toxic snake to disappear over the edge.

“Fuck!” he hissed.

Throwing his arms up in a rage, his forearm hit my face, and I stumbled back a step. It smarted only a little, and I knew it was an accident, but that didn’t change the fact that I wanted to cry. The shock was the only thing preventing my tears from falling. I couldn’t believe I was seeing him like this. The person standing before me wasn’t the man who was kind and patient with orphan boys, the man who slowed danced with me on the beach, or the man who called me Rainbow Brite and whispered sweet flirtations into my ear.

No. This was a man who had his whole life ripped away from him in one tragic moment, and he was spiraling out of control as a result—and breaking my heart in the process. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him, yet I knew I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t abandon him at a time when he needed me the most—and not as his lover, but as his agent.

Tucking my emotions away, I donned my professional hat.

“Enough. You’re a complete train wreck, and I know you to be better than this. Time to sleep this off. No more talking until you’ve sobered up.”

He glowered at me, looking as if he wanted to argue, but couldn’t muster up the energy. When I took his arm, he didn’t push me away this time but allowed me to lead him to the bed. Once he seemed settled comfortably, I pulled the blankets up to cover him.

“I don’t know why you want to be with someone like me. I’m sorry, Kallie,” he mumbled quietly. I didn’t respond, too afraid my voice would crack if I did. I wasn’t mad at him—although I knew I should be. I just couldn’t be angry when my heart hurt after seeing this powerful and captivating man be made small by things he had no control over.

I waited until his breathing was even, signaling he was asleep, then exhaled a sigh of relief. Moving to the chair in the corner, I sat down quietly and allowed myself a moment to relax for the first time since before getting the flat tire yesterday. It was strange to think I’d been stranded on a road to nowhere mere hours ago. It felt like it had happened weeks ago.

Remembering that I was supposed to update Colton, I took my phone from my purse and shot off a quick text to him.

Today

1:37 PM, Me:Hey, Colton. I just wanted to let you know I’m with Sloan. He’s okay. He indulged in too much whiskey and is currently sleeping it off.

His response came almost immediately.

1:40 PM, Colton:Dumbass.Thanks for letting me know. I’ll call him later. If you need anything, you know where to find me.

1:41 PM, Me:I appreciate it.

After dropping my phone back inside my purse, I set it on the ground near my feet. My gaze shifted up to wander over Sloan’s glorious body. His face, typically so intensely alert, was peaceful and relaxed while he slept. He no longer looked like the cocky race car driver who could make me feel exposed and naked with just one look. Instead, he appeared young and innocent.

I stifled a yawn as exhaustion from a restless night of sleeping in the car began to set in. I leaned my head back, knowing a quick nap would be needed if I wanted a clear mind after Sloan woke. Closing my eyes, I tried not to think about the conversation I would need to have with him and surrendered myself to sleep.

* * *

A rustling soundawakened me from my slumber. The unfamiliar surroundings disoriented me at first. It took me a solid fifteen seconds to realize where I was. I glanced out the balcony doors at the setting sun. I’d slept the entire afternoon and most of the evening.

Crap!

I hadn’t planned on being here that long. I cast my eyes to Sloan. He was still asleep but stirring. The sound of his movement must have been what prompted me to wake. Reaching down into my purse, I retrieved my cell phone to check the time. When I looked at the screen, I saw there were three missed text messages from Gabby.

Today

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