Page 69 of Axel

“You can’t run today.” I sigh into her waves. “You’ll come with me to a closing, then we’ll go out on my boat, and?—”

“I’m sorry. What?” She turns around and pulls away. “Did you just tell me Ican’trun?”

“Yeah. Idid. You had a seizure less than twelve hours ago.”

“Oh, hell no.” She throws the sheets off and quickly climbs out of my bed. “I know my body, not you. Don’t ever tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“You’re not running today.” I sit up. “End of story.”

She turns and starts looking behind the paintings on my wall. I collect art, and I’m confused.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for your know-it-all medical degree. It must be here, somewhere beside your dickhead Carolina law one.”

“I don’t need a medical degree to know it’s a bad idea. You should rest. You should let me take care of you.”

She whips around, her hair a fiery mane, matching the fury in her eyes. “Let’s get one thing straight. No, five. One, I may kneel for you. Two, and I’ll probably love it. Three, I’d be honored to be your queen. And four, I may want you to go all primal on me, too. But five, I willneverlet you trap me. That’s not caring; that’s controlling.”

“So it’s a good idea? You, running after your first seizure in years?”

“I’ve done it before.”

“Before isn’tnow,” I growl. “No more running without me because therewillbe a seizure. If not your epilepsy, it’ll be someone going after me who seizes you. Sorry, Wildfire. But you spied on my world, and now you’re trapped in it. You’ll do as I say. Remember?”

She steps back with a frantic look in her eyes. Like I’ve suddenly triggered her. “Ruby, what is it?”

She shakes her head, something fracturing in her eyes.

“What did I say?”

“I’m trapped…” she stammers.

“But—”

“But that’s whathedid.”

“Who?”

“My stepdad. He was a predator. After my dad left us, my mom was alone, and that man targeted my mother, a woman with daughters. While she was at work, he wouldn’t let us go outside, so we’d hide in our bedroom, afraid of him, while all I wanted to do was escape with my sisters and run away, but I couldn’t. I was trapped, and the stress triggered my seizures, so my sisters never left my side.

“We protected each other from him until one day…” Her chin trembles. “He got my baby sister. And my oldest sister, Scarlett, almost killed him, and I swore I’d always run. I’d never let a man trap me again and?—”

“Okay. Okay.” My heart races at the terror in her eyes. At her truth. I finally understand it. I kneel on the bed with my hands up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. My father trapped me, too. He’d maim me and lock me in my room. I understand and?—”

Tears escape with her whisper, “You understand me?”

“Yes, Ruby, I understand you. You can always run from me. I get it now. But I’ll always chase you because I care.”

“So, if I run this morning,” her pretty eyes blink, half-believing, “you’ll be there like Mafia in a marathon, but you won’tstopme?”

I won’t be her stepfather. I won’t be her trigger. Laughter: that’s her love language.

“Not gonna lie, woman. I’ll chase your fine ass into hell and back.”

She huffs a laugh. “Not gonna lie.” Her tears stop, her smile blooming. “I kinda like your chase.”

I kinda feel so goddamn in love.

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