Page 35 of The Boy I Loved
Peeling back the wrapper, I bit off the tip of the snack. The chalky consistency drifted along my tongue, causing me to scrunch my nose up in disgust.
Once finished, I made myself a glass of water and propped my hip against the counter. The house was eerily silent at night, nothing but the sound of the air conditioning flowing through the vents. My mind was on a constant loop, always whirling, always conjuring thoughts of him.
When would enough be enough? When would I have that moment of clarity, letting me know that it was time to stop?
I thought back to my childhood, how Dominic was always there—always my anchor. Back then, things seemed so easy, like nothing in the world could squander the connection we shared. We were inseparable, sewn together so tightly, nothing could have torn us apart.
Until now.
Now, I didn’t understand it. Maybe it would be easier if he was honest with me, if he just … came out and said it—that he’d grown tired of me. It was easier to know the reasoning behind his actions and hate it, than to constantly wonder.
A shaky breath broke free of my lungs. I quickly downed the rest of my water and returned the glass to the sink.
My hands pushed through my reddish-brown hair, sweeping it behind my shoulders at the same time my gaze drifted toward the living room where the front door resided. A walkdidsound nice—anything to clear my head.
With that thought in mind, I exited the kitchen and crossed the living room. Shadows danced across the walls as I passed them, creating an ominous silhouette of my form, shrouded in the darkness. Once I reached the door, I slipped my shoes on and reached out, fiddling with the lock on the knob before stepping outside.
The porch light was on, shining down on the cement that supported my weight. Even after all these years, the house stood strong. A slight breeze ran over my skin, eliciting a series of goosebumps in its wake. Maybe I should have brought a light jacket with me, but I didn’t intend to be out for long.
Making my way down the steps, I crossed the yard, stepping out onto the empty street. Streetlamps flickered in the distance, silence stretching around me like a thick cocoon. It had been a while since I ventured out alone in the dark, but somehow, it felt different—darker almost.
A few porch lights bled out onto the front lawn of some of the houses lining the street. Some of them flickered, just like the streetlamps did, while others remained off, nothing but darkness spilling from the buildings.
It was easy to get lost in my thoughts, but maybe that was what I needed. Maybe, if I allowed myself to think—tofeel—then I could move on. My stomach twisted with unease. The thought of moving on, the thought of forgetting him … It didn’t sit right with me, not after everything.
I blew out a ragged breath, the road before me stretching for miles, it seemed. My steps were slow and heavy, my mind a whirling mess of thoughts.
After several minutes, I made it to the end of the street and turned right. There were no houses over here, only trees—the same trees I’d traveled through on more than one occasion to the treehouse.
My steps faltered as I stepped out of the light and into complete and utter darkness. I’d taken this route a hundred times before, even in the dead of the night. So, why did it feel so …sinister?
I absently rubbed my arms, continuing my descent down the blackened street.
Maybe I should have brought my phone with me. All I knew was that I needed to get out of that house—to clear my head—and running back upstairs for my phone would have been annoying.
Headlights appeared over the hill, sending a small burst of relief through my veins. But that relief was short-lived when the vehicle slowed, creeping toward me at a snail’s pace.
My heart lunged into my throat, kicking my nerves intooverdrive. I knew I was being paranoid, but that knowledge did little to relieve the uncertainty and fear coursing through my body.
It’s only a car.
It’s Greenbriar. Nothing bad ever happens here.
I’ve taken this route over a hundred times.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and forced my legs forward, despite the tremble in my veins. Maybe they slowed down because they didn’t want to accidentally run me over.
The lights from the vehicle were a stark contrast against the shadows surrounding me—almost like they didn’t belong. It wasn’t abnormal for someone in this town to take a late-night drive. It was simply my paranoia. Dom’s words echoed through my skull; the ones he’d told me at the party. He was paranoid then, too. Maybe I was just letting him get to me, and it meant nothing, or?—
Somehow, while I’d been lost in my thoughts, the car had crept forward even more, much more. The vehicle slowed to a stop, but all I could see were blacked-out windows on an SUV. I glanced over my shoulder briefly, eyeing the tree line a few feet away. I knew these woods like the back of my hand, if I had to make a run for it, I would. That thought brought me a small sliver of relief, and I grasped onto it.
The window rolled down, my heart palpitating as my eyes locked with a pair of light blue ones.
“Need a ride?” Mason asked, his lips kicking up into a perfect smirk.
CHAPTER TEN
DOMINIC
