Page 46 of Forsaken Devotion: Part 2
I furrowed my eyebrows. More meetings, more lawyers . . .
“I don’t want to deal with any of that anymore.” As soon as the words were out, it felt right. Too much went into filing an appeal. I shivered. “I only have a year of probation, so I’d rather just move forward and not reopen anything.”
Lucian frowned.
“Unless it bothers you that I have a record?” I didn’t know why that came out. I didn’t care what he thought anymore.
He scowled. “Not at all.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth and tried not to focus on the blush blooming across my face. Fuck, his vehemence warmed my stomach.
“I have something for you.” He reached over the side of the couch toward the little stand where a familiar white box lay.
“I ordered you another phone for you.” He cleared his throat, eyes skittering away. “If I had known sooner that you didn’t have one, you would have had one sooner.” He slid the phone over to me. It was an exact replica of the one I had shattered.
“Oh,” I breathed, palming the box, at a loss.
There were two options here, but I did need a way to contact people. I bit my lips.
Instead of trying to refuse it like before, I just replied, “Thanks.” There was no point refusing anything from Lucian.
I was learning to pick my battles.
He patted his lap.
“Lay with me?” The temptation was almost too much to resist. I eyed the strong, jean-covered thighs. I gave in yesterday, and it was pure bliss.
I couldn’t do that to myself again. I couldn’t be weak.
“I have a few things to do.” I cleared my throat and stood so quickly I made myself dizzy. With my new phone in hand, I rushed out of the living room and headed to the kitchen to keep myself busy.
17
Iclimbed the stairs, balancing the tray in my hands.
“Josephine!”
“I’m coming,” I shouted, unable to hide the attitude this time. The only reason I wasn’t hurrying more was that I didn’t want to drop the pancakes. Only when I reached the room did I exhale, glad that the orange juice hadn’t splashed over. Once at the bedside, I carefully lowered the tray on his lap.
“Are you angry with me?” Lucian frowned up at me.
“No.” I didn’t sound convincing even to myself.
If I thought he was needy before, now, it was different. I tried not to acknowledge it, but it was obvious why—I’d started to pull away.
After that night of passionately claiming each other, he’d become extra. Calling me over and over for his every whim. He’d tried to get me to sleep in the room with him, but I’d managed to stick to my guns. The result was me ending the day exhausted from how many times I’d run back and forth. I knew what he was doing; every time I relaxed, he called me. Like he had some sixth-Josephine sense.
I would relentlessly keep my distance. I clenched my teeth and scooted the tray onto the nightstand so it wasn’t in danger of tipping over.
I’d been getting too comfortable with him, and that would lead to heartache. I’d already resolved to leave once he was better, but he kept fucking with my head.
His sweetness, his looks, all of it were blows, because it did affect me—and because I craved him. He was too tempting.
“Did Samantha and Sorin go on a trip?” I asked as Lucian grabbed the glass of juice. He stilled at my question. No lights, no movement, nothing had come from the house they’d moved into.
He slowly brought the glass to his lips and took a drink, studying me over the rim.
“No,” he finally said. “Sorin is dead, Josephine.” He chewed on the sausage he’d popped into his mouth. The revelation stunned me.
