“Don’t give up until she does. That’s what I did with your mother.”
Speaking of my beautiful wife, I better finish my business in this godforsaken country so I can get back to her side.
Being physically away from Lia is no different than breathing through a straw and biding my time for the moment I’ll have her in my arms again.
Jeremy thanked me for not giving up on her, but I’m the one who’s thankful that she never gave up on me either.
My son and daughter were always meant to leave, but Lia is the only constant in my life.
My wife.
My obsession.
Mine.
41
CECILY
I can’t stop crying.
Every time I try to, my heart squeezes, and my eyes fill with tears until I think I have none left.
But I do.
I’ve been roaming the streets aimlessly for a few hours. My feet hurt, my muscles scream, but I don’t stop. If I do, then I’ll think of what happened tonight.
Of the pain that’s breaking my heart real slow, wreaking havoc from the inside out.
I don’t want to think about the cause of that pain. How Jeremy looked at me or the words he said to me.
Most importantly, I don’t want to think about how he seemed like he was going to kill me.
I’m the foolish one for laying my heart on the ground for him just so he could stomp all over it and leave me as this empty shell.
My feet come to a halt in front of the shelter. It’s closed, and no one is here besides the security inside.
Unable to walk anymore, I lower myself to the front step, wrap my arms around myself for some comfort, and lay my head against the cold wall.
I should probably call an Uber to take me back to the dorm, but I don’t want Ava and the others to see me like this. Hell, I don’t want to see me like this—broken, stupid, and desperate for someone who will never trust me.
For someone who hurt me so badly, I can’t find the pieces he broke.
I fetch my phone and stare at it through my blurry vision, but the battery dies and it goes black.
With a groan, I hold my head between my hands. I have a headache that’s been made worse by the throbbing emotional pain from tonight.
Jeremy and I were doing so well. After the few days we spent with my parents, I was sure he was it for me, that no one else would be able to stimulate my mind, body, and soul the way he does.
People repress their animalistic needs, but Jeremy nurtured them in me. He encouraged me to go after what I want, to ask for it, and fall deeper into it.
While he seemed refined, cold, and composed on the outside, a beast lurked inside him that called out to the animalistic part of me. Yes, he can be overbearing sometimes, but he was everything I didn’t think I wanted in a man.
He was the person whose company I found peace in after a long day.
Until earlier.
Until he showed me just how mercilessly he could hurt me.
Maybe if I hadn’t gone out to talk to Landon, none of this would’ve happened. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have, but Lan said he would barge in and ruin our party and I thought meeting him outside would be better than letting him clash with Jeremy, Killian, and even Bran.
I thought wrong.
But then again, it was only a matter of time before Jeremy let that part of himself loose. Whether it happens now or a few weeks from now doesn’t matter.
All I can do is think about where to go from here. The way he asked me to run, how he told me not to let him catch me was no different than ending our relationship.
It wasn’t enough that he hurt me, but now, he’s done with me, too.
And why do I sound pathetic in my own head?
Jeremy never promised me anything beyond the physical. I just imagined things myself, and now, I’m paying the price for it.
A shadow falls over me, and the heart I thought was burned beyond repair resurrects from the ashes with the glory of a phoenix.
I knew Jeremy would catch me. He always does.
The moment I lift my head, the hope that bloomed in my chest withers and dies.
It’s not Jeremy who stares down at me. It’s not even his pseudo-stalker Ilya.
The one in front of me, in his pristine trousers, button-down, and designer shoes, is none other than Zayn. My colleague from school and another volunteer at the shelter.
“Cecily?” He raises a brow. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I just needed to rest.” I manage an awkward smile. “What about you?”
“I’m on night duty. Want to come inside instead of staying out in the cold?”
“Sure.”
Being inside the shelter is better than going back to the dorm and actually talking about this. Besides, knowing Ava, she probably convinced the others to stay up late drinking.
I’m worried about her deteriorating state. Now that Glyn and Anni spend most their nights with their boyfriends, no one keeps an eye on her.
Not that I’ve been any better, but maybe I’ll go back to keeping her out of trouble.
Zayn opens the door with his key and I follow him in.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell him, then go to the bathroom to freshen up, where I end up crying for ten minutes before I wash my face.
I’m such a mess.
If I call Papa or Mum right now, they’ll be worried to death, so even though I want to, I don’t.
After finishing my business, I step out and stop when I find Zayn waiting for me and holding a bottle of water.
“I thought you might need something to drink, so I got you this from the vending machine.”
“Thanks.” I take it from his hand and pause when I turn the lid and find that it’s not sealed.
This is the second time this has happened. The first was back at that hotel.
I’m a bit out of sorts, but not enough to ignore the red flags the second time around. Yes, I’m probably overthinking it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
It takes some effort to plaster a smile on my face. “I’m going to call an Uber. Thanks for this.”
“You should drink.” His voice drops and has an uncomfortable edge. “You look dehydrated.”
My fingers tighten around the bottle, but I try my hardest not to let it show on my face. “Will do. Night.”
I brush past him and quicken my steps toward the exit. Maybe I can get to the security guard up front.
Now that I think about it, I didn’t see him earlier. Does that mean he left his post? Is this intentional?
The bottle of water burns in my hand, but I don’t dare throw it away in case he’s watching. Please tell me he’s gone.
“Hey, Cecily.”
My spine jerks upright at the tone of his voice. It’s like that night. Like Jonah’s.
Was it only Jonah?
I don’t think about it as I run. I don’t care if I’m being paranoid or if everything seems surreal. Everything will be okay as long as I get out of here.
A giant mass slams into me from behind, and I crash to the floor with a shriek. I kick and fight, my head turning with the force of the impact.
“Stupid little bitch.” Zayn sits on my back, nearly breaking it.