Page 50 of Deranged
It hurt to admit how easy it might be to keep pushing him away. We were both safer with him out of my life. Even if it would kill me not to touch him ever again.
“I don’t trust you, or him, to keep your word. Nor do I want you two in each other’s presence again, especially alone. In fact, I want nothing more than to put his ass in jail, but I figured you wouldn’t like that course of action very much. I thought maybe an image of him photoshopped behind bars for my office might make me feel better about it.”
How could this woman be so damn crazy and so far up the political food chain? “Is that all you do every day, make elaborate plans to lock those who oppose you away? Seems like a strange and fruitless hobby. Have you tried needlepoint. It’s supposed to be relaxing.”
She shoved her phone closer to me. I shook my head. “We are at impasse then, because I won’t be able to convince him over the phone and you won’t let him come here so I can see him. You decide what you want. Until then…” I picked up my book and turned it to face me like I would settle in for a nice long read.
“You don’t have a choice. It’s the phone or the entire thing is off and he goes to jail. Then you will both out of my hair for good.”
I placed the book back on my bed and took the phone.
“I predialed for you. Just hit send.”
I punched the button harder than necessary and raised the phone to my ear. “A little privacy please.”
She raised an eyebrow but backed up into the hallway a few feet. I got up and slammed the door in her face and turned back to cross my room and put some distance between us.
His voice punched me in the chin. While I’d dialed, I hadn’t braced for the impact of hearing him. “You’re really calling me again after you threatened me the last time?”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is Kory, not my crazy ass mother.”
“Kory?” he breathed. “How are you talking to me right now? And did you steal your mother’s cell phone?”
I shook my head and remembered he couldn’t see me. “No, she came here to tell me to talk you into leaving her alone and dropping all threats of media exposure. I made a deal to fix the damage I’d done to your life. Can you respect my wishes enough to let this go?”
He breathed harshly into the phone. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re taking her side. You are giving up yet again?”
Anger lanced through me. “I’m not giving up. I’m the one who made the hard choice to keep your career intact and to make sure you don’t go to jail for the rest of your life.”
“No. You don’t get to make that choice. I love you, Kory. I fucking love you, and you don’t get to make that choice for me.” He hung up before I could say anything. I was left staring at the phone, attempting to process his words.
My mother’s voice broke through. “Did it work? Will he stop his tribunal?”
I gave her the phone. “Yes. Now get out.”
My tone must have registered, because she didn’t say anything, only took her phone and walked out. When the click of her high heels faded away, I sank onto my bed and let the hot tears slide down my cheeks. Somehow, hearing him say he loved me was worse than having to say goodbye to him in the first place.
I curled up on the bed and faced the wall, my book and feet getting tangled in the covers. I didn’t care all I could think about was his words echoing over and over in my head.
At the edge of sleep, warmth started to seep into my back, and I caught his scent before I saw him. His breath heavy against my neck, his arm slid around my waist to draw me back into him. I froze but feared speaking, since this was probably a dream. And I didn’t want it to end.
“I meant what I said,” he whispered into my hair.
I spun in his arms to face him. Looking into his eyes, touching his skin, didn’t feel real. “If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up.”
He leaned out and feathered a series of kisses over my lips and jaw. It felt so good and so real. “How are you here right now?”
“Styx snuck me in.” His dirty blond hair was mussed and sticking up like he’d been raking his fingers over it over and over.
“Remind me to thank her.” I kissed him deep and hard letting myself remember the taste of him the way his body molded to mine so perfectly. How could I have given this up.
Reality crashed back down, and I broke away. “You have to go. If my mother finds out you were here, everything we’ve both sacrificed will be for nothing.”
He kissed my lips one more time lingering to brush his petal soft mouth against me like one might run a feather across their skin. “I’ll go, but don’t give up on me. Don’t let her win.
When I opened my eyes again, the cold had replaced his heat, and I thought maybe, for the first time, someone might beat her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
