Page 99 of Secret Obsession
“That’ll never be me,” Willow whispers across the table to Violet. “The day I fawn over a hockey player, you can commit me to a psych ward.”
Knox hears that.
I see the expression that crosses his face, and he leans toward Willow.
“You shouldn’t have said that, baby,” he says to her.
She smirks. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. Because that’s a challenge in my eyes. I’ll win you over, eventually.”
I scoff.
Willow nudges me. “You got something to say to that, Miles?”
I look at my brother, then at her. I believeher. That she’d never fawn over someone who didn’t deserve it. So I don’t fight it, and I don’t rebuke my brother. I don’t stake a claim on Willow, even though she makes my heart hammer and draws my focus like no other.
My mistake.
One I’ll be paying for, for quite a while.
* * *
PRESENT
I stand outside the freezer door, my stomach in knots.
I didn’t want to lock her in there—but the damn girl needs a wake-up call.Somethingto snap her out of the dazed look she’s always wearing. She doesn’t care that she’s in my bed. She doesn’t want it, but she doesn’t fight. She doesn’t care that Knox gets a reaction out of me every fucking time they’re in the same room together.
She hasn’t noticed that I haven’t fucking left her.
She should be okay for a little while. It’s why I left her there and went back to retrieve my bag, throwing it in my car. It’s why I took my time walking back, although every instinct wanted me torunto her.
There’s also the possibility that she isn’t panicking. That she’s okay being cold. It’s been fifteen minutes. My watch vibrates with an alert.
My heart is racing.Are you working out?the watch asks.
No, I’m just stressed.
She hasn’t banged on the door and demanded her release.
Ice slides down my spine. Those doors are thick. Maybe she was, but I didn’t hear her? Or she only worked up the nerve when I had already left her?
I unlock the door and swing it open.
Horror greets me.
Willow is facedown on the floor, her arms outstretched like she was reaching for the door. Her eyes are closed, and there’s frost on her hair. Herwethair.
I’m a fucking idiot.
I race in and scoop her up. Her shirt is up to her ribs, exposing her stomach. I tug it down and hurry out of the freezer, letting it slam behind us. Is she breathing?
Shit, I don’t think she’s breathing.
I drop down, resting her ass on my knee, and use one hand to feel under her nose. Shallow exhales warm my fingers.
“You’re okay, wild girl,” I say to her, folding her arms in. I shuck off my coat and wrap it around her, then pull her close again.
