by L. P. Dover
“I swear I never realized how much of a nerd you were until we got here.” Alec laughed. “But I think it’s cute. You’ve read about twenty books since we’ve been here.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment, Mr. Holden, and forget you called me a nerd.”
“You still love me though, right?” he asked, letting the sheet fall to the side, exposing his naked body. He was such a tease.
“I guess so if I have to.” I winked, running my gaze down his naked form.
“And since I love you I’m going to get us something to eat. Do you want anything?” I asked, getting out of bed and ambling toward the closet to find something to wear.
One of the reasons I liked to get the food myself was because it was the only time I could get away to call Kristian alone. Quickly, I picked out one of my sundresses and headed into the bathroom to do my morning routine.
After I washed my face and put my hair up, I applied just a light amount of makeup on my face and added some mascara. Alec watched me the whole time by the bathroom door with his arms crossed. He had slipped on a T-shirt and boxers and stared at me with pursed lips.
“What’s wrong?” I asked hesitantly.
“I know what you do when you go on your breakfast run, Marissa. I’m not stupid you know,” he said softly. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t tell me.”
Frozen, I gazed at him through the reflection in the mirror. “I knew you would figure it out, but I know you don’t like him. He’s my friend, and I miss talking to him. I can see the anger in your eyes every time I talk to him when you’re around, and it just makes me uncomfortable. It’s like you want me to choose, and I can’t do that.”
“I would never ask you to choose between you and your friend, especially since we’re separated across the states, but when we go back I don’t know if I can handle his interference. If he tries to do what he did at the airport again, we’re going to have problems. Then you’ll have to make a choice.”
He paused and uncrossed his arms. “I trust you, Marissa, but I sure as hell don’t trust him.”
I knew what Kristian did at the airport was going to be an issue.
“I know,” I muttered, lowering my gaze. “I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Alec came forward and tilted my chin up with his finger. “It’ll all work out. Now go call him and I’ll have my usual bagel with cream cheese. I might call Detective Michaels while you’re gone. I don’t want to wait for him to call us.”
Lifting up, I kissed him on the lips and smiled. “Thank you. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Slipping on a pair of sandals and grabbing my purse, I walked out of the room and headed down the hall. I walked past the usual maid I always saw on our floor, and was amazed at how beautiful she was. For a girl that cleaned rooms, she was very good-looking. I assumed that was a standard for working in a nice hotel.
After eating room service for the past couple of weeks, we started venturing out and exploring other options. There was a café right beside the hotel that served the best brunch I’d ever tasted in my life.
The girl at the counter recognized me and waved as I walked in the door; her name was Danielle and she had just graduated high school. She looked young with her blonde hair divided into two braids, one on each side, and she had the cutest smile. “Hey, Jaime, are you ordering the usual today?” she asked sweetly.
I smiled. “You know it. My boyfriend loves the Asiago cheese bagels and I can’t seem to get enough of the French toast.”
“Coming right up. How long are you here on vacation for?”
Noncommittally, I leaned on the counter and shrugged. “I’m not sure. My boyfriend and I just finished college, and we thought we’d travel around for a bit. I kind of like it here, so we’ll probably stay for another couple of weeks.”
“That’s awesome. Your food should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
“Sounds good, Danielle.” There was a line forming behind me so I smiled at her and left to find a table.
As I waited for the food to be prepared and bagged up, I pulled out my phone and called Kristian. Things were a little awkward since he kissed me before I left, but thankfully, we hadn’t discussed it. It was kind of like it never happened.
Kristian answered on the second ring sounding in better spirits. “Hey, baby girl.”
“Hey, Kristian. What ya doing?”
He sighed. “Just hoping for some good news.”
“Oh yeah, like what?” I asked, wishing I could give him some.
“I was hoping you were calling to tell me you were coming home.”
“I wish I was, but we haven’t heard anything good from the detective. It’s always the same thing each time,” I informed him wearily.
“Are you okay? Have you been getting out and doing things at least instead of being holed up wherever you’re at?”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes, we’ve been getting out and getting some fresh air. It was scary at first, but now I’m a little more comfortable. It just sucks having to constantly look over my shoulder, you know.”
“I understand. Did you get the email from Mrs. Tatum yet?” he asked.
Excited, I bounced in my seat and held the phone closer. “No, I haven’t checked my email in a while. What were the scores? Did I win?”
He chuckled. “Let’s just say it was very, very close.”
“Like how close?” I pushed harder, grinning from ear to ear.
“Does me owing you two hundred dollars give you an answer?”
Squealing, I captured everyone’s attention in the café, but I reined it in and lowered myself in the chair. “Are you serious? Oh, I can’t wait to tell Alec. This is the best news yet. I expect that money when I come back, okay?”
I could tell he was smiling through the phone. “You got it, and it better be soon. I miss you.”
“How are things with Natalie?” He hadn’t talked about her in a while, and it made me wonder what was going on. He’d been so engrossed in my life that I hadn’t even bothered to ask him about his.
He grunted and clucked his tongue. “Well … at the moment things are a little hard, but I’m hoping it’ll start to get better. I’m supposed to go to Wilmington this weekend for my interview, and she told me she would go, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“I’m sorry, Kristian. I know you were looking forward to it.”
“Yeah, well … things change.” A beeping sound went off in the background and Kristian sighed. “Okay, Mare, I have to go. Call me later if you can, and if not I’ll talk to you soon. I’m sure Alec’s about to shit a brick right now with the amount of time you’ve spent talking to me.”
“Oh, he’ll be fine. I’ll talk to you soon though. Take care, Kristian.”
“Will do. Bye Mare.”
We hung up the phone, and about two seconds later, Danielle had my breakfast all ready to go. Quickly, I paid for it using cash and scrambled my way out the door and back to the hotel. When I walked in, the same woman from before was at the counter and glared at me the whole way to the elevator. I could feel her stare burning holes in my back when I waited for the elevator doors to open.
As soon as they opened, I walked inside and pressed the button for my floor. My mouth watered and my stomach grumbled as the smell of my French toast filled up the cab of the elevator.
Looking down at my phone, my eyes went wide and I gasped at what time it was. I couldn’t believe how long I’d been gone; it had been over thirty minutes. Surprisingly, Alec hadn’t called to check on me, which I found to be pretty odd. He was probably on the phone with the detective. Hopefully, he’d have some good news for me when I got back.
With a smile on my face, I exited through the elevator doors. As soon as I turned the corner to our hallway, I stopped cold. The door to mine and Alec’s room opened and slowly coming out was the maid that I’d seen on our floor all week long looking all tousled and disheveled like she just got fucked.
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My heart felt like it was in my throat and it hurt; it felt like fire burning its way down to every nerve of my body. It hurt to swallow and to breathe, and above all else I was infuriated, seeing nothing but red.
What the fuck did he do?
I wanted to scream, yell, and demand to know what the hell she was doing in our room. Instead, I backed into a corner and let her pass, watching her walk down the hall straightening up her clothes. I felt sick, disgusted to the core, and betrayed.
Alec hadn’t changed one damn bit, and I was a fool to think he could. Someone with his past couldn’t possibly change his lifestyle after he’d been used to getting every female he wanted. He didn’t care about me; I was being hunted down by a killer and he still fucked me over.
With the anger surging through my veins, I stormed all the way to our room and slammed open the door. The room was steamy from the bathroom, probably from the shower Alec was taking to get the stench of that whore off his body, and that thought alone made my anger ignite even further.
I was appalled at what I saw when I entered the separate bedroom. The bed was tousled, much more so than when I left and there on the floor—right out in the open—was a condom lying discarded and very much used.
“You fucking prick,” I mumbled angrily.
Quickly, I threw open the closet doors, grabbed my bag from the floor, and started cramming my things into it. I didn’t even bother with folding anything because at that moment I didn’t care. I wanted out, and fast.
“Sunshine, is that you?” Alec called out from the shower.
My throat clenched, and my hands were shaking, but I had to keep packing. All I wanted to do was go into the bathroom and punch the shit out of him, but I couldn’t … not yet. There was no way in hell I was staying with him any longer.
He called out my name again, “Marissa, what are you doing? It sounds like you’re throwing shit around in there.”
It’s because I am you idiot, I wanted to scream.
I knew I didn’t have time to pack all of my things, but what I had would be sufficient. Hating what I had to do, I ran into the bathroom and snatched my toiletry bag. I avoided looking at Alec through the frosty shower doors, but he sensed my presence and immediately left the steamy haven.
Running out of the room, he hastily followed me. “Marissa, what’s wrong?” he asked, grabbing my arm. “What are you doing?”
As if my hand had its own mind, I reared back and slapped him across the face. “Get your hand off of me right now,” I growled, deep and menacing. I didn’t even recognize my own voice.
Instead of letting me go, Alec took both my arms and turned me to face him. With wild eyes, he searched my face and pulled me to him. “Jesus Christ, Marissa, what’s going on with you? What did I do?”
“What did you do … really? You’re gonna ask me that?”
“Baby, you’re scaring me. I have no clue what I could’ve done to make you so upset.”
Jerking my arms out of his grasp, I jerked him by his arm, pulling him into the bedroom and pointed to the used condom on the floor.
“Look at the fucking condom,” I yelled. “Why don’t you tell me what you did? How could you do this to me? You haven’t changed one bit. How long have you been fucking the maid, Alec? Every time I leave in the mornings?”
Alec frantically ran his hands through his hair and stared wide-eyed at the condom on the floor. “Holy shit, this is crazy. Please, Marissa, I didn’t do anything, I swear. I have no clue who you saw or what the hell that condom is doing there on the floor, but you have to believe me. I would never cheat on you. I love you, Marissa.”
Incredulously, I shook my head and laughed. “Do you honestly think I’m that stupid? I saw her, Alec. I saw the girl leave the room all disheveled and completely sexed up, not to mention a fucking used condom on the floor. How else am I supposed to take what I saw?”
I packed my toiletry bag into my duffle and threw it over my shoulder. My hands were shaking, and with all the emotions warring in my body I was about to lose control and break down. The tears were about to fall, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he broke my heart.
Heading for the door, I turned around and sneered, “You know what, I change my mind. I am stupid. I was stupid enough to think that someone such as you would be worth the trouble, and now look where it got me. Good-bye Alec. I never want to see you again, so do me a favor and leave me the hell alone.”
Alec trailed behind me, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. I opened the door, but he grasped my arm before I could leave.
“Marissa, I didn’t do anything wrong. You have to calm down and let us figure this out together. You have to trust me. If I have to tie you down and make you stay I will. You’re not leaving here without me.”
I scoffed and pierced him with my burning gaze. “There is no us anymore, Alec. I don’t need you to keep me safe, and I sure as hell am not going to stay here any longer with you. I can’t believe I thought you loved me. Once a nice, hot piece of ass starts strutting her shit in front of you I should’ve known you’d stray. Well, the joke’s on me, isn’t it? Someone’s trying to kill me because of you and this is how you repay me? I hope you rot in hell.”
I jerked out of Alec’s grasp, and he scrambled around to find some clothes. While he was distracted, I bolted out of the room and ran to the elevator.
“Marissa, no!” Alec yelled from inside the room. “Stop!”
Once I reached the elevator, I continuously pressed the button over and over. “Hurry up!” I screamed, kicking at the door. Once it opened, I hastily retreated inside and breathed a sigh of relief even though I was anything but relieved.
Alec came into view, dripping wet and dressed, and ran straight for the elevator. “Marissa, you can’t go out there, it’s not safe,” he yelled, trying to catch me before the doors closed.
“It’s safer than with you,” I mumbled as the doors closed before he could get to me.
I didn’t know what to do or where to go, but I knew I had to call someone, and there was only one person who that would be. When the elevator stopped, I ran out of it as fast as I could—not caring about all of the wide-eyed stares—and out into the cool morning breeze.
I hailed the first cab I saw, and as soon as it came to a stop I quickly jumped in the backseat.
“Where to, miss?” the driver asked, glancing at me in the mirror. “Running late this morning?”
Out of breath, I answered, “Yes, to the airport, please.”
He nodded and started pulling away from the hotel. Turning my head, and with an aching heart, I gazed back at the hotel as we pulled out of the parking lot. At that moment, Alec burst out of the doors and frantically searched around for me.
His eyes caught mine for an instant, and before I got too far away I could see that he had tears streaming down his face. When he was out of view that was when I let my own tears fall. I risked everything for nothing, and now I was going to pay the price.
Where was I going to go?
When I got to the airport, I had no clue what I was going to do. I didn’t want to call Kristian while I was in the cab because I didn’t want the driver to hear me, so once inside the airport I found a quiet corner, and with shaky fingers I dialed his number.
My throat was so tight I didn’t know if I’d be able to talk, and as soon as Kristian’s voice came over the line, I lost it. I broke down and cried hysterically.
“Holy hell, Marissa, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“No,” I choked out, angrily. “I need help, Kristian. I don’t know where to go. Please help me.”
“Where’s Alec? Did he do something to you? So help me, Marissa, if he hurt you I’ll kill him myself.”
I burst out crying again and drew unwanted attention to myself, so I tried to take a few deep breaths to calm down; it didn’t work.
“I can’t talk about it right now, Kristian. I don’t know where to go. I’m at the airport and if I go
back to Boone that’ll be the first place Alec will look. What should I do?”
Quickly, Kristian blew out a frustrated breath and suggested, “First, I want you to calm down, Marissa. I know that might be hard to do right now, but you have no choice. Book the first available flight to Wilmington and I’ll meet you out there. I’m not supposed to be at my interview for another couple of days, but I’ll leave now and meet you at the airport when you get there, okay?”
“All right,” I sputtered weakly.
“Everything will be fine, I promise. I’ll get you away from it all. When you book your flight either call me or text me with the times so I can make sure to look for you.”
I nodded, even though I didn’t believe everything would be okay. “I will. I’ll talk to you soon,” I whispered and hung up.
I didn’t want to talk anymore, and I knew I had to hurry if I planned on getting away before Alec could find me. He would know I’d try to get a flight out; I just hope I made it away in time.
Thankfully, Alec never found me. I turned off my phone as soon as I got off the line with Kristian, and as soon as I landed in Wilmington and turned on my phone I had about twenty messages.
Alec must’ve called everyone because there were missed calls from him, Emily, my sister, and Detective Michaels. I couldn’t bring myself to listen to them just yet so I texted Kristian to see where he was.
Me: I’m here, where r u?
Kristian: Look behind u baby girl.
Immediately, I turned around and there strolling toward me was Kristian wearing khaki shorts with a blue polo shirt and sandals. He frowned when he saw my face, and the moment he scooped me up into his arms, I burst out crying.
All the pain, all the anger, just washed over me in one huge rush. On the plane I held it together, but my heart was bruised and torn open, and I was surprised I didn’t fall to pieces in the air. My chest ached like someone was gouging out my heart with the dullest knife, and jabbing it all over my body.
Kristian’s arms tightened around my waist, and he pulled me closer. I buried my face in his chest and breathed in his familiar scent while I sobbed.