AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Walking away from him is all I can do.
“Not again. I won’t let you do this to me again. You don’t understand how much you hurt me when you left. I will not let you put me through that hell again when I’m just now clawing my way out of that hole. Do me a selfless service, just once, Simon, and leave me alone.”
“Nina—”
“—Please,” I break, holding my hand up, palm forward to stop him from coming any closer.
It doesn’t work.
In a long stride, his chest bumps against my hand, and I’m left feeling the hard muscles of his pecs along with the raging beat of his heart.
He doesn’t say anything, but his breathing quickens, the air from his lungs mixing with the breeze. He lifts his hand and places it over mine, holding it to his chest.
“I’ve been waiting to feel you for ten years,” he finally says after a long period of silence.
This time it’s my turn to fall quiet. My mind is racing with so many things I want to say, and my heart is exploding with emotions that have become unburied.
A car drives by, the hum of the tires breaking the silence, and it forces me out of the trance Simon always seems to put me under. Tugging my hand away, I wrap my arms around myself, shaking my head.
“You could have had more than my touch over the last ten years. You could have called, sent a letter, or come home. You did none of those things. Keep your guilt, Simon. Keep your wishes. I don’t want them.” I wipe my cheek, turn on my heels, and walk away to put the past behind me.
This time, I don’t hear him following me, and I’m relieved. Seeing him felt so good, better than I wanted it to. Fighting the urge not to look at him is difficult because damn it, why did he have to grow into such a handsome man? He is taller than the last time I saw him with long blondish hair that has red hues. It reminds me of one of the lions we have at the sanctuary. Simon’s eyes didn’t change though. They have the same golden-brown hue and he looks at you as if you’re the most important person in the world to him at that moment.
The scruff on his face highlights the high ridges of his cheekbones too. He grew into the man I dreamed about. Seeing him made my heart sing and that kiss made every worry in the world fade away. The panic of finding a new job, the stress of keeping the sanctuary going, and the debate of moving away from Mistletoe Creek, vanished.
That’s what Simon has always done to me— he makes every worry in the world, no matter how big or small, disappear.
I almost look over my shoulder to get one last mental picture of him, but I force myself not to give him the satisfaction. I want to forgive him, I do, and I thought forgiveness would come easier when I saw him.
Oh, it didn’t. Not at all. When I saw his stupid, handsome, beautiful, defined-jaw face, all I felt was rage.
It’s all I still feel.
I stop in front of the small motel on the side of the road. It’s rundown, old, and the sign is black with white flashing letters: Shadow Inn, Vacancy.
Great. Anything is better than staying one more second on this road where Simon can see me.
I step through the overgrown grass, the tips brushing against my knee. My shoes hit the gravel of the parking lot, the rocks bumpy and sharp, pressing against the soles with every step I take.
With a hammering heart, I open the main door, immediately hearing loud laughter. The sound reminds me of a hyena celebrating a fresh kill. The front desk is off-white, reminding me of old bones. The man behind the desk has greasy black hair, dark eyes, and a predator nature about his stare.
He grins, showing large teeth with unusually pointed canines. “Welcome to Shadow Inn, young lady. How can I help you today?” His eyes roam over my body, and he licks his bottom lip as he leans on the counter.
“I need a room for the night, please.”
He nods, clicking his tongue. “I got a room for you, sweetheart.”
My stomach flips, unsettled and panicked.
“How about you stay with me? I’ll show you what happens in the shadows here.” He stands from behind the desk, the light catching on his face. He reminds me of a hyena, his large ears pointing outward, shadowing the wall. “I’ll make sure you’re real comfortable.”
The door behind me slams open with a loud bang causing me to jump. Heavy footsteps thud against the floor and a giant shadow drapes over me, blocking the sunlight pouring in. The creep behind the desk lifts his creepy gaze from me to the new guest.
He snarls when he notices who it is. “Simon.”
An irritated growl has me turning my head to see a murderous expression across Simon’s face. “She won’t be staying here, Earl. Keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself.”
Earl runs his fingers through his dirty hair, dandruff snowing onto his shoulders. “I think that’s up to the lady to decide, Simon.”
