Page 108 of Let Me Keep You

“I’ll never let you go, Gemma,” he growls. “Not unless one of us is dead. Don’t you fucking get that by now?” he snaps, his eyes darkening with every word.

“No!” I scream. “It’s over.”

“It’s not. And I’m only gonna tell you this once, Gemma. You need to be very fucking careful. And so should Tyler.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“Exactly what you think it means.” He tsks, sliding his body down mine.

“Get off me!” I’m brought back to being eleven years old when the boys picked on me at recess. Lifting my knee, I plant it right between his legs. Robert grunts, and I push him to the floor.

“You bitch!” he shouts, holding his crotch.

My chest heaves as Robert manages to stand.

“Just stop,” I beg. “Please, stop.” I create space between us, ready to run out the front door. If his neighbors heard us arguing on his perfectly landscaped lawn, Robert would die of a heart attack because the rumors would fly. He’d do anything to avoid being the talk of the town.

“Don’t you go anywhere,” he orders as if he read my mind. “Sit. Right now.” He talks to me as if I’m a child, and I guess in his mind, I am one. Only wanting to temporarily appease him, I do.

Before I can open my mouth to rebut his threats, the doorbell rings followed by rapid knocking. Robert narrows his eyes at me.

“What have you fucking done?”

Robert moves toward the door, and I take the opportunity to grab my shit. I hear Everleigh ask where I am, and Robert lies that I’m taking a bath. She doesn’t believe his bullshit and barges past him. Once Everleigh sees me, she grabs my hand, then pulls me through the house.

“You’re not going anywhere!”

“Fuck off,” I yell as Everleigh rushes us toward the door.

“If you leave, I promise you’ll regret this,” he warns as I walk outside.

The warm air feels amazing on my skin. The front door slamming behind us startles me, and I’m tempted to look over my shoulder, but Everleigh maintains her fast pace toward her car that she’s left running.

She opens the passenger door, and I climb inside. As the adrenaline subsides, I begin to break down, overwhelmed by my emotions. He has no idea how much I regret agreeing to marry him. Everleigh hops in the driver’s side, and my body begins to shake. She glances at my torn dress and frowns. Seconds later, she backs out of the driveway. Silence fills the ride to her house, which I’m grateful for.

When we pull into Everleigh’s driveway, she looks at me. “I know this is a stupid question, but are you okay?”

I clear my throat and find my inner strength. “I’m not sure,” I say honestly. “I’m safe tonight, thanks to you, but I don’t know how Robert will retaliate tomorrow.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

TYLER

Waking up in Lawton Ridge without a target on my back is such a relief. Now that it’s starting to feel like home again, I miss it when I’m gone. But it sucks that Gemma can hardly stand being around me.

Ever since we lost control with each other two weeks ago and she said it was a huge mistake, things between us have been awkward. It doesn’t help that her fiancé hates me, and she constantly makes excuses for his behavior. Though my heart says otherwise, keeping my distance is the best decision for us both.

I last saw Gemma five days ago. Just when the tension started to evaporate between us, Ruby showed up, and I saw the jealousy written on Gemma’s face. I have no idea what to expect when I see her today, but maybe if I pretend everything’s fine, she’ll actually talk to me again.

After Everleigh picked me up from the airport last night, I could tell something was wrong. She looked exhausted as if she hadn’t been sleeping. Of course, my sister was sealed like a vault and claimed it was nothing, but I knew better.

This morning, I skipped the gym and slept in because I am still drained from the weekend. It was awesome seeing Liam and Maddie. Though I’m not sure when I’ll visit again, I hope it’s sooner than later. When I walk into work, Gemma’s behind the counter typing away on the computer.

Immediately, I head toward the coffee and fill a cup.

“You’re back,” she mutters, but I can’t read her expression.

I feel bad for not telling her I’d be gone, but we weren’t exactly on speaking terms.