Chapter Fifty-Four
With the effects of whatever he drugged me with still lingering in my system and the gentle rocking of the boat, my plan to feign sleep worked a little too well—I actually did end up sleeping. I hate that I don’t know how much more time has passed other than guessing based on the fact that there’s still a sliver of light in the sky.
Staying alive is my number one priority.
Dex is on his way. I have no proof that this is true, but I know it is. It’s elemental.
I also need to be conscious of not hitting this guy’s crazy switch and having him go Fatal Attraction on me before help arrives.
Reaching for every iota of control I have in this asinine situation, I blink my eyes open, giving the fog a second to clear and allowing the wood paneling of the walls to come into focus before pushing myself to sit up.
The blankets pool around my middle, but I don’t make a move to get out of the bed. I’ll come across as less of a threat if I make myself seem as vulnerable as possible. Feeling around, I find the rounded edges of the soap’s squeeze bottle. What I wouldn’t give to have a more formidable weapon.
Sucking in a fortifying breath, I lift my head and meet the familiar pair of gray eyes watching my every move from one of the chairs in the galley.
Betrayal bubbles into the back of my throat as I watch him rise from his seat. I have to work to choke it down. My heartbeat kicks with each step he takes to close the distance between us.
Why?
Why did he do this?
How could we not see this side of him?
Seriously! How did we miss this?
Him.
Him!
The longer I go without blinking, refusing to take my eyes off him for the millisecond the action would take, the angrier I become.
How could he do this to me?
“You’re awake.” The pleased tilt to his lips only adds to my ire.
Fuck him.
I hope someone puts a bullet in him.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like you care,” I snip.
Shit! Not part of the plan, Madz. Remember? Play nice.
“Sorry,” I offer, trying to sound as sincere as possible. “I’m not the nicest when I have a headache.” I massage my temples as if I don’t know the throbbing under my skull is because this asshole drugged me.
“I can give you something for the pain if you would like.”
Yeah, so you can drug me again? I don’t think so. Thankfully, I keep those thoughts to myself and only shake my head.
“Do you want anything to eat?”
I give another shake. It’s been hours since I had any food and normally I would be tipping the scales into full-on hangry mode, but my stomach is too full of knots to be able to put anything in it without it coming right back up.
“Are you sure?” He brings his arm around and gestures to the kitchen table now set with a tablecloth, dishes, and even a small vase with a single rose in it.
Does he think we are on some date?
Yeah, right.
There’s only one thing I want from him—answers. It’s about time I got them.
As if waiting for a cobra to strike—an appropriate analogy since he’s such a snake—I watch as he takes a seat on the end of the bed when I make no move to get up.
How dare he act like this is any ol’ day.
Fuck him and his creeptasticness.
Fuck his betrayal.
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything? I packed some of your favorites.”
I hold up a hand, cutting off any more false platitudes. I don’t need them. I need answers.
“Why?”
He blinks as if I’m the crazy one, as if I’m the one not making sense.
“Why?” I ask again.
“Why what?” He reaches out to cup my knee through the covers, and my nostrils flare at his audacity.
“Why are we on your boat?” I can’t believe I didn’t recognize it earlier when I was looking for weapons.
“Because I know how much you like it. You’ve always had a blast on it. Plus, you’re constantly saying how much you love being out on the water.” One of his hands comes up to the side of my face, his thumb stroking across the curve of my cheekbone, and I legit throw up in my mouth a tiny bit. “It’s really no surprise you have an affinity for the sea since you’re a Navy brat.”
I hate that he talks like he knows me.
“I was hoping we could enjoy a romantic sunset dinner, but I miscalculated and we missed it.”
Guess that explains why he dropped anchor, though it’s not like I’m going to point out that flaw in his plan. If being stationary will help put an end to this…date from hell, I’ll take it.
I do have another question.
“Why did you do it?” I ask.
“Do what?”
Oh my god I’m going to hit him. If he keeps this shit up, I am going to do it. I’m only human after all.
“Cut the shit.” I fist the blankets to keep from actually hitting him. “Why did you stalk me?”
“Stalking is such an ugly word.”
Yeah, because the shit you put me through was pretty?
Don’t you guys even start with me right now. I’m a bit too busy trying to process this situation to worry about making sense.
“What was the point of sending me”—I swallow down the bile as I choke out—“gifts?”
“I needed a way to get past your walls.”
“My walls?” He really is insane.
“How’s a guy supposed to compete with Ryan Donnelly, of all people?”
Ryan? Ryan? What?
“Ryan and I haven’t been together for almost three years—what does he have to do with anything?”
“Yeah, but you two always hang out.”
“We’re friends.”
Ryan had been in my life for years before we ever dated. I’m so confused, and all it’s doing is making my head hurt more.
“What does he have to do with anything?” I ask, trying to make sense of this.
“You never dated anyone else. At first I was afraid you were still hung up on him—”
“I broke up with him.”
“—but then I thought, what if you just didn’t realize there were other guys out there who were interested?”
That’s it. I can’t take it anymore.
Finally giving in, I prop my elbow on my knee and massage my forehead in my upturned hand.
“And you thought scaring me would accomplish this?”
Cray-cray. Totally cray-cray.
“At first I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“At first?” I screech.
Rein it in, Madz.
“It was meant to be cute.” He shrugs. “You know…like secret admirer type stuff.”
He’s cracked.
“Then when you didn’t respond to any of them, I had to think of something new. When I realized how concerned everyone got any time you received something, I thought maybe you would turn to one of us to protect you.”
Yup. He’s completely off the reservation.
“Why?”
“So you would be safe.”
“No.” I wave a hand in the air. “Why would you go to all the trouble in the first place?”