rests her head against my shoulder as Chase bursts into the room. At the sight of a half-naked Amber, he spins around, mumbling, “Sorry.”
I pull the sheet up to cover her breasts. “You can turn around. She’s covered.”
Chase turns back to us, face redder than I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t embarrass easily and it’s not like he’s never seen a naked woman before. Pride rushes through me at his reaction. He knows Amber’s mine. He respects both that and her.
“You guys okay?” he asks. “I heard you groaning and her screaming, and neither of you sounded like you were having good time.”
“She had a nightmare,” I tell him. Chase knows she suffers from them. She’s woken up before, screaming, but never this bad. At least not while she’s been with me.
Amber lifts her head from my shoulder. “I’m sorry I woke you,” she whispers, voice hoarse.
Chase steps up to the bed and smiles. “Scooch over,” he tells her. She does and he sits next to her. “You gonna be all right?” He’s not just referring to what happened. He’s referring to the fake love letters and everything else she’s dealing with, no thanks to the psychopath.
It’s something we’re all wondering. Me. Her mom and grandmother. Emma. Jordan. None of us want to see her destroyed because of what the sick fuck did to her. She’s so strong, but even steel has its limits.
She nods. “I think so.”
Chase looks at me. I give a small nod. I have to be okay, for Amber.
“I want you to know Jordan and I didn’t doubt for a second that you’ve been set up. We should have said something sooner but we were in shock.” He looks at me. “We all were.”
“I know,” Amber whispers.
Satisfied we’re okay, at least for now, Chase leaves and shuts the door.
“That’s not true what you told him.” My words are quiet, not because I want to avoid Chase hearing me. But because I’m afraid what I’m about to say is true. “You doubted me. I thought you understood me, understood me better than anyone. But when it came down to it, you didn’t have enough faith in me to accept that I would know the difference between the truth and the lie.”
She covers my hand with hers. The warmth of her skin eases its way in, like it always does whenever she touches me. And the warmth melts away some of the fear that leaked in since the news report. Her hand then moves to my face. I lean into her palm, absorbing more of her warmth, her love.
“I’m sorry, Marcus. I was scared. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. You’re right. I understand you...like you understand me. You’ve seen the scars. You know the truth. I never doubted that.”
I kiss the palm of her hand and we lie back down, her head on my chest.
I blanket her in my arms and stroke her shoulder. “Do you want to talk about the news report?”
“Not really.”
“You sure? You might feel better.”
“I’m sure. Talking isn’t going to fix this. Only the cops can do that.” But the way she says it makes me wonder if she trusts that they will—or if she’s already given up hope.
Chapter Ten
Amber
Jordan and I hurry to our first class, taking care not to slip on the icy sidewalks. The freezing wind nips my cheeks and nose, and burrows through my jeans.
“When did you get back to the dorm last night?” I ask.
“‘Round eleven.”
My eyebrows shoot up my forehead. Mom called me around eight-thirty. Jordan and Chase left the apartment around then and didn’t return. Or at least they didn’t return while I was awake. “Where did you guys go?”
“The pub near their place.”
I flash Jordan a teasing smile. “And what did you guys talk about?”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s nothing like that. We’re just friends.”
“You sure about that? You’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”
Her grin widens. “Okay, close friends. And you’re doing that thing again.”
“What thing?” I say even though I know what she’s talking about. Because
I pull the sheet up to cover her breasts. “You can turn around. She’s covered.”
Chase turns back to us, face redder than I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t embarrass easily and it’s not like he’s never seen a naked woman before. Pride rushes through me at his reaction. He knows Amber’s mine. He respects both that and her.
“You guys okay?” he asks. “I heard you groaning and her screaming, and neither of you sounded like you were having good time.”
“She had a nightmare,” I tell him. Chase knows she suffers from them. She’s woken up before, screaming, but never this bad. At least not while she’s been with me.
Amber lifts her head from my shoulder. “I’m sorry I woke you,” she whispers, voice hoarse.
Chase steps up to the bed and smiles. “Scooch over,” he tells her. She does and he sits next to her. “You gonna be all right?” He’s not just referring to what happened. He’s referring to the fake love letters and everything else she’s dealing with, no thanks to the psychopath.
It’s something we’re all wondering. Me. Her mom and grandmother. Emma. Jordan. None of us want to see her destroyed because of what the sick fuck did to her. She’s so strong, but even steel has its limits.
She nods. “I think so.”
Chase looks at me. I give a small nod. I have to be okay, for Amber.
“I want you to know Jordan and I didn’t doubt for a second that you’ve been set up. We should have said something sooner but we were in shock.” He looks at me. “We all were.”
“I know,” Amber whispers.
Satisfied we’re okay, at least for now, Chase leaves and shuts the door.
“That’s not true what you told him.” My words are quiet, not because I want to avoid Chase hearing me. But because I’m afraid what I’m about to say is true. “You doubted me. I thought you understood me, understood me better than anyone. But when it came down to it, you didn’t have enough faith in me to accept that I would know the difference between the truth and the lie.”
She covers my hand with hers. The warmth of her skin eases its way in, like it always does whenever she touches me. And the warmth melts away some of the fear that leaked in since the news report. Her hand then moves to my face. I lean into her palm, absorbing more of her warmth, her love.
“I’m sorry, Marcus. I was scared. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. You’re right. I understand you...like you understand me. You’ve seen the scars. You know the truth. I never doubted that.”
I kiss the palm of her hand and we lie back down, her head on my chest.
I blanket her in my arms and stroke her shoulder. “Do you want to talk about the news report?”
“Not really.”
“You sure? You might feel better.”
“I’m sure. Talking isn’t going to fix this. Only the cops can do that.” But the way she says it makes me wonder if she trusts that they will—or if she’s already given up hope.
Chapter Ten
Amber
Jordan and I hurry to our first class, taking care not to slip on the icy sidewalks. The freezing wind nips my cheeks and nose, and burrows through my jeans.
“When did you get back to the dorm last night?” I ask.
“‘Round eleven.”
My eyebrows shoot up my forehead. Mom called me around eight-thirty. Jordan and Chase left the apartment around then and didn’t return. Or at least they didn’t return while I was awake. “Where did you guys go?”
“The pub near their place.”
I flash Jordan a teasing smile. “And what did you guys talk about?”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s nothing like that. We’re just friends.”
“You sure about that? You’ve been spending a lot of time with him.”
Her grin widens. “Okay, close friends. And you’re doing that thing again.”
“What thing?” I say even though I know what she’s talking about. Because
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