Page 46 of Crash into me

A pout forms on my lips. “I can’t do that anymore.”

“I have to protect you. Freckles, I would do anything for you. But you have to help me now. You’re safe, and once my debt is paid …” He looks away. “If you haven’t found someone else …”

“There is no one else!” An idea pops into my head. “Warren …”

A growl escapes Foster’s chest. “Is he the someone else already?” he contradicts himself.

“No, No.” I laugh. It’s small and distant but it’s there. Oxygen fills my lungs. For the first time in months, I can breathe because I’m near him. “Warren offered to pay.”

“I don’t want a fucking thing from him.”

He’s not understanding. “He’s not who you think he is.”

An annoyed grimace lays on his face. “Are you sure you remember everything? Because last I recall you were arranged to be married to the fucking guy.”

I shake my head. “He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t like me like that. That’s what the fight was in the dining room.”

His fist clench. “I was on auto pilot last night. I couldn’t see anything besides Kent’s fucking hands around your neck.”

A shiver travels down my spine. Foster looks so close to stepping away from me, from us, from everything. “Warren can help,” I assure him.

Foster nods. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t back out now.” He sighs. “This is happening whether you want it to or not.”

I place my hands on my hips, trying to figure out how to solve an impossible equation. “At what cost?”

“Your safety,” he grits out through his teeth. “Don’t argue with me about this, Freckles.”

“Foster?” I cry as a solemn expression crosses his face.

He tosses me the keys to his bike. “Take this. It’s daylight. You can’t be seen with me anymore.” I look down, noting the familiar silver key next to his motorcycle key. “Drop my bike at the house, grab your car, and go, Skyler.”

“We’re leaving here, together.” I plant my feet into the sand, attempting to leave no room for change.

He raises his voice, emphasizing his words with his inked hands as he tosses them into the air. “Sky, you don’t understand who I’m in debt to. You don’t get it.”

“I’ll go back,” I warn. “I’ll do this all over again, and we can be together.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

He’s obviously self-destructing to keep me safe, but his next words cut like a hot knife. “I don’t want to be with you, Skyler.”

“Then what was this?” I gesture around, remembering the vivid feeling of him inside of me. “What was last night?”

He turns back to me, his grin broken. The air turns a stale mix of regret and bad decisions. The beach looks gloomy without his smile. “It was a goodbye.”

21

Iknock on Kate’s door lazily, my entire life feeling like it’s been put back together and torn apart again within a day.

Ryder told me her new room number. “Kate?” I whisper, half hoping she won’t answer so she doesn’t see how much of a mess I’ve gotten not only myself but Foster into.

A mess of red hair stares back at me with sleepy eyes. “Sky?” She looks back to her nightstand. “It’s like seven in the morning. Are you okay?”

I don’t respond; I just stare at her.

“Do you want to talk?” she asks, yawning.