Page 79 of Falling With You

Flashes of the man’s hands on my throat from before and the feeling of brick behind my back and against my cheek slid into me, and I froze. I didn’t fight. I didn’t do anything. I needed to fight. What was going on?

“Why don’t you see me?” the deep voice rasped in my ear. I knew that voice.

I sucked in a breath, trying to breathe. But I couldn’t.

He was squeezing my airway, tugging me back towards the bushes.

He couldn’t take me to a secondary location. I knew that from all of the stupid podcasts and TV shows that I watched and listened to. So, I kicked out, using whatever strength I had to try and scratch him.

I kicked back into his knee, and he let me go. I fell down to the cement, the gravel of the parking lot digging into my palms. I crawled forward, trying to get to my feet and looked around at Jefferson, who glared at me.

“Why can’t you see me? I left you the roses. I left you everything. Those men hurt you, and all I want to do is say I love you and I want to be with you, but you don’t want to be with me. Why do you keep doing this?” He slammed his fist into his head, moaning over and over again. But there was no one around to hear. No one around to do anything.

What was Jefferson talking about? The roses?

Then I remembered. I hadn’t asked my neighbors about them. I’d just assumed that they were from them. Just like the pies and the cakes and things that had actually been from them.

Oh my God, I was so stupid. I was so worried about everything else that I hadn’t really thought about what was going on.

“Jefferson. Jefferson.”

I was standing then, my palms out. I knew blood was dripping from the cuts there. My throat hurt, and I knew tears streamed down my cheeks, but I didn’t know what to do. He was so much faster than I was.

“You had to go out with him. With that asshole. He doesn’t even know you.Iknow you.” He slammed his fist against his chest a few times. “I’ve always loved you, Sienna. Why don’t you see me?”

“I see you, Jefferson. Everything’s fine.”

“Nothing is fine. Nothing will be fine again.” Then he came at me once more. I turned around quickly, but he tugged on my ponytail again. I hit the ground, and then he hit me. One time. Another. I curled myself into a ball, trying to protect my face, but he just kept hitting me. I screamed, and then there were voices, shouts, but I couldn’t hear them, not really.

It was like I was in a tunnel. Everything hurt.

Everything hurt so much.

And then there was nothing.

Chapter Nineteen

Aiden

I knew dancingwhile chopping was probably not the best thing in the world to do, but I was still doing a little hip shake as I chopped onions.

I had come in early from my shift so I could go through some paperwork with Brendon, and then figured I would help with some of the prep before I went back to help Cameron with inventory. I was just filling in and felt good knowing that I had some really good staff members who knew what they were doing. I knew I needed to hire another line cook, and that would come. But first, I would just enjoy my day. I had woken up with a cat on my face, but I’d had some amazing sex and had most likely taken the next step in my relationship with Sienna. I was just happy.

It had been too damn long since I had felt like this.

And from the way everyone kept looking at me, yeah, they knew it, too. I wasn’t acting like myself. I wasn’t being an asshole.

Maybe this was a good thing.

I was humming to myself as Cameron came running into the kitchen, sliding on the floor, gripping the edge of the wall to steady himself.

I dropped my knife and glared at him. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You do not run in here. We have knives and oil.”

“It’s Sienna. You need to come.”

My stomach dropped to my feet, and I was already walking towards Cameron, untying my apron and tossing it at one of my staff members.

“Someone take care of my kitchen.”