CHAPTER <b>0059 </b>
Meadow’s POV:
I’d asked Yvonne to head out of the bathroom first in case anyone was watching us closely–especially ric.
But now, as I watched them from a distance, I realized how big of a fucking mistake I made by doing that. I should never have trusted her.
Should never have trusted that she would keep my secret.
And judging from the look on ric’s face, I didn’t have much time with him. He looked pissed as he listened to whatever she was telling him about me.
My heart beat thundered against my ribcage as I wondered what exactly she was telling him. That she
was my aunt? That I was from an influential family?
Formerly influential, anyway.
Or was she telling him about my deadbeat father who had been locked in prison for over ten years?
Either way, who knew what he was going to do to me when he found out that I was deceiving him?
I didn’t want to think about the alternative. Didn’t want to consider the other reason that they might have
been talking. Reminiscing on the time they’d spent together briefly? Taking a trip down memoryne?
My heart fell into my stomach. I didn’t know which was even worse.
But Yvonne did say she and ric were intimate. Did he like her? Was he going to toss me out and go for
her?
Bile rose up my throat.
I wasn’t going to wait to find out.
Feeling my chin tremble, I looked away from them, weaving my way <b>through </b>the crowd and hurrying out the door, hoping that Ingrid wouldn’t see me.
And that ric wouldn’t see me either.
If this thing between us wasing to an end, then there was something <b>I </b>needed to get from him before
<b>I </b>lost ess to it forever.
It was cold outside, the lights illuminating thepound beautifully. I headed straight for the parking
garage, and the valet straightened as he saw me approach him.
“Mrs. Ashford,” the man murmured.
the keys to m
“Oh, good. You know who <b>I </b><b>am</b><b>,</b>” I replied tly. “I need husband’s car”
With a polite smile, he reached for the key rack and yanked off the keys to ric’s Aston Martin.
I murmured a “<b>thank </b>you“, bypassing the many luxurious cars, and went straight for his
I pulled the door to the driver’s seat open, sliding into it. And, with quick movement, turned on the ignition, letting out a soft gasp as the <b>engine </b>roared to life.
And then turned on the touch–screen GPS <b>and </b>checked the history.
I needed to figure out where ric must’ve taken my sister.
ric had been pretty close to admitting that the night he left me, it wasn’t for work. It was to go see Juniper. Something must’ve happened to make him leave urgently, and I needed to know what it was.
More importantly, I needed to get her out of there.
It didn’t take much time to find what I was looking for. The address red back at me from the screen, repeated twice in the past two weeks.
The name of the institute wasn’t there. Of course, it wasn’t. Of course, ric would take her somewhere
secluded that I wouldn’t find no matter how much I tried–which I did.
My stomach twisted.
I was certain that this was it. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I typed in the address and shut off the. engine <b>as </b>panic rose in my chest.
God.
What on earth was I doing?
My head fell against the steering wheel. I knew I couldn’t just storm into the ce and demand they let her out. And I definitely couldn’t do it behind ric’s back.
But maybe I could see her. See for myself that she was okay, and then I would talk to ric.
That’s if my things weren’t already out the door by then.
I exhaled through my mouth. My breath was shaky, and so were my hands. I knew I was supposed to go back to that party because I’d been gone for <b>too </b>long. But I wasn’t ready.
Not yet. Not with ric possibly standing arm in arm with a woman whom I shared blood with. The woman who once had him, even if just briefly.
I trusted Yvonne.
My shoulders fell. What if I was just overreacting? What if she was just trying to distract him so he
wouldn’t suspect anything? What if-
The door clicked open.
My heart jumped out of my chest. “Jesus Christ!” I gasped, identally hitting the horn as I raised my head up to see the intruder.
Okay. I was the intruder.
ric stood beside the car, one brow raised as he regarded me. “You nning on running away from me,
Sweetheart?”
My pulse throbbed but I didn’t say a word.
He stretched his hand out for me to take, and I only hesitated for a second before grabbing it as he helped
me out of the <b>car</b>.
“I saw you run out,” he murmured. “You okay?”
He saw me run out? How close had he been to catching me red–handed? Why did I wish he had run after me the second he saw me?
I was fucking insane.
I swallowed, looking away. “I just…. wanted a break from everything”
A moment passed before ric gripped my jaw softly, turning me to face him. And then he smirked. “Try again, baby.” His voice was low and smooth as butter.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I wasn’t ready to lie to him. And yet, I was even less ready to tell him the truth. So I settled for the in- between. I needed to find out what he knew. What Yvonne told him.
The second my lips parted, his eyes darted to them. “The woman you were talking to… she was watching me earlier. Do you know her?”
ric tensed, something shing in his eyes for only a second before he recovered. “Just an old friend,” he murmured, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Just a friend?” I blurted out without thinking. “What were you talking about, then?”
Jesus. Way to be subtle, Meadow.
But he was lying to me. Yvonne told me they’d been intimate once, and ric said she was just a friend. Something thick lodged in my throat. I didn’t know how to feel about that.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “What is this?” he murmured, reaching for my waist and gripping it firmly.” An investigation of sorts?”
I forced a shortugh. “You know how curious I get sometimes.”
Amusement glinted in ric’s eyes. The way he was looking at me right <b>now </b>was aplete contrast to the scowl I saw on his face earlier. If Yvonne had told him, there was no way I wouldn’t notice something off in his expression, no matter how much of a good liar he was.
Yvonne didn’t tell him about me.
Which meant they were just catching up. And somehow, that made my stomach twist even more.
He lied.
“And jealous,” he added, pushing me backward until my backnded softly against the side of the car. “I had no idea you had a jealous streak, Meadow.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I’m not jealous, ric.”
“Mm,” he hummed lowly, leaning in just a bit more so his face was only inches from mine. His thumb reached for my lips and he traced the lower one gently, not taking his eyes off me. “There’s nothing you have to be jealous about, baby. I promise you.”
The rawness I heard in his voice sent a rush of heat down my body. Heat that settled in my core, arousing
me
“Yeah?” I whispered.
“Yeah.” Something shed in his eyes again. “Fuck.” He rested his forehead against mine, heaving a sigh. And when he spoke again, there was an edge to his voice.
“I’m having such a bad evening, baby. You have no fucking idea.”
My brows raised in surprise that he was admitting how he felt to me, and then they drew together in confusion. “What’s the matter?”
His other hand moved to the back of my neck, and he let out a sharp breath. “Nothing you should worry your pretty brain about.”
I swallowed. “Well, I want to worry about you,” I said quietly.
ric’s eyes flicked up to mine, stunned for just a split second, like <b>he </b>hadn’t expected that response. His
grip tightened around my nape.
And then his mouth twitched. “When I tell you not to worry, you don’t worry.” He paused. “There is something else you could do to make me feel better, though”
“Anything.” I found myself saying before I could fucking stop it. I sounded so desperate. Maybeter, I would regret it, but right now…I didn’t care.
His gaze dropped to my lips again. And then he leaned in further.
My breath hitched as the air between us shifted.
“ric ”
“I’m sorry,” he rasped. And before I could even ask what on earth he was apologizing for–ric kissed <ol><li>me. </li></ol>
For the very first time.
CHAPTER 00GO