Eight
Beckett
I put my rinsed plate in the dishwasher.
I can’t believe she just picked up and went to her room.
This is my house. She doesn’t need to be flashing her nips around.
Why is that so hard to understand? Yesterday she was in a bikini, though at least that was because of the pool.
I dreamed about her last night, for God’s sakes, and I had an actual wet dream.
The last time I had one of those I was fourteen.
I consider calling Caleb and telling him this isn’t going to work. Sadie and I are oil and water, and we don’t mix. But I can’t stress him out like that. He’s an ocean away. I can do this.
I walk down the hall and stop outside Sadie’s door.
“Yessssssss!” she cries out, low and breathy.
No way.
No freaking way .
Heat rushes straight to my groin. My soldier snaps to attention so fast it hurts. I jerk back from the door, heart pounding like I just ran a mile.
I stand there frozen, not sure what to do. I’ve already heard too much.
This is private, and it isn’t for me.
I scrub my hands over my face, feeling like the worst kind of jerk, and force myself to walk away. I’ve invaded her privacy, not long after giving her a lecture about boundaries. Good grief.
Back out in the living room, I pace. I need to talk to her about the messages. I can hear her phone continue to ping. I never knew my walls were so thin.
A minute later, the shower turns on. I stop pacing, standing here like an idiot.
Should I check on her? Should I just leave her alone? Maybe she needs space. Maybe she needs someone to care enough to ask.
Ping .
Her phone cuts through the silence again.
Ping .
Ping .
Each one hits me like a slap. Someone’s trying to reach her. Someone who won’t stop. If it isn’t Alex begging her to come back, maybe it’s Caleb? We talked last night, but maybe I should assure him Sadie is okay. I won’t tell him that I heard her moan my name. He would castrate me.
My stomach tightens.
This isn’t just about boundaries or feeling awkward.
I turn the television on and look at the scores of the day. But I can’t even pay attention because I’m listening for her.
I wait until the shower shuts off and give her enough time to get dressed. Then I knock on her door.
“Yeah?” Sadie says, her voice small. “You can come in.”
I step inside.
She’s wearing a thin silk robe, and my soldier is once again about to break my zipper. I can still see her nipples. Why doesn’t she understand I don’t want to do that?
I look away from her and realize every surface in my guest room is covered.
Makeup. Nail polish. Her half-eaten dinner on the dresser.
I take a deep breath. My fingers itch to pick stuff up, to make it neat again.
But I shove my hands into my pockets. This isn’t my space right now. This isn’t my problem.
Sadie stands by the dresser, brushing her wet hair. The scent of her shampoo—something sweet and flowery—lingers in the air. She won’t look at me. “What do you want?” she asks, her voice tight.
I shift on my feet, uncomfortable. And the last thing I want is for her to notice. “I’m sorry,” I say, my voice rough.
Sadie turns toward me, confused.
“I was out of line earlier,” I add. “About what you wore to dinner. About…everything.” I rub the back of my neck, heat crawling up my face. “I don’t even know why I said it. I want you to be comfortable here. I guess I’m just not used to… I guess I just…”
I trail off. I can’t tell her the truth, that I find myself attracted to her in a way I shouldn’t be. That she’s a much more interesting person than I realized, even if her mess makes me nuts.
She’s a complication, but Caleb is trusting me to take care of her. Yet every part of me wants to pull her close. This makes no sense. Sadie would not even remotely be a good match for me. And she’s been through so much—losing her parents... She doesn’t need me messing with her head.
Her phone pings again.
I glance at it. “Who keeps texting you?”
Sadie shrugs, trying to play it cool. “It’s just a group chat. I’ll turn it off.”
Ping .
This time the screen lights up before she can hide it.
I can tell it’s Alex, and I see the preview of her message on her home screen .
Alex: If you don’t come home right now, you’re gonna regret it.
The words slam into me like a punch. I should have seen that coming . My fists ball up at my sides. “Is he—” I ask.
Sadie flips her phone over so fast it nearly falls out of her hand. “No,” she says quickly. But her voice shakes. And that’s all the answer I need.
I step closer, lowering my voice. “Sadie, has he ever hit you?”
She freezes. Then slowly, she shakes her head.
I give her a look because I’m not sure I believe her.
Her shoulders fall. “No. He’s threatened. But he never… He was always too stoned to be any threat. He never did anything. That’s why I left.”
I nod, though I want to explode. Threats are bad enough. But threats can turn into actions before you know it. I’ve seen what some men do to women and children in our emergency department. I don’t want that for Sadie. She’s had a tough life already.
“You should file a restraining order,” I say quietly. “Go to the police. Don’t wait for it to get worse.”
Sadie wraps her arms around herself, squeezing tight. “I’m fine. He doesn’t know where I am, and once he sobers up, he’ll let this go.”
“You’re not going back to him…” I try to phrase it as a statement rather than a question. I want to tell her stories of women I’ve seen, but I can’t.
“I don’t want that…” she confirms. Her eyes fill with hurt. “I don’t think I need a restraining order.”
“Do you want to call Caleb?” I offer. “Get his opinion? He knows you both better than I do.”
Sadie lets out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Definitely not.”
I almost smile. There’s some fight left in her yet. “Okay,” I say. “Just…sleep on it. Please.”
She nods, but it’s small and unsure. I leave her room and head straight to mine. My hands shake as I pull out my phone. I can’t let Alex think he can do this.
I open the group chat with my brothers—Ryker, Greyson, and Kingston—and fire off a message.
Me: Sadie Calloway is staying with me. She left her boyfriend—Alex Tremblay. He’s now threatening her.
The replies come almost instantly.
Greyson: We’ll back you up if you need us.
Kingston: Name the time and place.
Ryker: Alex’s mom’s a Dempsey. Makes me want to go even more.
I sit on the edge of my bed and crack a smile. I knew they’d be there for me—and for her. Sadie might not realize it yet, but she’s not alone anymore. Not while she’s got me.