Chapter 11 Thorne Loses His Mind
Thorne Loses His Mind
Sawyer drove us home in the old beater car we shared. Almost everything in our small town was walkable, so it rarely got used.
Back at the apartment, he ushered me upstairs.
It was getting late, and I couldn’t help yawning.
Without speaking, I walked into Sawyer's room and curled up in his bed, needing his sweet hazelnut scent all around me.
I fell asleep with my best friend curled against me, his arms wrapped around my waist and holding my back against his chest.
Despite all the revelations, I slept like the dead.
Waking in Sawyer’s arms felt different—possessive, somehow. We often fell asleep snuggling during a movie or when we were too tired to make it to our own rooms. But this was not the same, and it felt like a new era.
There was an unspoken understanding that we wouldn’t sleep apart from each other again. Not if we could help it.
Sighing, I rolled over to face him, and pressed my cheek to his old band shirt. We’d gotten plenty of sleep, but my limbs felt heavy, and I just wanted to doze off.
Stroking his hand down my back, Sawyer murmured, “Do you want to call out from work today? I’d feel better if we stayed together, at least for a while.”
It was easier to drift back to sleep instead of answering him.
Some time later, I woke when Sawyer extracted himself. He kissed my forehead. “I’m going to call Margie and tell her you’re sick.”
“No, I need the money. I’ll go,” I protested, throwing my arm over my face.
“Then you’d better get up. The store opens in twenty minutes.”
Groaning, I pushed myself up to sit. My joints were sore, and my muscles ached.
“I wonder if that jackass gave me some cold or bug or something,” I grumbled.
After a five-minute shower to wake myself up, I accepted the bagel Sawyer prepared and trudged out the door. He joined me, walking me all the way to Cluckingham Palace with his hand rubbing comforting circles on my back.
At the front door, I shoved him back a step. “Let me work. I don’t need a babysitter. I promise to call if I need you.”
“Promise,” he reiterated, stepping closer. His hands framed my face, his thumbs pushing my jaw up so he could kiss me soundly. His wrists rubbed over my neck as he released me.
“Yes,” I assured him, my tired smile turning dopey.
Eyes locked on mine, he pushed the door open over my shoulder, and I stumbled through. It whooshed shut behind me, Sawyer still watching. Hugging myself, I spun to face the store.
Margie grinned at me from the register. “I see you and the hot roommate took things to the next level. It took you long enough.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said breezily, taking my purse to the back.
My cheeks burned. It was our first public appearance, and I supposed that was what normal couples did. But I went on a date with one guy, was rescued by my roommate, and somehow ended up romantically attached to him? The whole thing made my head spin.
Unable to wipe the smile off my face, I headed into the shop to catch up with Margie. Luckily, she didn’t ask for any details about my love life.
The day dragged by. A few people stopped by for small items, but there wasn’t much to restock, and I hated being bored. I puttered around, tidying up and straightening the already-neat shop.
“Autumn, I’m going on lunch. Register is all yours.” Margie waved on her way to the back.
Sighing, I settled at the front, pulling out my phone since the store was empty.
Stomach full of butterflies, I opened up my photos app and scrolled through recent selfies of Sawyer and me.
Now knowing how he felt, it was obvious in the pictures.
His head tilted toward mine, his eyes often on me even when I smiled at the camera.
We could have been together for years already. Another dramatic sigh left my lungs. But our friendship was worth everything. It wasn’t wasted time. And we were close enough after all this time, so we could get down to the good stuff right away.
A flush crawled up my neck, and my pulse throbbed between my legs as I thought about all the things I’d like to do to Sawyer.
Against my will, the image of Thorne flashed in my mind, shirtless, sweating as he fucked me senseless in the back of his SUV.
Ugh, no! He was not mine, and I was not his. I wanted Sawyer.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the front door chimed, and Thorne stepped inside.
Frowning, I took in his altered appearance. His hair was slicked back, and he wore leather pants and a performance sports shirt in a black-on-gray honeycomb pattern.
Clearly, sleeping with him had cured my attraction, because my body’s reaction was instant revulsion.
“What are you doing here, Thorne? We agreed to talk when I was ready,” I said, my words coated in ice.
His gaze tracked across the store and landed on me. The slow perusal up and down my body was pure ick. Scowling, I crossed my arms over my chest. Slowly, he approached, leaving plenty of time for disgust to wriggle over my skin.
“Why is my mate working at a store like this? Selling, what, animal food?” he sneered.
I blinked at him. He’d been here before. Did he hit his head?
“What is the matter with you?”
His lip curled, showing blunt fangs. The flash in his eyes was pure menace.
For the first time, real fear prickled through me. Not fear about what might be lurking in the shadows or how the world might be different than I knew, but true fear of the man in front of me and what he might do.
“I think you should leave,” I said, hating the way my voice shook.
He scoffed. “No, I’m here to retrieve my mate.” His lips curved into a smirk, like he was amused at something. “So let’s go.”
Reaching forward, he grabbed at my wrist. I jerked back, stumbling off the stool. He closed in, grabbing my wrist again. The squeeze of his grip brought tears to my eyes.
“Let me go!” I cried, twisting my arm.
He held tight. “Come on, shut up and be obedient.”
Rage boiled up, burning through my fear. Snarling, I stepped forward, placing all my weight on that foot so I could swing my other leg up and kick him between the legs.
My kick landed, and he let out a classic oof, doubling over.
His grip loosened, and I yanked free as he wheezed.
“You little bitch!”
“I’m calling the police now, you fucker!” Scrambling away, I launched myself through the staff door to the back and threw the bolt.
Margie stood there, her mouth open. The chocolate chip cookie in her hand dropped to the floor.
“Um, yeah, the guy I went out with the other day, turns out he’s a psycho,” I panted. “We might need to call the police.”
Gathering herself, Margie walked to the desk and retrieved something small and rectangular. Holding it up, she said, “Leave it to me.”
The small device crackled as she pressed the button. Margie had a taser!
Despite my better judgement, I opened the door for her, and she stalked past, brandishing the weapon.
“I’ve always wanted to use this,” she muttered.
Heart pounding, I followed her into the store.
The contents of the register counter were all over the floor, including the tablet and locked cash drawer. The display of dog treats beside the counter was also knocked over and spilled across the brown-and-white linoleum.
But thankfully, Thorne was gone.
Sighing, Margie turned to me. “Do you still want to file a police report?”
The air in my lungs felt tight, my stomach churning. “No, I don’t think so. But I need to talk to Sawyer before I decide for sure. Is that okay?”
Margie nodded sagely. “Whatever you need to do.”
Cringing, I gathered the dog treats, grateful they were individually wrapped, and set the display upright. Once the front of the store was back to normal, I headed to the back to take my lunch break. My sandwich tasted like cardboard.
After a few minutes, Margie came into the back. She patted my shoulder. “Listen, we need to have a talk.”
My heart dropped. Margie was never this grave. She settled across from me, her mouth thinning.
“I just got off a call with my aunt. We feel that you need to take a little time off. The store can’t afford drama like this, and you need a break to sort things out.”
“What? That wasn’t my fault. And it was one guy.”
Her eyebrows shot up. We both knew it was the fourth time Thorne had visited the store.
“We can pay out your vacation time, and then reevaluate in a couple of weeks, okay?”
I flinched like I’d been slapped, the unfairness of it making me sick, followed by a rush of anger at Thorne. But there was no arguing with Margie. Exhaling, I resigned myself to this punishment.
“I understand. Do you want me to finish my shift?”
Margie patted my hand. “No, I’ll be fine. Go ahead and head home.”
My eyes stung, but I refused to cry in front of her. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my purse.
“Do you want to call Sawyer to walk you home?” Margie suggested.
“No. It’s so close, don’t worry about it.”
It was a stupid choice, but I didn’t want to cry in front of Sawyer either. I’d have to take the risk.
Waving over my shoulder, I headed out the back door and jogged along the alley. After passing three more shop buildings, I moved to the sidewalk.
Tears dripped down my face, and I sniffled, wiping them away. This was too much. My world had shifted, and now my job, which I loved, was being taken away. Hopefully after two weeks they’d let me come back.
Even the prospect of going home to Sawyer wasn’t enough to curb my emotions, but I knew once I reached him, he could wrap me up in his arms and everything would be okay.