Chapter Nine
The next day, Madelyn pulled into the lodge parking lot and grabbed her purchases. She bit back a scream when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder and spun her to face Garrett.
“Where have you been?”
She stared at him in confusion. “In town.”
“For what?”
She gritted her teeth. “I didn’t know I had to tell anyone where I was going?”
“You don’t, just Trey or me.”
“Why?”
Garrett grunted and placed his hands on his hips.
“Where did you go, and why are you hiding the sack?” he asked suspiciously.
Madelyn’s heart dived in embarrassment as she shook her head. “I’m not.”
“Then you don’t mind me knowing what’s in the bag?”
Madelyn rolled her eyes and turned to keep it away from him when he tried to reach for it. “If you must know, it’s bread, peanut butter, crackers, and fruit.”
Garrett looked stunned. “For what? The meals are included with the price.”
“I can’t eat when I’m stressed,” she said softly, lowering her eyes to her bags, trying to hide her true feelings.
There was a long pause where Garrett stared at the top of her head. “I stress you out?” he asked.
She looked away and didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say to him. He was the cause of most of her stress, but she’d never been the type of person who liked to hurt someone for any reason.
He gritted his teeth in frustration. “I want you to eat in the dining room.”
She nodded slowly. “I will.”
“Every meal,” Garrett said, his voice heavy with authority.
“No.”
Garrett gritted his teeth in frustration. “You’ve lost weight. Is it because of me?”
“No,” she said firmly. “I’ve been going on a lot of hikes.”
She knew he guessed she was lying. She’s always been horrible at it.
“If you’re not downstairs, Trey or I will be up to get you.”
She sighed, nodded, and looked away.
“I mean it, Baby.”
“I don’t know why it’s such a big deal.”
“I don’t want you sad…”
“I’m not,” she interrupted.
“Because of me,” he continued. “I know I’m being an ass, and I’m sorry. I’m trying to come to grips with an issue I have.”
“I don’t know why it has to affect me.”
“Because I didn’t have this issue until you got here,” he growled.
She inhaled abruptly in shock.
If he was trying to hurt her, he was succeeding. She turned and decided to walk off, but he stopped her again when he grabbed her arm.
“I think you took that the wrong way?” he guessed.
“It doesn’t matter. Let go of me. I want to go now.”
“I’ll see you at dinner.”
She nodded without saying anything and walked off.
Once she got to her room, she locked the door, put away her things, and lay down on the mattress. She knew she was a strong person, but the way Garrett was making her feel scared her. One, because she thought she’d finally be happy. Secondly, she had lost weight and hadn’t meant to, and she was afraid something other than stress was the cause.