In Between The Lines| BOOK #2 IN THE PSU SERIES

fifty-four

It hurt much worse now knowing what the outcome of this might be.

"I have to go—I don't want to go, but I have to." Feeling her fingers play with the chain around my neck, I paused. "Do you want to wear it?" I asked her.

She froze, let out a chuckle of shock. "Your chain? Your beloved chain? The one you never take off?" She spoke—gobsmacked.

Nodding, I shook her off of me—I sat up. Reaching around my neck, I unclasped the very expensive chain. Waving my finger at her to sit up, her silk nightdress bunched up around her as the sunlight hit her body—illuminating every feature I loved about her.

She held up her hair as I placed the necklace along her collarbone. Clasping it, I let my fingertips rub her neck and the tiny bruises I've left with my lips over the past few days. "There," I commented as she let her hair drop.

Placing a kiss on her shoulder blade, I crawled out of bed. Throwing on a shirt, she watched me very closely. We hadn't spent a day apart since our small falling out, she hadn't shown her friends the ring either.

But now it was time for me to go and be a 'doting' son—one that everyone wanted me to be.

"I love you," She pouted her lips out at me. Crawling to the edge of the bed, I bent down placing a kiss on her lips. "I love you more." I reached out my pinky finger.

She looked at me in confusion. "Promise me you'll come to see me?" I asked, hesitancy in my voice. She froze for a moment before nodding. Connecting our pinky fingers she spoke, "As long as you keep your dad and his minions away from me." She smiled, batting her eyelashes.

I laughed, nodding.

Pulling away from each other, I grabbed my phone. She crawled out of bed, latching onto my hand. I grinned at her as I saw the skimpy, silk dress clings to her body as if it were her own skin.

"I gotta go," I announced as she kissed my hand, the one she just grabbed. "Blondie—I'm serious. I gotta go or you got to change your outfit because it's going to be the death of me." She smiled at me before laying her head against my chest.

"I'm bleeding and cramping really bad, we couldn't anyway." She muttered.

I laughed, pulling away from her I looked into her eyes. "That wouldn't stop me," I responded, rubbing her chin in between my fingers. My hands then went to her back, rubbing it hoping to soothe her. She let out a sigh of relief curling back into my body.

"You could always come with me..." I led off as she shook her head.

"I don't want to be near your father when he loses." She teased.

I do, Sloane. I do and I want to tell him to kiss my ass.

"I love you, walk me out?" I asked as she nodded, connecting our hands, we walked out of her room. It was fairly early on a Monday—we didn't have school today because it was a holiday. Approaching the door, I placed another kiss on her lips. She watched me walk away from her and if there was anything my girl had taught me:

When you truly care about someone—it hurts to let them go.

"I love you! Be safe!" She called out from the top of her stairs. Waving goodbye at me, I just continued to walk away from her not looking back.

There were no words to describe the amount of hate I had for myself. For doing this to her—I hated this—I hated me.

I hated who I had become before, I lost myself but through her, I regained myself.

Getting into my truck, I sped off towards the captain's house wanting to just grab my stuff and head for the shit show that was going to erupt within the next 24 hours.