Page 96 of My Never
“There’s no darkness for my secrets this time.”
“Tell me anyway,” I say around a bite of eggs. He chuckles.
“I love you,” he says, looking at me dreamily.
“I know.” I smirk.
“Nice Stars Wars reference.”
“I had to,” I answer, winking as I take a sip of my coffee from Jenna’s hot pink mug.
“You were my never girl.”
I frown, looking up at him with confusion. He reaches forward and smooths my frown line before blooping my bottom lip. We snicker together.
“I told myself, ‘Nope, never’. Boy did I eat those words. You wrecked me. Came crashing into me like an unexpected wave and drug me back out to sea.”
“Hmm, interesting analogy. Continue,” I crack back, earning a grin as I stuff another bite into my mouth.
“It’s funny how my ‘never’ turned into my ‘forever’.”
I gulp down my bite and look over at the gorgeous man next to me. Is he?...Nah…That’s crazy.
“I meant what I said last night. You’re my future. I don’t want any part of something that doesn’t have you and me in it. I want forever. With you, Ava. You’re the dream I never thought I wanted. You became everything I’ve ever needed. You showed me just how much time I’ve wasted, living a restless life, and Idon’t intend to waste a minute longer. You make me want to be a better man, someone who deserves a place at your side. Will you let me spend forever proving myself to you? Ava, will you be my wife?”
I’m at a complete loss for words. I gulp back the emotions trying to choke me. Mark reaches up and thumbs away a tear from my cheek, resting his palm against my cheek.
“Breathe, Bella,” he says softly, eyes darting back and forth between mine. I suck in a breath, searching his eyes back. Another tear slips down my other cheek as I nod. His eyes light up, misting over with emotion.
“Yes, Marcus, I will–”
Mark cuts off my answer with a kiss as he leans in and grabs my face with both hands, happily crushing his lips against mine. If I’m his wave, then he’s my rip tide, sucking me under and dragging me further out into the uncharted waters. I’ll drown in him any day.
“Front door open,” the alarm announces, and Mark curses, grabbing his phone and pulling up the screen.
“I’ve gotta fix that door. It’s a bit breezy today. I must’ve not latched it properly. Be right back.”
He pecks my lips one more time, muttering ‘love you’ before climbing off the bed. I blow him a kiss as he walks out the door. Less than a minute later, I hear a grunt and a weird thud. I frown and pull back the covers before chuckling from the mental image of him fidgeting frustratedly with the door.
“Sometimes you just have to put your hip into i–”
My word lodges in my throat as the picture painted before me curdles my blood. Mark lies crumpled on the floor with a shocked and panicked expression as Eric stands above him with a dripping knife, a sadistic smile taunting the corners of his lips. His malicious gaze zeros in on me.
“Hi, Ava. Oh darn, looks like someone forgot to lock the front door.”
I can’t hear anything except for the rapid pounding of my blood whooshing in my ears. I look down at my fiancé as his eyes widen with horror. He’s attempting to tap something on his phone, and I realize it’s the emergency button. The system he installed has a panic button that connects directly to Colin and the police at the same time. Help is coming. A sob chokes me as we lock eyes. I’m scared. He mouths for me to ‘run’. I turn back and sprint toward our room as Eric steps over Mark’s body to chase after me. I hear a scuffle and know that Mark is trying to buy me more time. I slam the door and throw the deadbolt the guys added yesterday morning. There’s one in the bathroom too.
Grabbing my phone off the bed, I run for the bathroom as I hear the wood start to splinter from Eric’s body fighting to break in. I whimper, afraid for the man I love out there with that lunatic. I lock the bathroom door as I open up the app to make sure the panic button was actually triggered. I huff out a breath of relief. It was, almost two minutes ago. Colin will come. The police should be on their way too.
I hear a roar as the bedroom door gives way and know that Eric will be at the bathroom door any second. I search around, spotting the metal baseball bat Trystan made me put in here. A loud kick against the door makes me yelp.
“You’ve got nowhere to go now and nobody to save you, Bitch!” Eric sputters angrily from the other side of the door as he kicks and throws his body into it. The wood splinters slightly, and I whimper, knowing that it’s not going to hold for long. Even though my heart is bleeding out across the living room floor, I try to take deep breaths. I’m going to need every bit of my sanity to fight this motherfucker.
“If I can’t have you, then he can’t–” Eric slams into the door with his body, splintering the wood to where he can almostget his hand in. I scoot closer so that I can smash his hand the minute it slides through the crack. “--have you! Nobody will have you!”Thud.
My heart is hammering so hard, I think I might pass out. I’m starting to hyperventilate. I concentrate on sucking air through my nose and breathing out through my mouth. If I pass out, I’m done for. I will not die by this motherfucker’s hand.
The wood makes a sickening crack as it breaks. Eric’s hand slides through, and I rear back and swing with all my might before he can flip the lock. He howls with pain. I know I broke at least one finger.
