Page 215 of Where We Stay

I crouch in front of her and force my shaking hands to stay gentle as I hold her arms.

“Blair needs my help,” I tell her.

“Is she hurt?” Aspen asks, her bottom lip beginning to tremble.

“I don’t know, baby girl.” Saying it nearly fucking kills me. “You’re going to stay here with Nana and Gramps while I go find her, okay?”

“I want to come.”

“I know, Pen, but I need you to stay here.” I pull her into my chest and kiss the top of her head. “I love you.”

Aspen’s arms tighten around my neck. “I love you too, Daddy.”

Dad rests a hand on my shoulder when I stand. His expression is hard, all traces of humor gone.

“Go,” he tells me. “We’ve got her.”

I race toward my truck, hearing my family calling after me, asking questions I don’t have time to answer. Logan yells that he’s coming, but I don’t wait for him.

The engine roars to life, and I’m out of the driveway before I’ve even fastened my seat belt.

I grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white.

He fucking found her.

Forty Three

Blair

Ben smiles.

It’s the same smile that used to make me apologize for things I hadn’t done. The same smile that made me doubt my own memory.

Once, it would have been enough to make me shrink.

Not anymore.

“Look at you,” he says, his eyes sweeping up and down my body. “Blair Morgan.”

Hearing him say my name makes my skin crawl. I rub my arms, hating the way my body still reacts to his voice after all this time.

“Get out of my fucking house,” I demand.

I try to sound confident and strong, but my voice waves slightly. Of course, Ben notices.

“Aw, but I just got here.” He cocks his head to the side, an evil smirk spreading across his face. “Why don’t we catch up?”

“There’s nothing to catch up on,” I tell him.

His smile doesn’t move. “Five years and that’s all I get?”

“You got five years because of what you did to me. Be grateful it wasn’t longer.”

Something flickers behind his eyes.

There.

That’s the Ben I remember.