Shallow River

He directs his eyes to

my hand. “When you feel unsafe, I want you to use it to draw a circle on your hand. Most people who work customer service know what it means.”

I can’t help it. I laugh.

“You’re kidding, right? I’m not drawing anything on my hand. I don’t feel unsafe.”

Liar. You were just hiding out as his house a couple months ago because you felt unsafe.

I shift, subtly wincing at the pain in my backside, despite two weeks passing since that night. I’ve been ripped open in a way that a person should never be. I passed out after a few minutes. When I came to, I was left on the bed naked and my phone gone.

For a full week, he refused to give me my phone back. It took me two days before I realized fighting him wasn’t going to get me access to my phone. So, I started being good. I listened. Loved on him even though I felt he didn’t deserve it. And reverted back to a docile, mindless girl.

That weekend, he ran me a warm bubble bath with roses and wine. Ryan sat behind me, crying into my shoulder, asking for forgiveness.

It wasn’t until the water grew cold that I told him I forgave him. He was so broken, sobbing until he couldn’t breathe. It didn’t take long before I was crying with him. He swore that would never happen again. He took off the tracker to my phone right in front of my eyes, gave it back to me and promised to do better. Having my phone and privacy back is what ultimately broke my resolve. I’ve never seen Ryan so upset in my life, so I knew he had to be truly sorry for what he did.

Mako’s eyes darken into a moss green. Just like his brother. Everything goes dark when they get angry. It’s like the evil shadow dwelling inside of them comes to the surface.

He nods his head slowly, a strand of hair falling across his forehead. My fingers twitch with the urge to brush it back. Bending over, he picks up the sharpie. Then he steps closer to me, bringing his body flush with mine. With bated breath, I don’t dare look away from his eyes, even as he wraps his arm behind me and slips the sharpie into my back pocket.

Heat floods through me, so hot the oxygen in my lungs evaporate. If this is what it feels like with layers of fabric separating us, what would he feel like pressed against me, skin to skin?

I’m ashamed of the thought as soon as it flashes though my head. I love Ryan. I don’t even like Mako.

The familiar fingers of anxiety wrap around my chest. Without thought, I glance around my surroundings, convinced Ryan will somehow see me. Just because he took off the tracker on my phone doesn’t mean there’s not people watching me. I know he doesn’t trust me, not after I lied to him about Amelia.

I clearly don’t deserve his trust. Look at me now. Acting like a slut and entertaining thoughts of his brother. A brother he despises at that.

Stupid, River. Walk away before someone sees you. Ryan will never forgive you.

“When I come over for dinner tonight, I promise I’ll kill him if I see a black circle on that pretty little hand.”

Without thinking, I step closer, and bare my teeth right in his face.

“The only reason I’ll put a dot on my hand is because I want to get away from you.”

“Then why are your tits currently pressed into my chest?” he asks, a smirk sitting prettily atop his stupid fucking face.

Scrambling backwards, I nearly trip on my feet in my pursuit to act like I wasn’t just pressed up against him like saran wrap. I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. I’ve no idea what to say now.

“You’re not coming over for dinner,” I state finally.

He smiles. “Dad assigned him to my case. His client is a key witness to a murder. Ryan and I will be working together until this case is solved. I’m coming over for dinner, River.”

I step away from him and turn to walk away. “Fine. But I would never allow you to kill him,” I say over my shoulder.

Only I would get those honors.

“I WANT DINNER TO be ready by six. Make meatloaf. Mako hates meatloaf,” Ryan says through the speakers in my car. I called him the second I got in this heat box. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t tell him his brother stalked me again and told me about the dinner. I had to play dumb and wait until he told me.

I can’t believe he didn’t fucking tell me.

“I wish you would’ve told me this sooner. Now I have to rush to the store,” I complain, swatting a sweaty strand of hair out of my face. My car is starting to get old, which means the heat of the Carolina sun is starting to outrank my A/C. Maybe it’s time for a new one—something I can’t quite afford right now.

“I only found out yesterday. I didn’t get the chance to tell you because I’ve been working my ass off, something you wouldn’t know about,” he snaps, his words lashing at me like a whip. He always knows exactly what to say and when to say it to hurt me most.

It takes everything in me to keep my mouth closed. Working my ass off was my entire life since I was old enough to have a job—but alas, Ryan always has temporary memory loss when shoving my jobless state in my face. Something he demanded of me.