Always Yours (Roommate Duet 6)

Ty sucks in a sharp breath, but I keep my gaze locked on Eric.

Did he just say what I think he said?

“What is this?” I stand and cross my arms. “A Beauty and the Beast plot? Am I forbidden from the west wing too?”

“It’s called structure and following rules,” he states firmly. God, I want to take a fork to his neck. “And if you can’t…”

“You’ll put me in the dungeon?” I retort. “Don’t you know the candlestick and clock will come alive and save me?”

Eric steps closer, but I hold my ground. I don’t give two shits who he is or what he’s capable of doing. I’m sick and tired of his attitude toward me when I don’t even want to fucking be here. He treats me like it’s my fault he has to babysit me.

“Don’t tempt me, Madelyn.”

“Eric, that’s enough.” Ty’s booming voice comes closer. Grabbing my arm, he pulls me back and steps between Eric and me. “Get the fuck away from her.”

“Watch it. You’re already in hot water,” Eric warns.

“Fuck off.” Ty’s taller than him, but Eric looks like he wouldn’t think twice about killing him. He’s probably fucking Victoria on the side and will literally do anything she asks.

The two of them have a silent stare down as my heart thrashes in my chest, beating faster with every passing second. I don’t want Ty to get hurt because of me and my smart-ass mouth, but I also really loathe Eric.

So I do the only thing I know in awkward situations and make jokes.

“If you two murder each other, I’ll be able to escape so you might want to pull back your testosterone and relax. In fact…” I clap eagerly. “We should all do some yoga and cleanse our minds and bodies.” I smile wide when they both glare at me. “What? It’s good for the soul.”

Eric huffs before stepping back and finally walks out of the kitchen. Ty scowls at me as if he didn’t appreciate my vocal interruption, but hey it got Eric out of here so I’m not even sorry.

“What?” I ask innocently. Shrugging, I take another bite of my BLT and smile.

“Go back to your room when you’re done eating. Stay out of his way.” Ty’s voice is anything but friendly, which is a contrast to how he was being before Eric interrupted us. He steps around me, and before he walks into the hallway, he stops and adds, “And mine.”

This day has been fucking weird. After I eat, I do as Ty asks and go to my room. A throbbing headache keeps me planted in bed for most of the evening, and when Eric announces I need to come and eat dinner, I tell him to eat shit. However, he doesn’t like that answer and barges into my room.

“What are you doing?” I shout when he grabs my arm and yanks me up. “Don’t touch me!”

“You eat when it’s time,” he responds coldly. What the hell is it with this man and time? Like we have anything else to do all damn day and need to be on a strict schedule.

“I can walk by myself. Get your perverted hands off me,” I hiss through my teeth.

He responds by squeezing my arm tighter and jerking me down the hallway until we reach the kitchen. I immediately notice only two plates are set at the table.

“Where’s Ty?” I ask, walking to one of the chairs.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s been taken care of.”

My stomach drops and nausea surfaces as the contents of my lunch threaten to come up.

What the fuck does taken care of mean? I’m afraid to even ask, but I do anyway.

“What’s that mean? Is he gone?”

Eric sits in the chair across from me, not looking in my direction.

“Eat. Then I want you back in your room.”

“I thought I was allowed to go anywhere,” I say, having no appetite. I can tell Eric cooked tonight and though it doesn’t look bad, it’s nothing compared to Ty’s Southern recipes.

“The rules have changed.”

It’s after nine p.m., and as I pace my bedroom, I can’t stop thinking about Ty and what they did to him. It’s all my fault; I should’ve left him alone and stopped trying to get too close. Being trapped here with nothing to do and no one to talk to is fucking lonely, and when Ty gave me an opening for some kind of friendship, I took it and demanded more.

Now he could be dead because of me.

My head’s still pounding, and I can’t sleep, so I tiptoe to the kitchen to find some medicine. When I finally do, I swallow down two pills with some water and reluctantly go back to my room. Deciding a hot bath might help, I grab some comfy clothes and one of the plush robes I hung up on my door, then head to the bathroom.