Zari Davis flees Dallas after witnessing her fiancee cheating, with no clear plan on where she's going. After flipping her Volkswagon Beetle, she wakes up convinced that the cute guy that's been reading raunchy novels aloud while she slept is actual...
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P L A Y L I S T
Ashley - Escape The Fate
Zari's eyes fluttered open, closed, then open again. She squinted, trying to adjust to the dark, but everything blurred. Where was she? Lately, all her thoughts jumbled together and she couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. Even now, she must be dreaming because nothing looked familiar. She tried to push up on her elbows, but couldn't. What was that about? Was she strapped down?
Panic rose in her throat. Oh, God. Was she paralyzed? She kicked her legs and flailed her arms. Thank God. Everything moved but not well. She had something wrapped around her right wrist. She lifted it above her face and stared at the bandage. A cast. But why? Had she broken a bone? Where? When?
Then she brought her left hand into view. Like a science fiction movie, tubes connected to her arm. What a strange dream.
The harder she thought, the more her head pounded. Okay. Calm down. Relax. Think happy thoughts and you can change the dream. Happy. Happy. Happy. Breathe in. Out. In. Out. Think about him. Yeah. That's better. He'd been here earlier. Reading those silly poems. She liked those. And the sound of his voice. The way he smelled. Like air after a rain. She liked when he touched her. The way he played with her fingers. Oh, she especially liked that.
She wanted him to come back and she could get him here. All she had to do was concentrate. Picture him in her mind. Brown eyes. Black hair. Strong jaw. She released a slow, steady breath. The thought of him made things happen. Her body heated and the way she tingled was like someone had sprinkled confetti on her skin. Everything was okay. No way she'd feel this good otherwise. With that last thought, she drifted into sleep.
*
Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief when the two vehicles he followed turned onto his mother's street. But his respite was short lived. What if Mom wasn't home? His mind raced. Was this her night for the ladies' sewing club? Well, if it was, he wasn't about to let those two get inside the house. With the garage door closed, he couldn't tell if Mom's car was there.
He palmed his cell and punched in her number. She answered on the second ring.
"Hey, Mom. You home?"
Something in his voice must had triggered her, because she sounded worried. "Yes. Why? Oh no, did something happen?"
"No. Calm down. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to make sure you were there because Silbie is pulling into the drive with Owen Filgard right behind her."
"Are you following your sister?"
"Not on purpose. I just happened to see them in the parking lot of the motel and decided I should make sure he wasn't up to no good. Don't tell her, okay?"
