by Marie Skye
"It can wait until you're done." I tried waving him off, but he shook his head.
"Not when it comes to you." His gaze pierced me. God, I loved this man. I shut my eyes. Fight with him. You have to fight.
"I decided to start working again."
"Oh yeah?"
I nodded, twisting my hands. "Yeah, I think it would be good for me."
He looked down at my hands. "If you think you're ready. You know you can have as much time off as you need. Small perk of dating the boss." He gave me a little smile before glancing back down at my hands and frowning. He placed his hand over mine. "What aren't you telling me?"
The tears started to prick my eyes, and his hand tightened around mine. "I'm not returning to your company," I whispered.
He took a deep breath. "Okay. Where?"
"Grayson. I've been lying to you. To myself, about getting better. A lie. I go to therapy, but I think being here makes it harder for me. All of this was my fault.”
He grabbed my shoulders. "Fine, we’ll move. But this isn't your fault; do you hear me? He was a sick fuck, and I only wish I would have kill him sooner."
I moved out of his grasp. "He got to Abby because of me."
"He didn't hurt her."
"But he could have! He would have if I didn't get to her." Grayson took a step back. "They're your family, Grayson. If something was to happen, you would never forgive me, because shit from my past followed me," I whispered. “Your family would never forgive me. They don't even know, do they?" His silence said everything.
"You saved Abby, Emmalin." His voice was rough.
"But, she was in that situation because of me, Grayson, and you know it. This eats at me, every day." Not a lie.
He took a step closer. “You're my life, Emmalin.”
I wiped away a tear. "Which is why you're going to let me save you, give you a new life, and not come after me when I go." My voice cracked at the last word. He was the love of my life. He would have a better life with someone not so fucked up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, breathing him in. Locking his scent into memory.
I walked past him, grabbed the bag I had packed earlier, and walked out the door for the last time. I was doing the right thing. That’s what I kept telling myself over and over again, but why did it feel like a knife in my heart? I was doing this for him. He needed to see that. He could finally have what I could probably never give him.
I went to the awaiting cab and got in.
“Emmalin!”
I heard my name being called. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around because if you do, you’re going to lose it.
“Did you forget something, ma’am?”
Yeah. My heart.
“No. Just drive, please.” He drove. And I didn’t look back.
Epilogue
Three MonthsLater…
“Mr. Mandrake, there’s someone here to see you.” Glenda’s voice came through over my speaker.
“I said I didn’t want to fucking see anyone. If those instructions are hard to follow, then find me someone who can!” I threw the phone across the room, and it shattered. I walked over my bar and grabbed the bourbon. Fuck needing a glass, as I tipped my head back and drank it straight from the bottle.
My door suddenly opened and in walked Ruska. Fuck. I didn’t need this shit right now.
“The fuck do you want?”
He eyed me up and down precariously. “You’re looking well. The exact look I had when my wife left me.”
I tipped my bottle back again, not taking my eyes off of him as I flipped him off, because fuck him, that’s why.
“I said, the fuck do you want, Ruska? If you’re here to gloat, do it another time. I’m not interested. I’m busy.”
He laughed as he pulled out a Cuban and lit it up. “I can see that.” He took a drag before speaking. “I have something for you.”
“Well, you can keep it. I’m all out of fucks right now. Maybe come back later.”
He smiled wickedly. “It’s about Dale Ferguson.”
I shrugged, tipping the bottle back again. “Still out of fucks, Ruska. I’m no longer interested in Dale.”
He laid an envelope on my desk. “Oh, I think you will be interested in this. You were right. He was up to something.” He gave me a wink before turning around and leaving.
Fucking asshole. I sat stewing at my desk before curiosity got the best of me. I finally opened the envelope and a picture fell out.
It was a picture of Lydia sitting on a bench. I rubbed my eyes and checked the timestamp. It wasn’t Lydia I was focused on. It’s who she was sitting next to and staring at.
Carmen.
Acknowledgements
So that just happened. Crazy right? I enjoyed writing this second installment, because it was filled with so much emotion, and at some point I seriously had to step back and cry myself. With that being said, I want to thank all those that have stuck with me on this journey. This is no easy task. I've made some new friends, near and far, and some friends that wish they had their own Grayson Mandrake in their lives. Don't we all.
My dad was mad at me because I didn't 'thank him' in the last book. So hey dad, even though you shouldn't even be opening these books. THANK YOU. See that. I thanked you.
And to my mother who is opening these books, even though I wish you weren't, and feels the need to not only text me quotes from the book, and calls and reads me paragraphs out of the book, as if I didn't write the book, and not only does she do this to me, but also to my sister (sorry she embarrasses you too) 'waves hello'.
To my team of pimpsters. You know who you are, because there's too many of you to name, and I love each and every one of you, and I appreciate you so much! To all my readers. I hope you enjoyed Unjustly Destroyed, just as much as I did.
So where do we go from here? Continuing the final chapter of Grayson and Emmalin of course. Stay tuned!
M.S
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Playlist
Marilyn Manson- Odds of Even
Birdy-Terrible Love
James Bay- Let it Go
Amy Stroup- Dark Runs Out
Kings of Leon- Closer
FKA Twigs- Two Weeks
Frightened Rabbit- Death Dream
Houses- A Quiet Darkness
Malia J- Smells Like Teen Spirit
Sleeping At Last- Already Gone
Jasmine Thompson- Like I'm Gonna Lose You
Andra Day- Rise Up
Daughter- Medicine
X Ambassadors - Unsteady
A Great Big World- Say Something
Sam Tinnesz- Glass Heart
Kodaline- Love Like This (Acoustic)
About Marie Skye
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