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Back This Woman Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise For Jodi Ellen Malpas
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. About Jodi Ellen Malpas
  44. Also by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Listen to her. Who is she trying to convince? Herself? Me? Should I remind her of the words she murmured in the shower? Or the drunken words in the car? Nothing but complete candor will work here. “But you do,” I say. “By me. This is why I’m having such a hard time trying to figure out why you keep fighting me off.” I go back to her diary and finish penning in every single day for the rest of the year, and she remains silent the entire time.

When I’m done, I shut the book and stand, satisfied. My work here is done. “What time will you be finished work?”

“Six-ish,” she whispers, looking somewhat dazed and muddled.

“Ish,” I mimic, offering my hand. She stares at it for a time, psyching herself up. I’m doing the same, but all the time in the world wouldn’t prepare me for the reaction I have to physical contact. I jerk. She jerks, her eyes shooting to mine. How could she even try to deny that? I gently pull away, dragging my touch across her skin, my body blazing. “See?” I say quietly, and she swallows. Yes. She sees. But if I don’t get out of here sharpish, Ava’s boss and colleagues are going to get quite the show.

I’m going to have to wait a few more hours to continue proving what I’m so sick of proving.

27

I kill the rest of the afternoon drinking coffee in a nearby café after shooting to the bike store across town to pick up a few bits for Ava, as well as some new running shoes. And a few other essentials.

John has been persistently calling, and I’ve avoided him. He only calls when there’s a problem these days. I’ve enough of my own, and one in particular is scratching at my mind like nails down a chalk board.

Mikael Van Der Haus.

If he even so much as thinks about making a move on Ava, I won’t hold back. It’ll be the last thing he does. God damn it, why does this world have to be so small?

Between five fifteen and five fifty, I watch as all of Ava’s colleagues leave the office one by one. I look down at my watch, feeling impatience taking hold. Where the hell is she? A text lands from John.

Answer your motherfucking phone or I’ll beat you hard, you ignorant motherfucker.

It immediately rings, and I immediately answer. I’m not stupid. “John,” I sigh, and he growls down the line before he speaks.