Chapter 9

Saturday

Eli gave me his best boy-next-door smile as he slid off my bed.

A week ago, his smile would have made my stomach flip over. But a lot had happened since then. "How did you get in here?"

He put his hands up, like he wasn't going to hurt me.

I didn't believe it for a second. I took a step backwards and grabbed the handle to my door.

"Kins let me in," he said. "She just went to the bathroom so we only have a minute..."

"Get out."

He lowered his eyebrows slightly. "Sadie, I'm sorry about our fight. I didn't mean what I said, you know that. I was just upset."

I tried to steady my rapid breathing. It felt like my mind was going to explode. He was working for Don. Or for someone else. I could feel his flames from across the room. I gulped. "I asked you to leave. I'm not going to ask you again." He was clearly good at sneaking into my dorm room. Maybe he was the one who had left the box. Maybe it was him who snuck me back in here after I was kidnapped. It felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

"I'm not going anywhere until we talk about this. Kins called me. She's been worried sick about you. She said you didn't come home last night."

Maybe it was anger that flashed across his eyes. Or maybe it was something else. I truly didn't know him. Everything I had learned about him was most likely a lie. But there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I needed information from him. I wasn't sure Liza was ever going to speak to me again unless I got her what she wanted. The problem was that I didn't know how dangerous Eli really was.

I took a deep breath. "What I do is none of your business."

His smile faltered. "Look," he said, lowering his voice. "We really need to talk."

"I just...I need some time to think about everything." It wasn't a lie. The room was stifling. I was finding it hard to breathe. I needed to think about what taking Liza's advice would entail. I wasn't sure I knew how to get information from Eli even if I tried.

"Please, Sadie..."

"I asked you to leave." I turned around and opened the door.

"I know that your real name is Summer."

My hand fell to my side and the door closed with a loud bang. I turned around to face him. "What?"

"I know your name isn't really Sadie Davis. I know you're not from North Dakota. I know your parents are dead. And I know you're tied up in something that you don't understand."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I've been watching you."

A chill ran down my spine. It couldn't be him. Could it? I looked down at his hands. His hands had burned me, but the vigilante wore gloves. He hid everything from me. Except his eyes. I looked up into Eli's eyes. He had brown eyes too. The anger was gone. There was just the kindness there that had originally attracted me to him.

"I know that you're scared." He stepped toward me. "But I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere ever again. I can protect you."

I thought about the late nights he claimed he was boxing. I thought about the bruises on his skin. I thought about the blue hoodie in his drawer. It's him. It was obviously him. I had made him the villain in my head because I was scared. But I could see it now.

"I'm sorry that I lied," he said. "I should have told you the truth, but..."

"It's you."

He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. I knew I had forced him to tell me before he was ready. Last night when we had talked on the computer, I could see that he was fighting with himself. He was tortured, but so was I. Now we didn't have to face any of it alone. There didn't have to be any more secrets. I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around him.

He immediately pulled me even closer.

I exhaled slowly. Everything was going to be okay.

The door creaked open. "God am I glad to see you two made up."

I turned my head to see Kins standing there with a smile on her face.

Eli slowly let his arms fall from my waist.

"Oh, no, don't let me interrupt. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do." She winked at me. "I'll be at Patrick's if you need me." She walked back out of the room without another glance.

I had a million questions for Eli. I reached up and touched the side of his face. There was scruff along his jaw line. I had been dying to see what was under that mask and it was right in front of me the whole time. "You're so handsome." Why would he ever hide his perfect face?

He smiled. "And you're beautiful."

I suddenly realized that I was finally allowed to see all of him. My questions could wait a little longer. I undid the top button of his shirt. This time, my hands didn't shake. It was almost like him wearing a mask at first had cured me of my fear somehow. I wasn't scared. I wanted him. I undid another button as I thought about him pressing my back against the rock in Central Park. And the feeling of him taking me right against a wall. I needed him again. He made me feel alive. He made me feel whole.

"I thought you'd have some questions," he said.

I took a step back and pulled my shirt off over my head. I watched his Adam's apple rise and fall as I unclasped my bra. I finally got to see his reaction to my body, and I wasn't disappointed. The want in his eyes was almost palpable.

I swallowed hard. "We can talk later."

He took a step toward me. "That's probably a good idea." He hooked his finger between the cups of my bra and slowly pulled it down, exposing my breasts. His throat made this sexy, guttural noise. It reminded me of how his voice rumbled when he was dressed like the vigilante. Just the thought turned me on even more.

He put his hand behind my head and drew me in for a kiss. This was better than any other time I was with him. This was more real. He trusted me with the truth. That meant more to me than I could even express.

"I'll go as slow as you want," he whispered against my lips.

"I think we both know that I like it a little rough."

He groaned into my mouth as he lifted my legs around his waist. He set me down on the edge of the bed and leaned into me. I could feel how hard he was against my thigh. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and let my fingers explore his biceps. He really could protect me. He really could be everything I needed him to be. My hero.

"It's you," I whispered against his neck. "It's really you."

"It's me."

I closed my eyes and let the sensation of his lips on my skin take over. I let myself feel the fire from his touch. I let myself trust him. Because the truth was, I loved to dance in the flames. It made me feel alive.

The rip of foil made me open my eyes. We hadn't used a condom before. He always just took me like I belonged to him. Before I could say anything, he thrust himself inside of me.

Oh, God. He felt different with a condom. Not bad, just different. It didn't take away from the intimacy of the moment. It still felt like we belonged together. But right now, there was no pain I needed him to take away. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. I wanted to let go.

His fingers dug into my hips as he slammed into me.

"Eli," I moaned.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say my name like that." He leaned into me, pushing my back down on the mattress.

I buried my hands in his hair as his lips found my neck. I had never been able to completely give myself to someone. But I found myself slipping there. I found myself believing in him. Trusting him. Falling for him. I was sick of living in fear. I was sick of living alone. I didn't just want him. I needed him.

He shifted his hips, somehow going even deeper inside of me. He groaned, feeling the same pleasure as me.

Jesus. I was glad it was him. I was so happy that I could finally let go. "Eli, I'm so close."

"Say my name again." His breath was hot against my neck.

"Eli!"

"Summer," he whispered in my ear and gently bit down on my earlobe.

I didn't have to hide anymore. He could see me. And he wasn't scared of what I was. "Oh, God, Eli!" I felt myself clench around him.

He pulled me back to a seated position and held me close. I felt his body shudder again mine and he moaned my name. I wanted to hear it over and over again. I loved the sound of it on his lips. For the first time in as a long as I could remember, it felt good to be Summer Brooks. I didn't feel broken anymore.

I leaned back and looked up at him. A bead of sweat fell down his forehead. I reached up and wiped it away. I felt this connection between us. Not built on fear, but on hope. "I'm sorry I pushed you away." I locked eyes with him.

"I'm sorry that I gave you a reason to." He put his hand on the side of my face.

Fire. But I knew I could live in the flames with him.