I've Died Here Before novel · Chapter 5 of 24
Chapter 5: If You Die
Holden put me in the passenger seat of his car, shut the door, and walked around the hood without looking at Dean.
Dean stepped back from Hattie's windshield with his hands raised, smiling.
"Evening, Mr. Courtland."
Holden got in and drove through the barrier arm.
The wood snapped, and he didn't slow down.
Behind us, Hattie's hatchback finally coughed to life and followed, its one working speaker blaring a pop song.
For two blocks, neither of us spoke.
Then I said, "You held her hand."
"Addie."
"In front of everyone. You held her hand and told me to take the check."
"You took it."
"I'm keeping it, thank you."
"You followed Dean Vickers into a parking garage."
"I wanted to know why he was following me."
"You don't follow him," Holden said, and his voice cracked in the middle. "You don't go near him. You don't go near the water. Do you understand what I'm asking you?"
"You're not asking. You never ask."
"I'm asking now."
"You've never asked me for one single thing in three years," I said, "and the first time you do, it's this."
His hands were tight on the wheel.
The knuckles had gone white, and I watched his left thumb twitch on the leather.
"How did you find us?" I said.
"Your phone."
"You said you'd turned my location off."
"I lied."
It was the first time I'd ever heard him say it so plainly.
I reached for the door handle at the red light.
His hand closed around my wrist.
He didn't squeeze hard.
He just wouldn't let go.
His thumb lay on the inside of my wrist, right on my pulse, and I felt it jump under his skin.
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