Contracted To The Beast novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

“I love you Nia,”

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The words landed softly between us, but they hit me like cold water down my spine. I felt the hairs on my back stand up. My breath caught in my throat. For a second, everything in the room went still.

He loves me?

Like… as a friend, right?

I turned my face away from him, needing a moment to fix my expression. My heart was beating too fast. I do love Beckas a friend. He is literally the most amazing human. Kind, steady, always there. But I’m not in love with him/Not like that.

“Nia,” he touched my face gently, turning it back toward his. His fingers were warm against my cheek. “I’ve kept this on my mind for quite a long time now. I love you. I always have.”

His gray eyes looked different tonight. Vulnerable. Almost scared of what I might say.

“I never knew,” I managed to say. My voice came out small.

How would I have known? All this while I assumed he simply just cared for me as a friend. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, you really don’t,” he said, smiling sadly. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s probably a lot to take in at once. I understand.”

“Yeah it is.” I stared into those gray eyes. They looked really sad now, like he already knew how this was going to end. “I’m sor….”

“No Nia, don’t you dare apologise,” he scolded lightly, squeezing my hands. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know. I’m just feeling sorry that I never noticed,” I replied. Guilt twisted in my stomach. How long had he been carrying this?

“You don’t have to be, Nia,” he held both my hands, smiling cheekily even though his eyes still looked heavy. “I’m not asking you to be my girlfriend, although I’ll love that. I’m just letting you know my feelings. I can no longer keep it in my heart anymore. I just wanted to let you know at least.”

“I kinda wish that…”

“Shhh,” he interrupted, putting a finger gently to my lips. His touch was soft, careful. “You really don’t have to say anything, Nia. I don’t want you to feel the need to say anything. This doesn’t change anything between us. We’ll still be as we were, okay?”

“Okay,” I said with a small smile, even though my chest felt tight. Part of me wanted to cry for him. Another part felt warm that someone like Beck could love me this quietly for so long. And another part felt guilty because I couldn’t give him what he wanted.

“Shit, I didn’t realise it was this late.”

“Yeah, it’s a few minutes past eleven already,” he said as we stood up.

“I need to start going,” I said, opening my arms for a hug.

“Oh Nia.” he whispered as we rocked gently together. His arms held me a little tighter than usual. “Let me walk you to your

car.”

We walked side by side till we got to my car.

Chapter 44

I winced internally.

For a second he just stared at the contact name, then he let out a short disbelieving laugh and looked up at me.

“Maddog?” he repeated, this time quieter.

A smirk tugged briefly at the corner of his mouth like he could not decide whether to be offended or amused.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Oh please,” I muttered, reaching for my phone. “Give it back.”

He lifted it higher out of reach. “No, seriously.” He looked back at the screen again. “Maddog? That’s what you saved meas?”

“You should be grateful it’s not worse.”

His jaw flexed, but this time I caught the faintest twitch of amusement in his eyes before it disappeared again.

Then his expression hardened.

“I’ve been calling you for hours, Nia.”

The humor vanished from the room instantly.

My fingers curled slowly at my sides. “My phone was on do not disturb,” I said quietly.

“Why?” he snapped immediately. “What if something happened?”

My phone beeped. It was a text from Beck. “Are you home yet?”

“Oh?” Maddox’s eyes dropped to the text message again.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “So you’re coming from Beck’s place.”

“Yeah. And?” I replied flatly, reaching for my phone.

He held it out of reach. “I’ve been trying to reach you all fucking night.”

“I told you my phone was on do not disturb.”

“That’s not the point.” His voice sharpened. “You disappeared, Nia.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“Disappeared?” I laughed humorlessly. “You make it sound like I escaped prison.”

His nostrils flared slightly. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

“No, actually, I don’t know what you mean.” I snatched my purse off the table and tossed it onto the couch. “You’re standing outside my apartment in the middle of the night acting like my husband.”

His expression darkened instantly. The room suddenly felt smaller.

“I was worried about you,” he said tightly.

“Why?” I shot back. “Because the media might see me? Because your precious fake relationship might suffer?”

“That’s not-

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MJ

Chapter 44

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“Then what is it, Maddox?” I interrupted. “Because I’m getting really tired of you acting like you own me

His chest rose sharply. For a second he just stared at me. Angry. Frustrated. Something else too. Something heavier.

“You really don’t get it,” he muttered.

“Get what?”

His fingers dragged through his hair roughly before he looked away.

“I came here because you weren’t answering,” he said. “And all I could think about was something happening to you.”

The anger in his voice cracked slightly near the end. That caught me off guard. Before I could respond, his eyes dropped. back to the message still glowing on my screen.

Are you home yet?

His face hardened all over again.

“You were with him this whole time?” he asked quietly.

The quietness scared me more than shouting would have.

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