Furious tears swarmed. I’d never felt rage this strong. Not ever. Not even when my therapist told me I had a right to be angry. Not even when she’d told me if I didn’t confront it, it would someday explode on me.
That day had arrived.
It was here in violent, living color, and I’d never be the same again.
“I know who’s doing this.”
Chapter Thirty-three
Beckett
WITH MY EYES OPEN
Performed by Lonestar
ONE YEAR AGO
HIM: The way you move on Titan is a bit of a miracle. Beautiful. The art of a goddess coming alive right before our mortal eyes.
HER: I’m not sure how to respond to that.
HIM: No need. I just wanted you to hear it. You’ve always been beautiful, Maise, but seeing you with your horse is something really special.
HER: *** eyeroll emoji *** We both know I haven’t always been beautiful, but I will concede that Titan and I put on a good show.
HIM: What will it take for you to realize the image you had of yourself as a kid was not how the world saw you?
HER: I’m not getting into this with you. I’m happy with who I am, but we both know how the world saw me.
HIM: *** a series of pictures of a much younger Maisey, laughing at the lake, pirouetting on horseback, and swinging in a tire swing, hair flung out around her ***
HIM: Look at those and tell me you don’t see a beautiful girl with light pouring out of her. As much as I don’t want love for me, I hope you find it, and that whoever the man is takes his job seriously and reminds you every single fucking day how stunning you are.
PRESENT DAY
When Wylee left, fury followed Maiseyto the restroom as she went to change into her show outfit. And while I was glad to see something more on her face than a blank mask, I loathed the reason for it, detested that Chelsea was once again chipping at Maisey’s happiness. She’dwrought a lifetime of trauma on Maisey, for what? Jealousy? Rivalry? Money? The anger I’d barely tamed yesterday returned, simmering into a burning rage.
I was tempted to storm out of the barn, go find her sister myself, and end this by strangling Chelsea. But if I left Maisey to go find Chelsea, and we were wrong about who this was, I would have left my girl unprotected. I had no intention of doing that until I had no other options. So as little faith as I had in them at the moment, I had to hope Wylee and his team would do their job, find Chelsea, and bring this chapter of our lives to a close so we could focus on our future.
I was still wading through those thoughts and emotions when Maisey came out of the bathroom. And as soon as my gaze settled on her, every single thought left my brain except one—she was stunning.
The body-fitting outfit showed off all her delightful curves while covering her from head to toe in red. The material was cut in crisscrossing slashes, varying in texture from glittery sequins to smooth silk. The tank-style top left her arms bare, but she wore sparkling red cuffs from wrist to almost elbow. The soft-soled shoes she wore while performing blended in with the rest of the outfit. She’d tied her hair back in two long, intricate braids woven with the same ribbons she’d used in Titan’s mane.
She looked like a superhero.
And I knew from experience that watching Maisey perform on Titan would spark the same awe as seeing Wonder Woman whirl her lasso or flick bullets off her bracelets.
Before I realized what I was doing, I’d closed the distance, put my hands on her waist, backed her up against Titan’s stall door, and planted my mouth on hers. The kiss wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t the devotion I’d tried to convey last night. It was a furious passion fueled by the anger the morning had wrought.
It tore at my soul, knowing we’d given Chelsea the power to touch us here. To impact our embrace. But the longer the kiss went, the more I felt the essence of us take back over.
Maisey’s sweetness and strength would always be more powerful than her sister’s bitter hate.
By the time Fallon’s chuckle came from behind us, we’d found our center again. It allowed me to focus on the simple truth of me and Maisey and our love.
And when I stepped back and saw Maisey’s face flushed, not with fury but with that soft, sated smile she wore whenever I touched her, everything felt like it was going to be okay.
Her sister would be found. This would be over. And I’d forever haveMaisey at my side.