Midnight Scent (Amour Toxique Book 1) by Dori Lavelle Read Free Book Online Page B

to walk past him, but he stands in my way. And then, without warning, one of his hands is on the back of my head, pulling me to him, and the other is on my butt.
    “What the hell, Milton.” I grip the hand on my butt and yank it off, followed by the one on the back of my head. “Don’t you ever touch me again.”
    “I’m sorry.” He takes a few steps back. “I don’t know what got into me. I wasn’t thinking straight. Please forget it.”
    “Don’t do it again.” I grit my teeth. “Seriously, never touch me like that again. Not unless you want to end up like Oliver Banes.”
    I’m taking it too far, but the shock on Milton’s face is satisfying.
    “Hey, I said I’m sorry. No need to get nasty.” He wipes a sheen of sweat from his brow and raises his hands, palms facing me. Regret wrinkles his features. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
    I sigh. “Fine, let’s forget about it. See you around.” I shove past him. Instead of returning to the movie room, where I hear the sound of a new movie playing, I return to my room. I’ve had enough drama for the evening.
    I lie on my bed in the dark, plagued by thoughts of the news report and Judson’s words to me. Part of me believes he’s guilty, but something else holds me back. Either way, after a long, sleepless night, I wake up to a decision that hurts my heart. I have to cut off my correspondence with him. If he really murdered that guy, I don’t think I can handle it.
    This time I use a brand new sheet of paper.
    Dear Judson,
    I’m sorry, I won’t be writing you anymore. Don’t ask me to explain. Good luck with everything and take care. Please do not respond.
    A week goes by with me trying to get on with my life, trying to forget him. And then he ignores my request and writes back anyway. The letter he sends this time is not a brief note.
    I was shattered to read the letter you sent me. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed our conversations in the last weeks. My life is broken, but you have given me something to look forward to. I know I have to respect your decision. I do wish you would reconsider, but I understand why you feel the need to pull away. I’m behind bars. It’s normal for you to think of me as dangerous. I need to say one thing, however: many people behind bars are no more dangerous than some of the people you see walking the streets every day. I’d like to tell you I’m a good person, but I’m not one to brag. That said, I do know you are a good person. That’s why you reached out to me in the first place. You didn’t know me, and yet you wanted to make sure I was okay.
    Our conversations started because of Jennifer. I loved her, but the truth is, it was over long before you found those letters. You helped me deal with her departure. Life doesn’t always give us what we want, I guess.
    This might sound weird, but in a way I’m glad it didn’t work out with Jennifer. At the same time I’m grateful to her. She led me to you. If it weren’t for her leaving behind my letters, you and I would never have entered each other’s lives. I feel as though I’ve known you forever, and I can’t deny the connection between us. I know you feel it as much as I do. Otherwise you wouldn’t have corresponded with me for as long as you have.
    While other people call me a monster, you gave me the benefit of the doubt. My wish is that you will continue doing that. Write back, Ivy. Or better yet, come and visit me. I know it’s too much to ask, given the circumstances, but it might help for you to come and see for yourself that I’m not the monster everyone thinks I am.
    I don’t believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Why don’t you stick around to find out why we ended up in each other’s paths?
    Please write back.
    By the time I’m done reading, the letter is stained with my tears.
    After a week of reading and rereading Judson’s first real letter to me, feeling things I still don’t know I