Page 2 of Sugar Coated Secrets

“I’m not kidding,” Everleigh says. “She’s taking a shortcut to get home faster.”

Chills run over my skin, and I shiver. Is this alley colder or is my body responding out of fear?

A cat-sized animal scurries by. I squeal and jump away, bumping into the brick wall of one of the buildings.

“Why did you just scream?” Everleigh asks, her voice tense.

“It’s okay.” I exhale. “It was a rodent or something.”

“Sadie, get out of the alley. Right now.”

I glance behind me, considering doing just that when wind promising rain whips through the alleyway, cutting through my blouse as if to say, here I come.

“What is Sadie doing in an alley?” A familiar demanding voice sounds in the background of the call.

“Easton’s with you?” For a moment, I’m distracted by images of Everleigh’s smoking hot brother-in-law.

“Give me the phone,” he snaps.

“Hey!” Everleigh squeals.

“Hey,” I echo her. “Don’t manhandle the pregnant woman.” You can barely tell she’s preggers, even at five months, but that belly is carrying precious cargo.

“Sadiecakes, what in the hell are you doing?” Easton barks.

“Sadiecakes?” Everleigh’s voice stands out, her tone confused for obvious reasons. He’s never called me that around her.

“I’m racing home before a downpour soaks me to the bone,” I tell Easton and hop over a torn garbage bag, half the contents littered on the ground. My heel catches on a piece of…toilet paper?

I squeal and shake my foot trying to dislodge the gross, possibly used—because what is that brown smear?—piece of tissue. My stomach threatens to heave up the salmon and rice dinner I ate at the office.

“What’s wrong?” Tension floods Easton’s tone.

“Nothing. It’s trash.” Trash that attacked me. “It’s disgusting.”

“Take a deep breath and focus on your surroundings,” Easton says in the calm voice he uses to soothe me when I’m in panic mode.

I manage to dislodge the toilet paper and sigh with relief. “I’m fully aware of my gross surroundings. Wet trash is so much worse than dry trash.” My nose wrinkles, and again I wonder where the puddle came from. “I’m not cut out for this,” I murmur, more-so to myself.

“Why are you alone? Where’s Dash?”

My ex-boyfriend as of yesterday, who knows? He wouldn’t be with me anyway. It’s one of the reasons why I ended things. Easton doesn’t know that, though. No one does. Yet.

“I had to work late,” I answer his first question. “I always work late when my mom and stepdad are out of town. You know that.” Did I mention they were leaving town when Easton and I spoke last week? Maybe I forgot.

A clatter sounds behind me.

I gasp and glance over my shoulder.

“What is it?” Easton asks, sounding as on edge as I feel.

“Two tall men have joined me, but they’re far enough away that I’m not concerned.” Not too much. “Could be nothing.”

Easton growls. “I’m going to spank you so hard when I see you.”

“Spank her?” Everleigh’s voice sounds again and is filled with shock.

“I told you they’ve gotten close,” Daire blurts in the background.

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