Page 70 of Hard To Stay

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lexi

Walkinginto the living room my eyes noticed a few things. First, the Chinese food had been left out all night. Second, Abby was draped over the couch, with an arm and a leg dangling off the side (she looked dead). Lastly, there were three empty wine bottles surrounding an empty bottle of Jose Cuervo that I was pretty sure was unopened when I went to bed.

After picking up in the living room and nearly gagging at the smell of the leftover Moo Shoo Pork, I walked over to the couch and shook Abby’s shoulder. “Abby, it’s 7:30, you have to get up for work.” The only thing I got was the sound of her snoring. I applied a little more pressure and whispered in her ear. “Abby! Wake up.”

She raised her head, and her left eye slowly opened before her head crashed back down on the sofa. “Go away and stop shouting.” She grumbled, before throwing the pillow over her face. I debated what I should do. She was obviously very hung over.

My feet slowly crept over to the guest bedroom and I quietly opened the door. I peeked inside and saw Lily passed out, hugging her pillow with a saucepan lying next to the bed. Slowly, I leaned my head over to see if she had indeed gotten sick. I was relieved when I noticed it was empty. “Gosh,” I said, scratching my head. “Looks like I missed all the fun.”

I made one last ditch effort to wake Abby up for work. When my attempts failed for a third time, I decided to give up and get myself ready. Being the good friend I was, I called in and let them know that she wasn’t feeling well, which wasn’t a total lie.

The ringing of my cell phone could be heard from the other room. I moved quickly knowing exactly who it was. I answered just in time. One more ring and I would have missed it. “Good morning.” I said, smiling into the phone.

“How are you feeling today?”

Sighing, I sat down on the bed and rubbed my eyes. Even though I’d slept for a solid eight hours, I was still exhausted.

“The same. I just feel run down, like I’m starting to get sick, but it hasn’t fully kicked in yet.”

“Maybe you should stay home and rest.” He suggested, as I walked over to the closet. I pulled out a grey wrap dress and bent down to retrieve my black sandals.

“I’m fine, besides I’ve already missed too much work as it is.”

“Promise me that you’ll take care of yourself. If you feel worse, don’t hesitate to leave work a little early. Those pansies you work for are capable of scheduling their own damn appointments if they have to.”

I rolled my eyes. He hated what I did for a living, but I couldn’t blame him. He’d never once asked me to quit though (like Colton would have done). He just teased me about it from time to time. I would probably feel the same way if he worked with a bunch of lingerie models.

“If I start feeling worse, I’ll leave early.”

“Good. I’ll check in with you later. Tell Abby I said thanks for staying with you and walking you to work.”

I bit down on my bottom lip, deciding that I wouldn’t tell him she was passed out on the couch. I knew he was worried, but it wasn’t like Colton was a mass murderer. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I didn’t need a bodyguard or a babysitter. I could take care of myself.

“You have a good day! I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. I’ll be home in two days.”

I smiled into the phone and mentally started counting down the hours. “I can’t wait.”

After hanging up the phone, I tried to ignore the ache in my chest over missing him. I just had to keep myself busy and get through the next couple days. I picked out my clothes and started to get ready for work.

I wandered into the Dunkin Donuts a block away from my office, craving a glazed donut. After placing my order, I scrolled through my phone and checked my messages. I grabbed my breakfast off the counter when they called my number and headed towards the door. As I was passing through the exit, I bumped into someone, causing me to spill the scorching hot coffee all over my hand. “I’m so sorry.” I apologized, lifting my head to the stranger.

Then I froze.

“Hello, Alexis. No escort today?” His smile was as bright as the morning sun even though his soul was as black as the night sky.

I tried to step around him but he grabbed my arm, stopping my movements. I tried not to panic. “What do you want?”

I swallowed nervously while glancing around the tiny cramped restaurant. I was relieved to see that it was buzzing with the morning breakfast crowd.

“Let’s find a table, shall we? We need to talk.” I hesitated, not sure what to do. Colton cocked his head to the side sensing my reluctance. The asshole smirked at me.

“I only need a few minutes of your time. Then you can be on your merry little way. Besides.” he lifted his arm to look at his Rolex. “You have to be at work in 18 minutes.”

I wouldn’t let him know how much his comment rattled me. Brad would kill me for this, but I was so sick of running from this creep. We sat down at a table by the window, barely big enough for both of us. I slinked back into my chair and folded my arms. “Let’s get this over with.”

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