Page 26 of Tangled Up With You

I made my way inside, my destination her office on the second floor, but I was derailed almost instantly by the sound of Zach saying my name in the form of a question.

My head shot around, my gaze landing on the reception desk where Zach was standing with Rae, Lennix, and their grandmother, Becky. My gaze bounced around among the three of them. Becky looked at me like it was just another day. Rae was too busy looking at something on the computer to give me more than a brief smile. Zach seemed more confused than anything. And Lennix was watching me with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.

“Hey man.” My best friend pushed up from where he’d been leaning against the credenza and moved toward me. “What are you doin’ here? I mean, not that it’s not good to see you, but I’ll admit I’m surprised. You have a rodeo out this way or somethin’?”

There was really no point in beating around the bush, so I decided to just go with the truth. “Uh, no. Actually, I’m here to see Ivy.”

His forehead wrinkled as his brows pushed together. “Ivy? Why?”

“Oh shit,” Lennix muttered under her breath.

I blew a big gust of air past my lips. “Look, I’ll explain everything, but I’d really like to talk to her first. Do you know if she’s up in her office?”

Lennix pushed away from the reception desk so fast you’d have thought she got bit by a rattlesnake. “I’ll go get her for you,” she offered. “You just... stay down here. I’ll be right back.”

Before I could get a word out, she turned and bolted up the stairs at an impressive speed—leaving me with her brother who was starting to look at me like I was keeping a secret and he didn’t like it one damn bit.

“I starting to get the feelin’ I’m missing somethin’ here.”

“You and me both,” Rae said, her scrutinizing gaze no longer on the computer screen but pinned to me.

Well shit.

I could already tell this wasn’t going to be any damn fun.

Ivy

I hadn’t keptmy promise to my mother last week to go see the doctor if I didn’t start feeling better, but every morning I woke up convinced that this was the day I’d finally feel better. Only, that hadn’t happened yet. The exhaustion was so bad I caught myself dozing off at my desk more than once. The nausea refused to let up, making it nearly impossible to keep anything down, and because I wasn’t eating or drinking the way I needed, the dizzy spells were getting worse. For the past few weeks my diet consisted of little more than crackers, toast, and ginger ale or 7up. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this lousy; it had gotten beyond ridiculous.

I was contemplating curling up beneath my desk for a quick power nap when the door to my office burst open and Lennix came rushing in with the force of a tornado. She quickly slammed the door behind her, causing me to jump in my seat, and pressed her back against it like she was hiding from somebody... or trying to keep somebody out.

“What the hell? You scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” she said on a pant. “I got a little carried away.”

“Why are you out of breath?”

She leaned forward and braced her hands on her knees. “I ran up the stairs. Gah!” She pushed upright and sucked in a huge, dramatic breath. “Cardio, am I right? Donotrecommend.”

I slowly rose to my feet, bracing my hands on the top of my desk when I felt a little unsteady. “Then why the hell did you run up the stairs?”

“Because I had to warn you.”

My back went straight, the tightening in my gut having nothing to do with sickness this time. “Warn me about what?” I asked, even though I was afraid I already knew the answer to my own question.

“Connor is downstairs.”And there it is.

“Shit,” I hissed, lifting a shaky hand to my mouth. “Are you serious?”

She nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “Yep. Zach and Rae were down there when he came in. Zach asked why he was here, and he blurted out that he was here for you. I’m afraid some secrets are about to come to light down there, and I’m not confident that Zach won’t punch the shit out of Connor when he finds out. You’re like a little sister to him, you know.”

“Shit!” I repeated. It was the only word I could think of while my brain was busy trying to process everything Lennix just dumped on me.

She nodded slowly in agreement. “Yeah. Shit is about right. What do you want to do? You want me to get rid of him?”

“Um...” I wish that was a viable option, but if Connor was really here, prepared to spill the truth to Zach, I had a feeling he wouldn’t be so easily turned away. “I think maybe I have to handle this myself?”

Her brows winged upward. “Was that a question?”

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