Page 22 of King

He exhaled sharply, finding another contact.

King:Remi, did Ella show up to book club?

The response came fast.

Remi: Yeah, she’s here.

King sagged with relief. At least she was safe. Being a firefighter made him think the worst-case scenario. And he’d be having that conversation with her about not responding once he figured out how to fix whatever was wrong. She might not be hisyet, but he needed her to know that even if she was upset with him, he needed a response confirming she was okay. Before he could type anything else to Remi, another message popped up.

Remi:She’s quiet. Something’s wrong. She won’t say what.

Damn it.

His grip on the phone tightened.

King:Tell her to call me. Or text me. Just… tell her to talk to me.

Remi sent a thumbs-up emoji, but King wasn’t sure if it meant she’d actuallylisten. Those Littles stuck together like glue.

Hours passed.

The firehouse stayed busy. Checking equipment, going over drills, a couple of minor calls. But through it all, King kept checking his phone, waiting for a buzz, a notification.Something.

Nothing came.

By the time he was in his bunk, staring at the ceiling, his gut was twisted in knots.

Ella had seen Janelle. He knew it. It was one more reason he couldn’t stand that woman.

Because now, Ella was shutting him out.

He might’ve managed to ruin this before it even started.

NINE

ELLA

Ella wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped inside the clubhouse, her excitement for book club buried under a heavy weight in her chest. The other girls were already curled up on chairs and bean bags in a small nook of a room off the common area, chatting animatedly, clutching their books and drinks.

She’d only come tonight because she knew King wouldn’t be here. She didn’t think she could handle seeing him right now, not after what she’d witnessed earlier at the firehouse. Not only was she sad, she was embarrassed, too.

Ella took a seat on the couch next to Remi, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Remi’s eyes flicked over her, immediately laced with concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly, leaning in.

Ella forced a smile. “Just tired.”

Remi didn’t look convinced, though she didn’t push. Instead, she passed Ella a copy of the book they were reading, and the discussion started.

Ella tried to listen, but the words blurred together. Her mind kept replaying the image of that woman, the way she’d touched King, the way she’dlookedat him.Like she belonged with him.Like she belonged by his side. It was obvious they knew each other well. And why would he pick Ella over someone sexy and sophisticated like that? With perky cleavage and glowing skin. Ella couldn’t compete, even on her best day. Her breasts certainly had never looked that good, no matter what kind of bra she’d tried.

She’d barely noticed when Remi’s phone buzzed beside her. A few minutes later, Remi cleared her throat.

“So,” she said casually, though her tone was anything but, “what did King do?”

She snapped her head up. “What?”

The room quieted.

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