Page 13 of Divine II

I looked at the top of the stairs expectantly as a door creaked open. I rubbed my sweaty hands on the front of my jeans and fought the urge to pace. My nerves were raging, but when my eyes landed on Liam, I struck out running up the stairs. He kept his leisurely pace, and the expression on his face was stoic, but that didn’t deter my steps.

“Chill, Cookie. You gon’ break your neck and mine,” he grumbled when I crashed into him and threw my arms around his waist.

“I’m good, Lee Lee. I missed you. You don’t miss me?” I asked, looking up into his deep dark eyes.

The hardness in his expression seemed to soften as he shook his head.

“Don’t do that.”

“Why did I have to track you down, Liam? Is something wrong with your phone? I’ve been calling you for days.”

“I never turned it back on. Who came with you?” he quizzed, moving around me to bound down the remaining stairs.

I followed him to the bottom of the stairs and stopped to stand in front of him.

“Don’t worry about all that. How are you feeling? I’ve been worried sick about you. I had to put Psalm in my business.”

“He brought you down here?” Liam asked, ignoring my question.

“I know how to drive, Liam,” I reminded him.

“So, you came all the way here by yourself?”

“I followed the GPS. It was no big deal.” I shrugged.

“Where’s your detail, Divine?” he asked me.

“You’re starting to sound like Syre.” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have a daytime detail anymore.”

“Did you tell anyone you were coming here?”

I rolled my eyes. “Tell me you’re not happy to see me without telling me you’re not happy to see me.”

“I’m just wondering what you were thinking when you drove four hours unsupervised.”

“I was thinking I miss Liam, and I’m worried to death about him. I was thinking that I needed to be here for you in the same way you were there for me.”

“So in all that rationalizing, you never thought about yourself? Coming here like that was dangerous, Divine. Anything could have happened to you.”

“Anything could happen to anyone at any time. You see how you’ve let the guys manipulate you into thinking I’m helpless?”

“I don’t think you’re helpless. I think they’re going to lose it when they realize that you’re missing.”

“I’m not missing. I know where I am. You know where I am, and you know good and damn well that Psalm does too.”

He sighed. “You know what I mean, Divine. You should have let somebody know where you were going.”

“I don’t have to check in with anyone. The only person I was concerned about was you, and now I’m seeing how much of a mistake that was. I should just go.”

My eyes stung with tears. I felt so stupid for driving all this way when Liam clearly didn’t want me here. Determined not to let Liam see me cry, I turned and headed for the door. Liam grabbed my hand and stopped me.

“I have the right to worry about you, Divine.”

“I’m capable of driving for a few hours, Liam. Now is not the time to worry about me. This is about you. I wanted to be here for you.”

“I’m not tripping on that. I’m just looking at the full picture.”

“Well, look at the fact that I made it here safe and sound. We’re not talking about me right now. What do you need from me?”

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