Page 75 of Into These Eyes
“Gavin, I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere. I made you a promise, and that means something to me.”
“It means everything to me.”
I see something in her expression I can’t quite decipher. And I don’t like the fact that I can’t figure it out.
I know I shouldn’t, but that look in her eyes has me reaching out and placing my hand over hers.
Our eyes hold and, to my surprise, she turns her hand, wraps her fingers around mine and squeezes. I squeeze back, and we sit like that, staring at each other, neither knowing what to say or do next. All I know is that her clutching fingers, her palm against mine, fills me with warmth and comfort. Her affection makes me feel like I’m more than a waste of space. It makes me feel like I matter to someone. And that person happens to be the very one I want to mean something to.
Her fingers twitch around mine as that elusive look in her eyes flashes to the surface again.
“You’re a good friend. To Benny … and to me,” she says softly.
For a long moment, I’m completely dumbfounded. Jamie Evans sees me as a friend? Agoodfriend. Not just someone she’s taken pity on or feels indebted to. “Yeah,” I croak, then clear my throat. “Ah, you too.”
Fuck. I need to do a hell of a lot better than that. I need tobethat good friend.
“There’s something you’re not telling me,” I say, watching her eyes skitter away from mine.
“It’s fine. It’s nothing,” she says too quickly.
Brushing my thumb over her fingers, I lean forward and wait until she looks at me. “You just said I’m a good friend, and now you’re trying to hide something from me? Remember what we agreed? No lying.”
“I really should leave,” she mumbles, yet her grip on my hand doesn’t loosen. “But you’re right. There’s something … though now that you’ve given me a satisfactory reason as to why you can’t—”
“Jamie. What is it?” I interrupt, all too aware of the tremor in her hand.
Hesitant, she bites her lip as she thinks. “I really hoped you’d accept my offer, but the thought of going home without telling you … you should know … in case anything happens. It’s just … I didn’t want you to think I only offered my house to you because of this.”
My heart jolts. “Because of what?”
I miss her touch the moment she slides her hand from mine. Then she reaches into her handbag and pulls out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, she places it on the table between us.
BaCK OfF BiTCH
I stare at the crude, cliched letters cut from a magazine.
“When I got home, that was under my door.”
And now I know what that elusive look is.
Fear.
When I glance up, she won’t meet my eyes. “Jamie …”
“I think I fucked up,” she whispers.
I’m stunned into silence for a moment. “How is this you fucking up? Do you know who did this?”
Her eyes flick to mine for a second before they focus on the threat again. “I’m not a hundred percent sure … I could be wrong. It could be a threat from someone I’m trying to convict in court. But, I don’t … no one like that should know where I live.”
“So, you’ve got a theory?”
She nods. “That’s the fucking up part.”
Christ. A long, low rumble of thunder vibrates through the caravan. I want to hold her hand again, but she’s hidden them under the table.
“The night I got drunk, before I went out … I rang Detective Reid.”
