Page 46 of With a Broken Wing
We pulled up in front of the hotel where Erin and Scott stood, already waiting for us. My stomach twisted the same way it did every time something bad was going to happen as I unbuckled my seatbelt.
“Wait, sunshine.” Demetri grabbed the hand that reached for the handle of the door. “I…”
“Demetri, it’s fine. I promise.”
I pulled my hand back and opened the door before he could finish his thought. If I was going to get out of the backseat of this car without looking like I’d spent the last week in bed with a man I had no business falling for, then I needed to do it before he could say anything. He would find me later, but until then, I had to move on.
When I got out of the car, I was taken aback by Erin’s excitement to see me. I expected her to be excited to see Demetri, even if I dreaded that excitement, but she was almost giddy when I stepped out of the car. I assumed Shelby had driven her completely nuts the last couple of weeks.
“Damn, the Florida sun did good things for you,” Scott said, slowly trailing his eyes from my head to the new pedicure on my toes.
“Thank you?” I sheepishly looked down, wanting to cover myself.
“Watch yourself,” Demetri said to him, grabbing his bag and continuing towards the hotel entrance.
“Was it intolerable being with that absolute joy on your own?” he turned and asked me. I looked up to see Demetri glance back at me. “You look like you survived it okay.” Scott winked.
I forced a laugh and followed behind Demetri, pausing when my phone rang in my pocket. There was only one person who really called me, and it’d been a bit since I’d talked to her, which means it would be right on schedule for her to be calling me soon. When I pulled out my phone, it wasn’t my mom calling, but I suddenly found myself wishing it was.Fisher.
With a quick glance over my shoulder, I silenced my phone and tucked it back in my pocket. When I looked up, Scott was staring at me. “You all good, girl? You look pretty pale,” he said, walking back to me and grabbing my bag.
I swallowed. “Yeah, I’m good. Just got a little lightheaded. I should go get us checked in.” I pointed awkwardly to the counter as if it were my cue.
Scott laughed. “Get us checked in before the boss gets pissy again.” He winked and nudged me, and I forced another laugh that sounded equally as uncomfortable as the last.
Demetri radiated with anger when I scurried past him to the counter. Was he mad because Scott was flirting more than normal? I imagined it was because he’d heard me say I was lightheaded and I didn’t eat the breakfast I’d assured him I’d eaten this morning. Either way, the hairs on my neck stood on end, and when I had the keys to four rooms, I passed them out and led the way to the elevator.
In my pocket, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out and holding it close enough to me that nobody could see it, I unlocked the screen.
FISHER:Don’t forget about me, princess.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before tucking my phone away. When I opened them, the elevator had stopped. I steeled my spine and stepped off behind the others, moving quickly towards my room down the hall. Intentionally, I had taken the room farthest away from both Demetri and Scott, and when I got to the door, I rushed to swipe the card.
My heart was pounding when I slammed the door shut behind me, but the sound of it hitting the frame didn’t come as expected. Instead, my heart stopped at a voice. “Andy?”
“Scott?” I turned around to see concern in his baby-blue eyes. He took a couple steps closer to me, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin.
“You seem really shaken. Are you sure you’re okay? Did something bad happen between you and the boss?”
“What?! Oh my god. Nothing happened. Why would you think…?” The accusation made me dizzy. A foggy filter clouded my vision, and my ears felt like they were ringing. It was a feeling I had felt before, moments before I woke up on the floor.Not again.The panic attacks were getting out of control.
As my legs started to get the feeling of pins and needles, the door flew open again. “Andy, what the hell is—” Demetri stopped cold when he saw Scott standing with his arms outstretched towards me. “What are you doing?”
“I was checking on Andy,” Scott said, moving to stand as a defensive layer between Demetri and me.
A growl ripped from deep in Demetri’s chest, one that caused me to want to cower even as the room started to spin around me. I took a deep breath and told myself I wasn’t going to pass out, counting to five and breathing out. My eyes started to close, though, and my legs shook.
“I wasn’t askingyou,” he snarled. “Andy? Andy!” Demetri’s voice went from stern to concerned when my knees buckled, and when he lifted me off my feet with his strong arms, the smell of oak and mint surrounded me.
He set me on the bed, brushing my hair back from my face. I blinked a few times, looking up at the two men in front of me, both wearing mismatched expressions of anger and panic. “I’m sorry.” I added a shy smile when Demetri glared, hoping my face pled for understanding.
“You can go back to your room. I’ll make sure she’s okay,” Demetri said, turning to Scott. He squared his shoulders, still looking small next to Demetri’s tall frame.
“I’m okay.Bothof you can back up. Please.”
“Did something happen over the last couple of weeks?” Scott looked suspicious, like he expected to hear the worst. Did he think Demetri would hurt me?
“What are you implying?” Demetri puffed his chest, moving to block Scott’s view of me.
