Page 47 of Sweet Hate
“You’re ridiculous. Get the fuck outta here.”
Beckett flashes me his broadest smile, walking backwards toward the door.
“And he’s back in the game!” He actually fist pumps before thumping his heart. “I got you, bro.” With that, he turns on his heel anddisappears.
Shaking my head at his antics, I pick up my phone, turning it over in my hand. Can it really be that simple?
16
HAVEN
Axel
Lucas will be there tomorrow to get the ball rolling.
It’s almost midnight. Isn’t it a bit late for him to be texting? I close my book and put it on the nightstand because, let’s be honest, my concentration is now shot. I’m not entirely sure if I should text him back or just leavehimon read for a change.
Ishouldleave him on read. But of course, ten minutes later I don’t.
Me
Yeah, I know, he texted me earlier.
Axel
OK.
I can see the three dots jumping on the screen like he’s typingsomething else, but then they stop. Am I supposed to respond to that? I don’t think I need to. The dots start dancing again. What is he doing? They stop again. I need to ignore him and just get back to my book. The grumpy hockey boss was just about to corner his assistant in the hallway. I don’t have time to decipher grumpy firemen’s motives. The hockey god is far more appealing.
I’m reaching for my book when my phone chimes again.
Axel
I’m on shift for the next three days. I’ll be back Friday.
Me
Those dots bounce again. This feels weird. There’s legit zero reason to respond to a thumbs up. He doesn’t text unless something’s gone down with the bakery, and we’ve covered that. Yet the dots continue dancing.
This isreallybloody weird.
Stop. Start. Stop. Start.
Axel
How was your day?
What the—? Sitting straight up in bed, I stare wide eyed at my phone. Since when does he ask about my day?
Me
Fine. Yours?
Eyes glued to the screen now, I watch those dots do their thing. Stopping and starting multiple times before disappearing.
Was that his end goal? He wanted to leave me hanging. What a knob.
Chucking my phone down onto the bed, I pick up my book tofinish the chapter before I get some sleep, but just as I open it, my phone chimes again.
