Page 10 of Entangled By You
She doesn’t continue our back and forth, I’m enjoying it so much. Getting under her skin—and inside her, my one-track mind adds in—could be a full-time job. Instead, she lets loose an annoyed huff and leans down, coming back up with her purse and keys. She moves past me, flips the sign on the door, and exits without another word. I follow and wait next to her to lock up, watching as she turns and heads for the sidewalk at the end of the street instead of just jaywalking across the dead roadway.
Probably a good call if Officer Garrett is watching. He’d take any opportunity to drag my ass in.
“What are you doing?” She finally breaks and asks when I open the door to the little bistro, ushering her inside.
“Getting lunch.”
“Not with me.”
“Okay, Princess.”
She steps up to the front counter, and an older woman witha chipper smile greets Lexi with an animated welcome. They talk for a couple of minutes as I hang back and look over the handwritten lunch specials on the board, and it’s the first time I get to hear what she orders: a turkey club with no mayo and a triple-shot iced white mocha.Noted.
Keeping it simple, I grab a water and pick a table across from where she sits and waits for her food to come out. She deliberately sat with her back to me, but I know she can feel my eyes on her. They’re always on her. That’s never changed. Not after she broke up with me in high school or after she started dating that piece of shit, Evan. Especially, not when I overheard the way he’d talk to her like he was doing her a favor by dating her. If Harlow hadn’t already dealt with him, I would have after that night.
My phone vibrates in my pocket.
Clean up on aisle eight.
The text from Silas reads, and I chuckle at the idiot. He’s done sooner than I expected, and I’m irritated that he’s taking me away from watching over her. She’ll be fine, though. Garret isn’t likely to come sniffing around twice in one day, and she’ll head back to work after this. It’s Thursday, the day she used to stop by the gym on her way home, but that’s a rarity these days. She prefers to head straight home now, curl up on the couch, tuck herself into a blanket, and binge a show while she scrolls on her phone. It’s like she’s given up, and I hate that he did this to her.
I throw a five on the table, even though I didn’t order anything, and head out the door. I catch Lexi’s eyes through the front door as I leave, and another knot around the barely pulsing thing in my chest loosens.
FLIP OF A COIN
LEXI
No,no, no… my stomach rolls again and I throw my head over the toilet, heaving and convulsing, but nothing comes up. I’m used to hangover sickness, but this is so much worse.
I’m shaking and my abs are sore. Sweat dots my hairline, but I’m freezing, and the tiled bathroom floor isn’t helping. I lost my phone hours ago and haven’t bothered searching for it. The only thing that helps the waves of nausea I’ve been dealing with for days now is sitting completely still, breathing smoothly out through my mouth with my head resting against the wall, and keeping my eyes closed. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.
“Lexi!”
A loud bellow sounds from somewhere off in the house. I don’t have the strength to do more than whimper. My throat’s too dry and scratchy to yell even if I could.
“Where the hell are you? You haven’t left this house in three days, and now you’ve skipped work. You’re done hiding.”
Daring to peek an eye open, the hazy sight of big leather boots fills my vision.
“Si, what took you so long?” I croak.
“Fuck,” he whispers and rushes toward me.
In a split second, I’m heaved off the ground and wrapped in his arms. Mine are too weak to hold on, and my stomach swims at the unexpected movement.
“I’m gonna be sick, put me down.” I manage to get out before he leaves the bathroom.
A warm hand rubs circles against my back, but it doesn’t help the pain of my body trying to rid itself of nothing more than stomach bile.
“That’s it. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Something in the back of my mind shakes free, and I turn my weary gaze onto my uninvited guest.
“Pierce?”
“Hey, Princess.”
“Ugh, no. Go away. I’m gross. Don’t look at me.”
