Page 20 of Say I'm Yours, Firecracker

“Just try.” Aaron said as he gripped Bell’s hand and pulled her into her office, giving me some semblance of peace.

I only had a few things I needed to finish up before I could leave. I let that take over the space in my brain, and worked on autopilot. I couldn’t clear my head of the mess but I could at least pause it. A factory reset, if you will, for my feelings.

Bell left a few minutes ago, locking the front door and hollering at me to be safe. Soon after I received a text.

We didn’t use that entrance a lot because the door stuck, but when I was here alone I liked to feel safe locked in here.

Gathering all the papers on my desk I sorted them into order of importance and left them for tomorrow Ronnie to deal with. As I made my way toward the back door, I turned off all the lights, wiggling the back door just enough so it slid open easily.

The chilly air bit my nose as I made sure to lock the door behind me before starting off for my apartment. I really needed to invest in a car, especially since my stomach would only get bigger with time.

I traveled the sidewalks, admiring the sparkly lights left over from Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Our sleepy little town was slow to recover from holiday events.

A car slowly crawled past me, nothing too out of the ordinary since the speed limit through town was only fifteen miles per hour. Brake lights flared, the driver's side door opened, and a leather covered foot landed on the pavement.

Khaki slacks came into view next as I stopped, waiting to see what this person would do. I wasn’t too far away from them, but I was close enough to know that they had stopped for me.

Sandy blond disheveled hair obscured the man’s face, until he looked up. His striking blue eyes connected with mine and I smiled, it was small, but noticeable to Eli.

“A little cold to be out for a stroll, huh?”

I nodded, “I’m not far from here. Perks of a small town.”

He rubbed the smooth skin of his jaw with his hand, trying to cover his own answering smile. It was….cute. And damn if it didn’t make me giggle. We were like awkward teenagers meeting up illicitly when our parents didn’t know.

“Want a ride anyway?” He asked, hooking his thumb toward the rental he’d stepped out of.

I shook my head, biting the side of my lip to keep from smiling at how we’d both become bumbling idiots.

“Could you at least tell me where a guy can get a decent, greasy cheeseburger around here?”

My stomach grumbled on cue, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since my last snack before Bell left earlier.

He snickered, “I think your stomach likes that idea.”

“More like the baby in it.” I quipped. His eyes widened slightly, and I realized I’d said that louder than I meant to. Fuck me.

“Then let's feed that little monster, shall we?”

I would kill for a strawberry milkshake from Billy’s, and Eli couldn’t be a serial killer in disguise.

Could he?

If he killed me and stashed my body somewhere, I wouldn’t be able to plan his brother’s wedding. And he seemed pretty happy that we chose them from our applicants.

Looking both ways I headed for the passenger side of his rental and hopped in before I could change my mind.

Plus, Billy wouldn't let anything happen to me. He was closer to Bell, but he’d become a permanent fixture in my life too.

“I know the perfect place.” I said, directing him to Billy’s Chicken Pit.

Billy’s Chicken Pit was a staple in this town, especially since Haven loved it and tweeted about it. He’d been swamped ever since, even over the holiday season. Although, he always closed the restaurant the week of Christmas.

It was my favorite time of the year, his too, I thought.

Eli parked in the gravel I directed him to. We usually parked near the back, just in case Billy let us eat in the kitchen. However, today I didn’t think that would be the case with Eli in tow. Eli beat me to the door and opened it for me like a gentleman, complete with a bow.

“Charming.” I snorted.

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