I nod, biting my lip.
His focus drops, a smile tugging at his lips. “I like that idea.”
“Good.” I take another step away, loosening my pinky, and he relents, releasing me, but it doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Probably because I know I’ll still see him later tonight. What about the rest of the pack? A frown cuts across my face.
“Mad will ride with you tomorrow,” Kill says, reading my mind.
“And Ezra?” I ask, watching his face carefully for any signs of anger, but he simply smirks.
“He’ll be with you Wednesday.”
The tension in my shoulders loosens. I didn’t realize how much I actually enjoyed having their scents in my apartment, evidence of their stalking, until I told him they couldn’t come inside anymore. I’ll see Kill tonight. Mad will be with me tomorrow morning. Ezra the day after that. My chest warms.
They’ve organized their schedule to spend extra time with me. Ezra was so relieved when I climbed in his lap. Kill scent marked me even after he said he shouldn’t.
“You guyslikelike me,” I tell him.
“It took you this long to figure it out?” he asks. “See you soon, Hazel.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, like that’ll keep him from reaching for me, and walks away. I watch him head back toward the subway with butterflies colliding in my chest.
I’ll see him again soon, so why does it feel like tonight is an eternity away?
Tristan’s day is full of meetings, and my hands are hurting from all the note taking. At lunch, when we have a short reprieve from business, he sighs and rubs his hands over his face, looking at me with a frown.
“Are you hungry, kiddo?”
The nickname kind of makes me want to punch him in the face. He has no idea I’m his daughter, so it’s just demeaning, and he has no right to pretend to be nice. Not after what the pack told me. I kind of hate that I have to work with him and play nice.
“I’m hungry,” I admit. “Should I order something?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll call Angela at the front desk and have her do it. What do you feel like?”
“Um, anything is fine.”
“Don’t be shy,” he teases, giving me a real grin. For a moment, I simply stare at him, probably looking crazy, but that smile? It’s just like mine. How many times have I sat at home wishing for a dad?
It’s a strange twist of fate that now he’s here, right in front of me, I wish I didn’t have one. My dad is a piece of shit. Hedeserves to suffer. To burn in the deepest pit of hell. I glance at my desk, fighting a scowl. “Thai would be nice.” I brush imaginary lint off my dress.Get it together, Hazel. You have to be nice to him.
“I love Thai,” he says, picking up the phone to call Angela, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “What do you want, Hazel?”
I’ve been getting used to hearing him say my name. I’ve even pictured what life would have been like with him around when I was younger. My head used to be filled with delusions of a dad playing dolls with me. Letting me do his makeup. The sorts of things you see in the movies. But now that I know everything, I’m imagining a thousand ways to kill him.
“Hazel?”
Be. Nice. I force myself to meet his gaze with a friendly smile. “Pineapple curry would be great.”
“Great choice,” he says, smirking back. “That’s actually my favorite.”
We even share favorite foods? God, you must really hate me. This is so fucked up.
Vivian struts by, wearing a pretty purple pencil skirt and a cute black blouse that makes her boobs look great. She twinkles her fingers at me as she passes. I grin back and wave.
Tristan clears his throat and stands, heading to the door and shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” What was that about? I watch him catch up to Vivian, who laughs at something he says, but then they turn a corner and disappear out of my sight.
Sighing, I grab my phone.
Hey. Can you do me a favor?
