Smith didn’t understand. “She’s not leaving me?”
“Who knows?” Evan shrugged. “She might. She might not. But how the hell would you know? You just assumed when a five-minute conversation would have made this hissy unnecessary.”
“But…I don’t…” He didn’t understand. Everything felt fuzzy, and he started to ache all over.
“It wasn’t just Erin, Evan,” Reid said quietly. “It’s all of if it, isn’t it, Smith? Finding out about your mom, our mom, Erin, almost losing Tilly, the mess with Meg over Allen. You’ve had a rocky few weeks.”
“I-I don’t know.” He closed his eyes. “I feel sick.”
“Concussion?” Reid asked, sounding concerned.
“Who the hell knows with this dick?” Cash sighed. “Cut him loose, and we’ll take him to the ER. And Evan, no telling Erin about any of this. Our boy needs to grow up, but she doesn’t need to see it.”
“Um, yeah. Good point,” Reid agreed. “Come on. We’ll take your SUV, Cash.”
“Why mine?”
Evan snorted. “Because Reid and I don’t want him puking in ours.”
By Thursday,four days after Erin had dealt with the hangover from hell, Erin had no idea what to make of Smith being so distant. She’d needed her space, yes, but he acted as if he couldn’t bear to be around her. Perhaps Evan had shared their conversation and made Smith uncomfortable? Heck, she’d embarrassed herself when she’d blurted the truth, but she’d felt comfortable confiding in Evan, for some reason.
She could have found out what bothered Smith but hadn’t wanted to intrude.
Oh hell, that was a lie. Shewantedto intrude, but she’d seen his brothers swing by to get him, and she hadn’t wanted to interfere, not when she knew how difficult that relationship was for Smith.
But a girl could only take so much. She’d done a lot of soul searching. She’d even met with Cody again, talking to him bluntly and asking him pointed questions about their relationship.
She’d learned more than she’d imagined.
Yes, Cody had been more to blame than Erin for their failed relationship. But she’d learned what she would give and what she wouldn’t in order to have love in her life. She had nothing to prove to anyone here. In Seattle, Erin could become anyone she wanted to be. Shy, daring, quiet, loud. No one had preconceived notions of her, and in a city this size, no one cared what she did, which she found liberating.
She’d talked to her mother, her father, her sister. She’d called friends and talked to them as well. Many of them, Jacinda, Kayla, Anna, were already married and had intriguing insights into things they’d do differently or the same after years with their husbands. But the single ones had an attitude she used to have, thatneedto marry and fit in and have babies. Not Erin. She still wanted to find love. Someday she’d have children.
But for now, she wanted to enjoy being in her mid-twenties, to go after her career. And dang it, to have more of those amazing orgasms and post-sex cuddles. She wanted Smith.
She intended to have him.
She just had to find him first. So she called Jordan and Naomi and even talked to Kenzie, finally triangulating Smith’s whereabouts. The avoider was at work and would be returning to his apartment in a few hours. Which gave her enough time to prepare…
When Smith walkedinto his apartment two and a half hours later, he froze.
Erin waited for him to take a few more steps before sliding behind him to lock the door.
He turned, jumpy as a cat, and blinked at her.
She frowned. “Are those bruises?”
He had a few purple marks on his cheeks and an eye that looked like a bag of skittles had vomited color all over it.
“A few.”
“Are you okay?”
He stared at her with an intensity she found unnerving. “Maybe.” He looked nervous. “Are you okay?” He glanced at her tummy and she knew Evan had told him about her time of the month. Which fortunately had ended that morning.
Erin flushed. “I’m better now, thanks.”
Smith shoved his hands in his pockets, but he moved with a stiffness he didn’t normally show.
