“The fuck?” I whirl around to look at him. “I can walk my girl out.”
“Atlas!” Rhett shouts from the back. “Can I get your opinion, man? Real quick. It’ll take like a minute.”
“I’ll be right back; gotta walk Cora out.”
“I need you now, though,” he shouts.
“Dude—”
“It’s fine, Atlas. Seth can walk me out. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She steps around the desk, belongings already in hand.What the fuck?
As she walks past me, I snake my hand out and grab her waist. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask her. My head is spinning because something seriously feels off. I thought we fixedeverything.
“Nothing,” she responds, not meeting my eyes. “See you tomorrow.” Cora brushes past me with a quick kiss to the cheek. I watch as Seth opens the door for my girl, talking to her as they walk outside. Waiting until I see her headlights leave, I whirl around on Rhett, who is now finished with his client.
“What the fuck was so important?” I hiss at him, not caring who hears.
“Oh, nothing. I figured it out.” He shrugs. Looking from his client to me, he clasps the guy on the shoulder. “Alright. You’re all set, man.”
What the fuck is going on here?“Ya know what? I’m out.” I grab my keys and head to my car, not answering the shouts from the guys. Someone owes me an explanation, and I guess I’ll have to go to the source.
Driving across town, I debate if I’m being irrational, butno. No, I am not. There’s something weird going on, and I’m not okay with it.
Pulling into Cora’s, I notice all the lights are off.What the fuck? Where is she?She left over half an hour ago. She should be home. Pulling out my phone, I fire off a text to her.
Me:
Why’d you leave so quickly?
My Heart:
Had a few errands to do.
Me:
So, did you make it home?
My Heart:
Yep. See you tomorrow night!
What the fuck?She’s lying to me. My Firefly is lying to me. I’ll give her tonight, but tomorrow my girl has some explaining to do. If she’s with someone else, I’ll kill them no questions asked, and I’ll make her watch, so she knows what’ll happen if anyone else touches her.
Pulling into the shop, I’m in a foul mood. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I want answers. The entire evening was spent tossing and turning while my mind wandered. I thought we were in a good place. Why would she lie to me? She knows that she can tell me anything, but for some reason, she chose not to.
Is she afraid of me? Is it because she doesn’t feel safe with me? That can’t be it. I only threatened that guy’s life a little bit after I found him in the parking lot before we left. I doubt his kid will be a problem anymore. She doesn’t understand the lengths I’ll go to for her, and Noah.
Emma called me this morning, needing help around the house, so at least I was distracted. Somehow, she had multiple cabinets coming off their brackets, and she swore the snow blower wouldn’t start. Why she was messing with it, I still don’t understand. Shaking my head, I pull into the alley behind the shop.
Getting out of my car, I pull my collar up and try to ignore the way the wind cuts through it. I was hoping to park in the lot by Cora, but there are no free spots. Everyone must be out shopping, because the complex by the shop is full.
Opening the door, I walk in and flip the switch on the wall. When the lights come on, I nearly jump out of my skin when I see a group of people yelling, “SURPRISE!”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Cora
These past few days have been incredibly stressful. With Noah and Atlas sharing the same birthday, I wanted to ensure we celebrated both in different ways. The guys were all too excited to help me pull together a surprise party for Atlas. Instead of booking the day out, we ended up closing the shop for the night so we could celebrate his special day. Most of our clients took appointments earlier in the week, so it left us free for tonight.
