West fixed his gaze on the chocolate muffin he’d barely touched. “I could see why you would think that, but no. Langston….” He blew out a breath and looked up at the cloudy sky. “Lang has some major trust issues that stem from a bunch of shit in his childhood, but one instance in particular. So when someone new comes into his life, he likes to make sure they’re safe, not a threat to his family. Which is exactly what heconsiders all of us at Uplift. He hasn’t been able to get a read on you, and that scares him, hence the stalking to figure you out.”
I slow-blinked as I processed that information. “Langston, the big-ass man who could squash me with one arm, is scared. Of me.”
West’s expression softened. “Of what you might do to his family if he’s not careful, yeah. I think we’ve all learned through life that there are a lot more ways to harm someone than physically, so his strength or yours doesn’t really come into play.”
“No truer statement has ever been said,” I muttered. Slouching back against the chair, I twirled the empty mug along the tabletop. “Obsessive stalking, huh?” I shot West a smirk at his own smile and nod.
“I would take it as a compliment. You’re the only one he’s gone to this length to understand.”
It made me feel special, though I wasn’t sure what that said about my mental state. Maybe our book club’s recent selections were a little too dark and had me thinking the idea of being stalked and maybe kidnapped was sexy rather than terrifying.
“I get it. I hate surprises, like really, really hate them. So I guess along those lines, I get where he’s coming from, not knowing my background—what?” My heart dropped to my stomach at his panicked expression. “West, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to throw up.”
Head on a swivel, I searched up and down the street for whatever had freaked him out to the point that all the color had drained from his face. Not finding a monster or knife-wielding crazy person, only a man and a woman walking past the row of shops in the distance, I turned back to West. Unable to stop myself, I looked back over my shoulder at the two meandering our way, squinting to see if I recognized them, but I couldn’t make out their features. At that familiar feeling tingling in theback of my brain, my stomach tightened, twisting with nerves, forcing bile to creep up my throat, but for the life of me, I didn’t understand why.
“Juno.” I twisted back to West, brows raised at the shake in his voice. “I have to tell you something.”
A fresh rush of nerves flooded through me, spiking my pulse so fast that I gasped down air as if I’d just worked out.
“West, what’s going on?” My voice trembled with the building fear. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
He reached across the table and grasped my hand, squeezing it hard. “Believe me, Brandon said we couldn’t say anything. It was what the client wanted.” He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. “Langston should be here any minute with them, but I feel like I need to warn you?—”
Each sharp breath felt like shards of glass lining my throat. “Who is ‘them’?” I somehow got out.
He ran his good hand over his shaved head and offered me a pleading look. “Two people—a couple, maybe. I don’t know all the details. They’re coming here, to Anchor Bay, to surprise you. But you just made it very clear that you hate surprises, so I think?—”
My stomach revolted, swirling the coffee and croissant as my fear and dread mounted. I pressed my palm against it, hoping that would keep its contents down, as I stared at West with a pleading expression. “Who?” I breathed.
West shifted in his seat, his own rising panic making the movement jerky. “Fuck, I can’t remember their names. I just… fuck. Okay, one was Edward or Easton or?—”
“Eric.” I dropped my unseeing gaze to the empty plate. Damnit, what was he planning to?—
Realization that he’d said a mananda woman knocked the air from my lungs like a punch to the gut. I twisted in my seat, frantically searching for the people I’d seen earlier. There theywere, close enough now to see exactly who’d decided to surprise me like the assholes they were.
“And Stephanie.”
Without waiting for a response, knowing I was right and needed to get far, far away from them, from him—hell, from everything—to fucking think, I shoved out of the metal chair, careful not to make a scene and draw their attention. Then I bolted. Heart hammering, I walked as fast as I could without running, heading down the wooden walkway that lined each side of the storefronts before dipping into the first alley I came to. Stumbling forward, I caught myself on a dumpster. Knees wobbling, I used it as support, making my way to the other side to block the view from the street. The moist mold that grew along the older brick building cooled my heated back when I fell back against it and squeezed my lids shut.
This could not be happening. Not here. Not when things were separate, my old life totally behind me where it couldn’t contaminate this new hopeful one.
Thoughts spiraling, I jumped when a gentle hand gripped my shoulder, but I still kept my eyes closed, not ready to accept the last few minutes as reality. Maybe if I hid here for a little while, then I’d wake up and this would all be a nightmare.
“Juno,” West pleaded. “We didn’t know. Fuck, believe me, we didn’t know you’d react like this. I don’t even really know what’s going on, just that….” When he trailed off, I peeked a single lid open to see what stopped him. “It’s him, isn’t it?”
“Who?” I asked, opening both eyes to search his face. There was no way he just put two and two together that fast. Fucking hell, why did I open my big mouth earlier? Why did I give him a peek into my past instead of keeping it shoved down deep where it belonged, where I had kept it hidden from everyone here?
I blamed his fucking dimples.
“Everything you told me earlier, the reason you’re afraid to open up, of being vulnerable. It’s because of that fucker who’s here to surprise you.” I only blinked, face blank, not giving him anything. His brown eyes narrowed as if he saw right through me. “That’s the bastard who hurt you, who lied to you.” West stood tall and shifted to stare down the alley. “Who made you think you weren’t worth anyone’s effort.”
I gripped his arm when he started toward the road. “West, don’t. Please,” I begged. “I need to get out of here now. I can’t see them like this.”
His lips pressed into a tight line, he slid his gaze back to the open alley as he debated ignoring my plea and going to find Eric.
“Please,” I whispered, finally allowing the tears that had built up to fall. “I can’t let them see me like this. I want to go home. Take me home, please.”
11
