The line goes dead, and I follow her, going the exact speed limit. When we arrive at the lot behind her building, I’m out of my vehicle before her and scan the area before I open her door. She gets out and doesn’t even look at me as we make our way up the stairs.
She unlocks the door, and out of habit, I put my hand on her and command, “Stay there.”
The sweep takes all of ten seconds, and when I turn to face her, my shoulders fall. Her eyes are glistening, and a sad smile adorns her beautiful face.
She pushes away from the wall and is in my arms with her face pressed to my chest, holding on for dear life, and I’m squeezing her just as tight. My eyes close, and I kiss the top of her head, my lips lingering as I smell her fruity shampoo. I hear her sniffle and lean back. “Hey.” She wipes her eyes before she meets mine. “Why are you crying?”
“I missed you. I missed having someone care about me.”
“I missed you, too, sweetheart.” I rub her tears away. “And I missed your cute little attitude.”
“Sorry. It’s just a natural reaction when you overwhelm me.”
She leans into my hand, and I brush my finger across her cheek. “Kills me, but I’ve gotta get back to the bar. Parker’s on his way to stay with you until I’m done.”
“Really, Ben. I’m fine.”
“That reaction was one of someone who isn’t fine, but I’m gonna make it that way, okay?” I give her a soft kiss, then grab her keys before I leave her apartment. I jog down the steps and meet Parker. “Thanks, man.”
“No need. She okay?”
“She says she is, but she’s lying. She’s still terrified.”
He clenches his jaw, reciprocating my feeling. “I’ve got her. I left Ernie in charge, and you know what can happen.”
“Be back as soon as I can.” I rush back to the bar, pleased that everything is under control.
The next couple of hours are coated in sludge. I close a half hour early and let Parker know I’m on the way. I run up to my apartment and grab a couple of things, then hoof it across the street. My body is instinctively on guard. My eyes automatically scan my surroundings, and my fingers twitch, ready to execute whatever defense is necessary.
Parker’s waiting for me outside. “She wouldn’t let me sit in the stairwell even though I’d rather have been in there instead of watching whatever stupid fucking show she had on.”
“Try doing it for four months.”
He chuckles. “I also got your assurances. Fitz checked the street cam and traced the plate from the car that was behind Annie to a house in the subdivision they’d turn into. Nobody was following her, so she’s perfectly fine. I would have gone home already, but you’d kill me, and I have a date tomorrow night that I do not want to miss.”
Weight should have rolled off my shoulders, but it only settles deeper within me. “I owe you.”
“You can relax and get some sleep. There’s no threat.”
“You sure about that, ‘cause I can’t shake this fucking feeling.”
“I get where you’re at, but there’s nothing to suggest she’s in any danger, Ben.”
Nodding, I kick my feet. “Maybe I am too emotional.”
“Nah, I’d be the same.” He jerks his chin. “She’s got a little attitude, doesn’t she?”
I hate that he knows about her smart mouth, because any man who’s on the receiving end of it fantasizes about how to make her use that mouth for other things. “Don’t,” I warn him.
“I’m not doing anything. I’m just saying it makes sense, all right? I saw it at the bar, too, why it’s her for you.”
“Why is that?” I genuinely want to know. “No bullshit, Park.Why? Because I’ve been losing my mind trying to figure it out. I’m questioning every decision I’ve made since I met her. And honestly? I have to wonder if being with me is what’s best forher.”
He pulls his head back, and his ever-present sarcastic smirk is gone. “Where the hell is that coming from?”
“I told you something still feels off to me, and I just leave her to drive home alone at eleven at night? What the fuck is wrong with me?”
“First, I think you proved tonight that you can keep her safe, just like you always could, like you did for years with not only her but dozens of other women. You are one of the best, and it’s such a shame you’re wasting your skills as a bartender.”
