“My name is Charles. I have a practice in New York, and I believe I’m only a bit away from you. Maybe we could hang out one day, get to know each other more?” He looks at me expectantly, and though his smile is warm, there's an edge to it I don't trust.
Determined to not look like a freak, I open my mouth, trying to find the words, but they won’t come. In my mind I hear Brandon screaming at me. My heart races, the small amount of lingering pain in my back heightens, making my stomach knot. Charles has me stuck; I can't look away from him.
“Uhm.Uhhh…”I stammer, swallowing thickly and wetting my lips. I flinch hard when I feel a hand on my back and bite back a scream of terror. Looking over, I see it's Alexander. My heart draws to a sudden stop before racing at a breakneck speed.
“Baby, are you alright?” He looks down at me with a stern expression. However, there's nothing but veiled concern in his eyes, which slide rather sharply to Charles.
My knees buckle as I sag in relief, but Alexander pulls me to him smoothly, hiding me from embarrassment. He leans down, pressing his lips against my temple as he rubs soothing circles onmy lower back. I tremble, and my heart rate starts to slow as his scent washes over me, making me relax and feel safe.
Charles’ eyes go wide.
“Oh, I’msorry.I didn’t realize you were together,” Charles says. His eyebrows knit together as Alexander suddenly slides his hand from its spot on my lower back to grip my hip.
Pressing me rather indecently against his side, Alexander's lips are still in my hair as he replies in a curt tone, “I was standing right next to her. You should have known better.” Alexander's tone is so icy with the man that I feel myself shiver as I break out into a full-body flush.“Excuse us,”he says rudely, turning us both and putting his hand around my waist, keeping us pressed close as we walk back to our seats.
I'm thankful for his intervention. I can't believe I've had such an embarrassingly horrible public reaction. Not able to help it, I chance a look over my shoulder as we walk away, seeing a put out look on Charle's face that erases almost the moment our eyes lock. I turn my head forward…
Safe.
Chapter forty-three
Warm Blue Skies
Ikeephercloseto me, seeing an immense shift in her body language. She's tight and uncomfortable. Morose. Guarded.
“Thank you,” Sarah says thickly.
As she looks up at me, I observe her eyes swimming with tears.
I glance at her briefly as I work to steer us back to where we were sitting. “No thanks needed, sweetness. Are you okay to sit through the rest of the seminars, or do you want to go back to the room to lay down?” I ask quietly as we approach our row.
I wait as she settles herself into her seat, fussing with her hair and getting comfortable before I sit.
She looks at me as I adjust my suit jacket before leaning back and settling my arm across the back of her seat. “I’d like to sit through some more; I mean, that’s the reason why I came. Not to hide the whole time because I had an unfortunate flashback…” She trails off, putting her purse in her lap.
She nonchalantly pulls the program out of a side pocket and opens it. Her eyes flicker back and forth, following her finger sliding down the page. Though I can't blame her, I can tell she's putting on a façade to hide what just happened, and I'll be damned if this woman hides anything from me. I want it all. Every emotion, dirty or clean.
I lean a little more into her space, making sure to keep my voice low. “Sarah, what did he say?”
A hesitant look flits across her features, and she fusses with the leather handle of her purse as if she's trying to find something to comfort her. The interviewer and new speaker begin to talk as she places her mouth to my ear. My hand, braced on my thigh, trembles slightly when the soft tresses of her hair suddenly tumble into my lap. She's not aware of it, though.
Nor is she aware that I've tangled my fingers in the strands, rubbing gently.
“It wasn’t what he said; it was the way he made mefeel,” she whispers quietly, and a hot shiver rolls its way up my back at the way her lips lightly brush the shell of my ear. “Something about him reminded me of Brandon; it was his energy. Thank you so much for stepping in when you did.” When she pulls awayto settle back into her chair, her long hair trails through my fingertips whisper-soft.
I'm reluctant to let her go, so I put my hand in hers and thread our fingers together. She makes no movement, but I can feel her eyes on where we're clasped. My heart beats a bit harder at how right it feels, and I wonder if she thinks so too, but her phone pings suddenly, distracting her.
"Oops, sorry." She glances apologetically out the side of her eye before moving to pull out her phone with her free hand. Something like anger swirls deep in my chest when the screen lights up, and I continue to stare. I don't mean to be nosy, but I want to know if that idiot fucker of an employee of mine has texted her. The fingers of her left hand twitch in mine as she inhales a sharp breath, and my own narrow upon seeing Brandon’s name.NotDickhead David.
My fingers tighten on hers as I read the text.
Brandon: I was thinking about what we would have named our baby... and I think we could have picked a simple name like Katherine. I miss you, Sarah. I think about you all the time, and I just want you to know how sorry I am. For everything.
That motherfucker.
Immeasurable anger slices through my being before being replaced by concern. My eyes slide to her face, assessing her quietly.
Sarah visibly stiffens before making a choked sound. The phone dims, and she goes deathly still, still staring at the screen. I don't react, aware that she needs a minute to let his words sink in to her consciousness. She blinks, and my chest tightens with sympathetic hurt when tears leak out of her eyes onto her cheeks.
