She threw her hands in the air, her voice raising an octave. “You keep saying his name, but we don’t even know for sure it washim!”
“It doesn’t matter!” Trevor’s voice boomed through his apartment, making Lexi jump. Lexi turned away and started for the bedroom when he pleaded with her. “Angel, wait. Just listen to me for a minute. Please.”
Damn it.Turning back around, she couldn’t help but sound snippy when she asked, “What?”
“I don’t know what you know about Olivia, but...”
“I know who she is and what was shared in the news,” she interrupted. In a bit calmer voice, she added, “Olivia said something happened to her after she was rescued and came back home. She told me she’d share the rest of the story with me someday.”
Trevor nodded. “Olivia and I are good friends, and I know she’d be okay with me sharing a little of that story with you now. Especially if it helped convince you I’m right about this.”
Biting her tongue, Lexi waited for him to say whatever it was he thought he needed to say.
“Liv’s nightmare followed her home. Long story short, the man who originally abducted her wanted revenge for something that wasn’t her fault. He got someone else to try to abduct her...from the hospital where she worked. During the day.”
“Oh, my God.”
“Now, do you see?”
“Well...” Lexi thought for a moment. “I’m truly sorry for what Olivia went through. I can’t even imagine, but Trevor...Ihaveto work. I don’t have a choice.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t. Now,you’rethe one who doesn’t understand. The electric company doesn’t care whether or not someone’s trying to kill me. I have bills I have to pay, and unlike you, I don’t have a ton of money stashed away that I can use to live off of until he’s caught.”
Understanding crossed over his face. His voice softened. “I’ll take care of your bills, Lex.”
Getting more frustrated by the minute, Lexi nearly shouted, “I am not going to let you pay my bills, Trevor. I get that you’re trying to help, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of my responsibilities.”
“Is that why you had a spare ready to go when your other tire was flattened? Because you can take care of yourself?” His sarcastic tone pushed her over the edge.
Fuming, Lexi looked him straight in the eye and said, “Go to hell.”
“Damn it, Alexis.” He ran a frustrated hand through his gorgeous hair. “If you’d just stop being stubborn for one second and listen to what I’m trying to say, you’d see that I am trying to help you.”
“Oh, I heard you loud and clear. Poor little waitress Lexi. Her mom died, she had to give up her dream, and now she can’t even afford to take time off work to save herself from some psycho with an ego problem. I get all that, but you know what, Trevor? This isn’t just about me. I can’t just call Joe and tell him I’m never coming back in. I won’t leave him high and dry like that. Not after everything he’s done for me.”
“Joe can take care of himself.”
Lexi gave Trevor a sad smile. “But I can’t. That’s what you’re saying, right? Well, at least your true feelings about me have finally hit the surface.”
She turned and stomped down the hallway to the bedroom. She knew Trevor was following her, but that didn’t stop her from going in and grabbing her suitcase. She threw it onto the bed and hastily unzipped it.
“It’s my own fault, really. I should’ve known you were too good to be true.” And damn, if a tear didn’t fall down over her cheek. She swiped it away angrily and picked up the few toiletries she’d brought from the bathroom sink.
“Lexi?” Trevor sounded damn near panicked. “Angel, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to a hotel,” she dumped the items into the bag without caring how they landed.
“No, you’re not.”
She spun around on him. “See? That.Thatright there is the problem. You think you can just order me around without any consideration formyfeelings. I’m not some client you took on, Trevor. I’m supposed to be someone you care about. Tonight you said you were my boyfriend, but for the past fifteen minutes, you’ve suddenly started acting more like my boss.”
“Because I’m trying to keep yousafe,” he gritted through his perfect teeth.
“You know, sleeping with me one time doesn’t give you the right to tell me what I can and cannot do.” She paused to take in a deep breath and to try to calm down. She needed to understand how this sweet, gentle man had become so different in a matter of minutes. “Why are you being like this?” she asked quietly.
“Are you kidding me? You were just attacked. We went through a fuckingwindow. You could have been killed or worse, and...” He swallowed hard, his voice lowering. “We just found each other, Lex and I can’t...I can’t lose you, too.”
