Riley shook her head. “You know everything I know.”
“Just seems odd.” Her partner’s brow furrowed a bit. “Maggie isn’t normally this secretive.”
No. She wasn’t.
“Something was definitely off when she called,” Riley agreed. “She never gets this rattled.”
Sensing her own heightened nerves, Eric reached out and gave her arm a gentle squeeze. His callused thumb sent a wave of electricity racing in its wake as he brushed it back and forth along her bare skin.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” he offered softly. “It’s been a long day for all of us. She probably just had too much caffeine.”
A familiar tingling sparked to life in her lower belly. The way it always did when he smiled at her like that. But instead of leaning into Eric’s touch, Riley felt herself pulling away.
“You’re probably right.” She cleared her throat and stared at the sealed doors.
A stretch of silence passed. “You okay?”
“Mmhmm.” She nodded.
Come on, York. You can lie better than that.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened.
“You sure?” Eric motioned for her to exit first.
The warmth of his hand on her lower back was normally comforting. Right now, however, it made it hard for her to breathe.
She gave him a tight smile and stepped into the hall, breaking their connection. “I’m fine.”
“That’s twice.” His voice was low as he walked beside her.
“What’s twice?”
“That you’ve pulled away from me.” Hurt filled his cobalt eyes. “Is there something going on? Did I do something to upset you?”
Guilt assaulted her instantly. “No, I’m sorry. It’s not you.”It’s me.“I guess this whole thing with Maggie just has me on edge.”
It wasn’t a lie. None of it was.
Her issues weren’t with Eric. They were within herself. And Maggie’s mysterious phone calldidhave her on edge.
In fact, there’d been a sort of heaviness weighing on her ever since she and the other woman last spoke. As if she could sense something bad was about to happen.
Eric looked like he wanted to say more—like maybe he wasn’t buying her excuse. Instead, he gave her a slight nod and continued walking beside her in silence.
He kept a safe distance between them the rest of the way.
Way to go, Riles.
See? This is why she didn’t do relationships. They were messy and complicated and...she sucked at them.
Riley opened her mouth to apologize again, but Maggie chose that exact moment to walk into the freezing cold hallway.
“You’re here.” A set of worried, hazel eyes met hers. “Good. There’s something the two of you really need to see.”
“Kind of why we came, Mags,” Riley smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. But Maggie was already walking back through the door she’d come out of.
“Well, this can’t be good.” Eric held the door open for her, but this time, the expected warmth of his hand on her back didn’t come.
