He leans around me, eyes scanning for Elena, before shaking his head and turning away. “That bitch isn’t worth this shit, anyway.”
My hands curl into fists at my side, wanting to pummel him for those words. It takes all my composure to keep my feet planted on the ground. I watch him walk to the door, waiting until he’s pressing against the handle before I call out, “Elliot.”
He glances back, dark eyes narrowed to slits.
“Elena doesn’t live alone. She lives with her six-foot-four, three-times-your-size brother, and the only thing he hates more than creeps fucking around his sister is creeps fucking around his wife and kid.” He rolls his eyes at me. “Her other brother owns this boardwalk and would happily trespass your ass for the rest of time if he knew the way you scared her tonight. Do not ever contact Elena again.”
He smiles at me. “What? You’re not going to threaten me yourself?”
“It’s not my place to make threats for her,” I respond. “But if it were, I wouldn’t bother. I’d just hunt you down and split your skull open for calling her a bitch like that.”
He looks me up and down, a smirk accenting his lips. “Whatever. Good luck to you, man.” He shoves open the door open and strides out.
I need it, honestly.
I follow, locking the door behind him, shutting off the lights, and stumbling through the dark back to my office. I knock on the door lightly. “It’s me. He’s gone.”
Only a second later, the knob clicks, and she’s swinging it open, revealing the endless brown eyes I spent my whole lifelost inside. They’re bloodshot and hooded, a faraway look on her face. “He left?”
“Yep.” I nod. “Do you need me to drive you home?”
Her gaze drops. “No, it’s fine. I’ll order a ride.”
“Sorry, let me rephrase that,” I say. “You’re going to let me take you home. Do you have all your things?”
She lifts her head, brows pinched, eyes blazing. Of course, she has no problem getting a fucking attitude with me. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
I swear to God, this woman.
She ghosts me after the worst tragedy of my fucking life, breaks my heart and destroys my soul, disappears for literal years, and then shows up to my business on a Saturday night with another guy, expecting me to rescue her from her creepy fucking date?
“You’re not in a position to argue with me right now,” I snap. “And I won’t have your brothers on my ass for abandoning you late at night after whatever disaster that just was.”
She scoffs, rolling her eyes as her arms cross at her chest. “That’s why you’re insisting? Because you’re scared of my brothers?”
“Yes,” I lie. “And I’m not scared of them. I’m easily annoyed by them.”
“Whatever.” She slings her purse over her shoulder, hips swaying as she disappears into the hallway.Goddamn hips. It’s infuriating that I can still remember how they feel around my face.
“You’re welcome,” I mutter under my breath, flicking off the light.
She stops in the hallway, turning around. The building is dark now, only the faint glow of the pier filtering through the windows. Her face is a wall of stone, unwilling to let me see behind the mask she’s wearing. If only she hadn’t spentyears teaching me how to read her eyes. There’s emotion there, emotion she’s working really hard to hide.
“Thank you,” she says flatly. “Sorry I’m not showcasing my gratitude in a more appropriate way for you. I’m a little fucking embarrassed, if you couldn’t tell. Kind of wishing I was literally anywhere else.”
At least she’s honest.
My instinct is to comfort her, reach out and touch her, tell her it’s okay, and I’m glad she found me. That part is true. Seeing her right now is fucking torture, and this isn’t anywhere near the kind of reunion I imagined for us, but I’m goddamn grateful she walked through those doors tonight. That Maggie hadn’t locked them when she left.
I don’t want to think about the lengths Elena might’ve gone to keep that man from bringing her back home where her family is sleeping.
But I’ve been living in self-preservation mode since the moment I woke to an empty bed four years ago. Having her stand in front of me right now is the epitome of the kind of destruction I’ve been trying to avoid in my life.
My brain shoutsDanger! Run while you can!
Meanwhile my heart screamsTouch! Feel! Home!
I need to get away from her.
