I give a brief nod before bracing my hands on the sink and hanging my head. “Shit, fuck, damn,” I whisper-yell to myself. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Pushing away from the sink, I grip my head in my hands and pace the length of the small bathroom, my height making it difficult to get the excess energy out. My head keeps circling back to what I heard, what I thought I saw.
Slowly making my way back to Mike’s office, I throw myself down on his couch, a heavy sigh leaving me.
“Take some deep breaths for me,” he says gently, paper rustling as he moves.
I breathe in deeply through my nose for a count of two and breathe out through my mouth slowly. I repeat the motion several times, mybody relaxing slightly as my heart rate slows down to a more normal rhythm, no longer pounding like it’s about to burst from my chest.
“What did you see, Theo?” Mike finally asks.
Running a hand through my locks, I reply, “I… I think…” I sit up, fidgeting. “I think she was being raped,” I finally choke out, tears welling in my eyes that I might have gotten the last ten years wrong.
Fuck!
Chapter Twenty-One
BLAKE
It’s been a week of blissful silence since I last saw Theo. Part of me loves the fact I can work in peace… the other side, not so much. I often miss his brutish ways and the pranks he plays on me. It makes me wonder if there’s something more going on with him, something he’s not telling me. And I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since it’s not like we’re best friends who tell each other everything. I’m his enemy, and he’s my… first love.
Flicking through pages, I brush the hair back from my face. I wore it down today, even putting on extra makeup to make myself feel better, but so far it hasn’t worked. I’ve barely slept in the last few weeks. This case has taken all of my brainpower, and after everything at home and with Theo, I’m heading for a breakdown. Or that’s what it feels like, anyway.
Footsteps sound closer, but I don’t look up, keeping my nose firmly in the pages of the latest tome I’m reading, paper scattered across the desk in front of me.
“How’s it going?” a voice says behind me, one I thought I’d gotten a reprieve from.
Closing the book with a heavy sigh, I lean back in my chair and cross my arms, wondering why me? “It’s going fine.”
The chair next to me moves, and my eyes dart to blue eyes that have always been able to break me. Theo sits down, acting more awkward than usual—shifting in his chair, his eyes roaming around like he’d rather be anywhere else than here.
“Is there something you wanted?” I ask, tired of him hating me.
“How did the meeting go with Frank?”
I give him a confused look, and my eyebrows raise, not only because he’s talking to me but also because he’s talking to me gently. There’s no trace of hate in his tone. Sitting up straight, I take the olive branch he’s offering. I shouldn’t. After how he’s been, I should be expecting a prank of epic proportions coming my way.
I’m still cautious as I reply, “Not great. He’s watching me. Something about him not being happy with how I’m conducting myself around the office.” I give him a knowing look, one that says,and it’s all your fault.
He swipes a hand down his face, the whiskers of his beard scratching, but the sound is oddly comforting. “Yeah, I, uh… sorry.”
I can’t hide the look of surprise that hits my face. Is Theo apologizing? Did I hit my head and this is all a dream?
Before I can utter a word, he gestures toward the books and says, “Need any help?”
Yup, definitely dreaming.
“Uh, sure,” I stammer, picking up one of the books and handing it to him.
He takes it, opens it up to a page, then grabs a pencil from the stack in front of me. He doesn’t say anything else, just gets to work. Mystomach twists in knots at having him so close, but my body clearly likes having him around since, for the first time in years, I relax.
“Where have you been?” I ask. Why I feel the need to know is anyone’s guess.
Theo tilts his head. “Worried about me, firefly?” He chuckles with a raised brow.
“Absolutely not.” I scoff, my cheeks flushing. “That would mean caring about you, and I most certainly do not.”
“I call bullshit,” he replies, a smile on his lips.
