I decide to just go with the easy answer. “I’m fine,” I give in finally.
He doesn’t believe it, but he also doesn’t fight me on it. “Alright, but if you start spiraling, I’m staging an intervention.”
“Please don’t.”
“No promises.”
That’s fair; I’d do the same for him if our roles were reversed.
Chapter 4
Liv
A familiar flash of dark brown hair grabs my attention. And the slick looking button-up long-sleeve white shirt and black slacks tell me what I already know.
He’s back.
This is the third time in two weeks that the hot detective has been back in my neighborhood.
The first time, just four days after the shooting, had me on edge that something bad was going to happen again. Once I realized that he and Mason, that other detective with the bright smile and red hair, were just doing some investigating in the empty office building across the street with some regular uniformed officers in tow, I stopped worrying.
That didn’t slow my heart rate though.
Part of me was just caught in the fact that he was back and the thrill of seeing him again. Not just him, not just his belt-clipped badge, but that he was still wearing his sling. It made me a little too proud that he kept it on. I’m partially hoping that he accepted it because of what I said.
The second time, last Tuesday, I didn’t worry at all when I saw him. He and Mason were in front of that office building again, speaking with some cops in a squad car and gesturing atsomething down the street. No sling this time. But it’d been long enough, I’m sure it’s fine enough by now for him to go without it.
And now they’re back again, and I’m fighting myself to go out there to talk to him, pretending to just be curious of how his arm is healing but really just wanting him to stare at me in that way he did that night. The way that left me feeling naked while fully clothed, albeit underdressed.
I’m looking from the window in my bedroom, feeling more than mildly like a creeper, so I can get a good view of where they’re parked just barely past the office building in the direction I’d take if walking to work.
Which I’m sure is just a coincidence.
Mason splits off from Alex, heading down the street with a wad of papers and two cops following him.
But Alex stays and I take my chance. I grab my keys and wallet, say a quick “be right back” to Pip, and run out the door, planning to make it look like I was just heading to the corner store to grab something to eat butbumped intohim. I take the stairs two at a time racing down them hoping he’ll still be alone beside that same black sedan.
As soon as my feet hit the pavement in front of my building, his eyes meet mine. I don’t know how he knew it was me stepping out of the building, or if he was just reacting to being on the sidewalk near him, but it makes my heart flutter anyway.
“Ms. Carter,” he gives me a nod.
Crap, we’re being formal? I’ve been calling him and Mason by their first names in my head since that night.
“Oh, Liv is fine. How, uh, how’s your arm healing?” I let a light smile take over my face.
“Very well, actually. I got the stitches out a few days ago in urgent care. It feels much better without them.” He shifts, leaning backwards against the car, and crosses his arms, making his muscular upper arms stretch against the fabric of his sleeves.
It should be illegal to look this good in a damn button-up shirt.
The thought hits me so fast and so vividly that I nearly trip over my own feet.
I recover, hopefully before he could think over my fumble. “You went to urgent care?” I ask, stepping a little closer but keeping a safe, socially acceptable distance. “Could’ve come by here…” I jab my thumb over my shoulder at my apartment building. “I’ve got the gear for it. O-or the station. We would’ve taken care of it for you.”
“I considered it,” he says, voice so even that it makes me think that he’s just saying that to placate me. “Didn’t think your coworkers would appreciate me taking up anyone’s time.”
Are you kidding? You would have been the talk of the station for a week straight, especially for Alice.
“They wouldn’t,” I admit. “But I would’ve.” The words slip out before I can stop them.
