“I swear to god, Officer?—”
“Jackass,” I cut her off. “Yeah, yeah. C’mon inside, Princess.”
She huffs her displeasure but follows behind me all the same. “Leave your shoes by the door,” I tell her, toeing off my sneakers.
“Oh.” She kicks off her sandals. “Wow.”
“What?” I ask, trying to take in my space from her eyes.
“It’s… nice.” She tilts her head, staring up at me like she expects an explanation.
“And that’s a problem why?”
“Not a problem.” She ventures deeper into the living room. “Just unexpected.”
“Unexpected for a man to have a clean and well-decorated home?”
“Yes.” She nods. “Most of the guy’s places I’ve been to look like stereotypical bachelor pads. Yours looks like…a home.”
“Sounds like you have shit taste in men.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” She laughs under her breath. “Now, are we going to talk or what?”
“Sure.” I nod toward the couch.
She plops down without hesitation, tucking her feet beneath her. She looks small curled up in the corner of my sectional, and some twisted part of me likes seeing her in my space.
I knew this was a bad idea.
“Let’s start with why you lied to Atlas and Nora,” she says the second my ass hits the cushion.
“Because,” I start and then pause, taking a minute to really think aboutwhyI lied, because if I’m being honest, I didn’t plan on it. The words toppled out of my mouth before I could stop them. “The last thing they need is to worry about all of this. They have enough going on between Nora’s trauma, James's first birthday, and their wedding. I don't want to add this to their already overflowing plate.”
She stares me down so hard that I think she’s going to call me on my bullshit—which every word of that was. Because the truth is I lied to shield Nora from Atlas’s reaction. He’s not exactly known for being rational when it comes to Nora’s safety.
After a minute or two, she exhales and sinks deeper into the couch. “I guess that's fair.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Okay, great. Glad we agree.” I stretch my arms along the back of the couch. “Now let's talk about when you're gonna file a police report.”
“Do you really think anything will come of it?”
“Do I think the cops are gonna go out and hunt this guy down and find him? No. Do I think it's important to have a matter of record of it so that if he escalates? Or you somehow find out his identity? Absolutely.”
She tucks her hands between her legs and blinks up at me. “Will… will you come with me?”
My entire body freezes as I think about returning to the police department. I didn't leave on bad terms exactly, but damn sure not the best either. But if my presence is what gets her to the station to file, then I guess I'm going with her. “Yeah, Princess, I will.”
“Thank you.” She launches herself at me like a rocket, her knees bracketing my lap as she flings her arms around my neck. “So, so much.”
“Whoa.” I brace her with one hand on her hip and the other around her waist. “You’re, uh...” My hand flexes on her hip as I fight the urge to pull her closer. “You’re welcome.”
I groan when she tangles her fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck and she freezes in place, her cheeks lighting up brighter than an open sign
“Oh my god.” She scrambles off my lap and throws herself down onto the far end of the couch. “I’msosorry. I-I don’t know what came over me.”
“No worries,” I assure her with a calmness I’m absolutely not feeling. “Heightened emotions and shit.”
“Yes, yeah.” She nods vigorously. “That.”
