Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“I’m gonna need you to spell it out for me then, babe. Because…”
“Atlas asked him to watch James, too. We had to share the pullout couch. It was no big deal.” The heat in my cheeps amps up as my thoughts wander to what is a big deal, because Ellis-fucking-Wilder is packing. Like, majorly so. And while a big dick doesn’t make up for his shitty attitude, it certainly has my imagination running all kinds of wild.
“Well…” Cara spins to face me, crossing her arms over her chest while grinning like a madwoman. “That sounds like a load of bullshit.”
“What?” I mimic her pose, minus the smile, because this is no laughing matter. “It’s not.”
“Lie to yourself all you want, babe.” She narrows her eyes. “But don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying, Cara.” I’m absolutely lying and I hate it. I wish I could unload on her, ask her opinion, do the whole girl talk thing. But she’d probably run screaming and never talk to me again. She’s a work friend, and I need to remember that.
I glance down at my watch to hide my guilt and note I still have ten minutes left until I can officially clock in. The one time I don’t hit any traffic just had to be today.
“We shared a bed…” And I had the best sleep of my life wrapped in his strong arms and woke up to what felt like a baseball bat pressed against my ass. “…and the next morning, everything was business as usual. The only person making a big deal out of this is you.”
“Hmm…” is all she says in reply.
“I think I have a stalker.” I slap my hands over my mouth, wishing like hell I could take the words back. Cara doesn’t want or need me weighing her down with my shit.
Not to mention, blurting it out to her when I’m hiding it from Nora makes me feel rotten. Ellis swears we’re doing the right thing by not telling them how far it’s gone. He says they have enough on their plate right now, and, while I’m conflicted on it, I think he’s right, too.
“Explain.” She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me, doing that freaky Cara thing where she somehow manages to sneak past my walls and see inside my soul. “Immediately.”
“Well. Think isn’t the right word. I definitely have one.” I shrug, trying to play it cool. “Um, you know, some notes, flowers on my windshield, knowing things they shouldn’t.”
“Things like what?” she hisses. “What does that even mean?”
God, I regret opening my big mouth. “They might have watched me at Nora’s while I was there to babysit and they might have threatened to hurt Ellis.”
“Holy. Shit.” She tunnels her fingers into her hair, tugging on the dark strands before redoing her ponytail. “Did Nora’s husband lose his mind? You said he’s overprotective, right?”
“That’s putting it mildly.” I lick my lips. “But, no, he didn’t, because Ellis covered for me and lied to him.”
“This is… a lot to process, babe.”
“Yeah.” I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. For all my preaching about boundaries to my mother, I sure blew right through our work-friend barrier. “Sorry. It’s just…” I shiver as I take another sip of my drink.
“Terrifying? Violating? Creepy as fuck?” Cara asks in rapid-fire succession.
“Yeah.” I nod, my voice a mere whisper. “All of the above.”
“Please tell me you went to the cops?” She sets her can down on the counter, plants her hands on her hips, and lasers her eyes into mine like she’s trying to see directly into my brain. “If not, I’ll take you after work.”
“Ellis took me yesterday.” I’m in for a penny at this point, might as well be in for a pound. And if I’m lucky, she’ll still talk to me.
“Oh, did he now?” Her voice straddles the line between worry and humor—both at my expense.
I roll my lips together and nod.
“Want to elaborate?”
“Not really.” Because what can I even say? I can’t stop thinking about the most infuriating man in the world. The man who went from hating me to vowing to protect me in the blink of an eye while still trying to scrape me off his shoe. The man lying to his best friend for me. The man who is literally living rent-free in my head these days. Yeah, I think not.
“Are you safe?” she asks, her stare never once wavering from mine. “At home, I mean.”
“Yeah, yes.” Uncertainty pricks at my subconscious, because am I really? “I think so, anyway.”
“Well,” she draws out the word, “my couch is always open.”
I’m half tempted to take her up on it, but Fefe Fluffington aside, I’m sure she’s only offering to be polite. That’s just who Cara is. She’s good people… friendly with everyone in the office and beloved by all. A total darling, through and through.