Taking What's His(38)
Just like me.
“So, he’s, what exactly?” Steven asked. “A booty call?”
“Call it what you want. It’s just a temporary arrangement between the two of us. That’s all.”
Steven sighed. “And then once it’s over, you’ll go back to dating guys you can actually bring home?”
It sounded like she stomped her foot. “Steven, I don’t like—”
Not wanting to hear the rest of that statement, Holt cleared his throat and stepped into the room. “Am I interrupting something?”
Lydia’s cheeks suffused with color. She still wore the same outfit she’d had on last night, and her hair was a bit frizzy. Also, her face was devoid of makeup. He’d never seen her looking so fresh before. Gorgeous.
And so off-limits.
Steven turned to him, his cheeks red, too, but with anger, not embarrassment. “No, we were just having a little talk.”
“About?” he asked, cocking a brow.
“Inappropriate boyfriends.”
Lydia turned even redder. “I never said he was my boyfriend. He isn’t.”
“Who has a boyfriend?” he asked, playing along. But the game made him feel sick to his stomach. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone special, Steven.”
“Fuck you,” Steven shot back. “I told you, if I was going to date a dude, I’d date you. But as it is, I still prefer chicks.”
Holt snapped his fingers. “Damn.”
“Wait.” Lydia rubbed her head. “What?”
Steven snorted. “Don’t even think about it. He might be my type, but he’s not yours. He’s too damn stubborn and dirty for a little girl like you.” He slapped Holt on the back, sending a shard of pain through his skull. “Right, man?”
Of course he was right. But again, Holt wasn’t that much worse than any other dude out there. He just…got migraines and couldn’t always form his words properly. That wasn’t so bad, was it? He winced. Yeah, it was.
“Right,” Holt said between his clenched teeth.
“Are you okay?” Lydia asked, coming forward.
“Yes.” Holt locked gazes with her. “I’m fine.”
“Why wouldn’t you be?” Steven looked at them both, no longer looking quite as jovial as before. “What did I miss here? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just a headache,” Holt said quickly. “I mean, just, uh…I—”
Lydia stepped forward. “When he drove me home the other night, he told me he gets headaches every once in a while. Said he felt one coming on, so I was asking about it. That’s all.”
Holt blinked at her. She’d been quick to jump in and make sure Steven didn’t see anything between the two of them. But in doing so, she’d given away information he didn’t like giving out. Damn it. If people at work knew he was having headaches, and episodes, he’d never be able to keep his job. He’d already lost one position due to his injury.
He wasn’t about to lose another.
Steven eyed Holt. “You still get those? I thought they stopped.”
“Uh…” He looked at Lydia, giving himself a second to form his thoughts. “I don’t get them anymore. They stopped. I thought I was going to have another one, but then it went away. False alarm.”
“Oh. Good.”
Lydia crossed her arms. “Yeah.”
He stared right the fuck back at her. If he didn’t want to tell anyone he was having migraines and panic attacks and every other awful thing he had…then it was his own fucking business. She’d sworn to keep his secret, and she would.
Steven cleared his throat. “Anyway, I have to go to another morning meeting with my new supervisor, and I’m late. Can you maybe give Lydia a ride back to her place, Holt? It’s why I called you over here.”
“Yes, of course,” he said.
At the same time, Lydia said, “I can call a cab.”
“No.”
“No,” Holt said at the same time as Steven. It earned him a weird look from his best friend. “I mean, I don’t mind.”
Lydia nodded once. “All right.”
Steven grabbed his bag and hugged Lydia. “Let me know if you hear back from Ian. He’s supposed to be calling you again today.”
“Yeah.” Lydia glanced at Steven, then back at Holt. “Of course.”
Holt stiffened. Who the fuck was Ian? And why hadn’t she mentioned him before? He nodded at Steven as he walked by, waiting to hear the door shut behind him. As soon as it did, he cocked a brow. “Ian?”
She nodded, smoothing her hair with a trembling hand. “Yeah.”