Hold Me Tight(5)

My indecisiveness vanishes when Lauren comes to the window and peers out. Shit. I can’t let her see me. I scrunch down in the seat of Ben’s F-150 as far as I can go. I watch her hold a key fob against the glass before the engine in her car roars to life. I can’t believe it. She’s finally calling it a day.

Lauren’s Mercedes must have one hell of a heating system, because the windows are already starting to defrost, the condensation running down in rivulets. But then again, Lauren would never lift a finger to scrape her own windows. She might break a nail.

The light in her office goes out, and I take a deep breath. This is it. If she sees me, it’s all over.

I slide into the passenger’s seat and drop down out of sight. I’ve got to play it cool. I won’t be able to keep my eyes on her the whole time. I’ll have to depend on my ears to tell me what’s going on.

A minute goes by. Then five. Then ten. Where is she? Please don’t tell me she decided to spend the night on that stupid pullout couch. But her car’s still running. She has to come out eventually.

My legs are cramping up. Warily, I raise my head above the dash, just as the front door flies open. Shit. I crouch back into position, hoping that she didn’t notice me moving around. It’s pretty dark out here, so I don’t think I blew my cover.

I hear a muffled thud as she shuts the door then the crunch of her footsteps as she makes her way through the snow. Wow, I’m shocked she’s not wearing heels. Lauren Price in snow boots? What is the world coming to? Then there’s a beep as she unlocks her car. All she needs to do is get in and start driving so we can get this show on the road.

But her footsteps sound like they’re getting closer. She’s probably wondering whose truck this is. She doesn’t recognize it, and she knows it shouldn’t be here. I jump when she pounds on the driver’s side window with her gloved hand, trying to look inside. But I’ve been out here a while, and a thick coating of ice is frozen to the glass, limiting her vision. Her efforts to scope out the situation are getting her nowhere, so she clambers up onto the running board to get a better look. Frustrated, she loses her footing and slips off. I breathe a sigh of relief as she smacks the side of the truck with her hand, cursing under her breath. She kicks the tire for good measure before trudging away. That was close—too close.

I listen to her car door slam, but she doesn’t shift out of park. She just sits there. Christ, she’s more paranoid than I thought. I don’t know if she’s on the phone with someone or if she’s waiting to see if anyone is going to get in Ben’s truck from the bar across the street since it’s the only place open at this hour.

Her car idles, and a bead of sweat forms on my upper lip. It takes all the willpower I possess to remain still. There’s nothing I’d like better than to get out of the truck, get up in Lauren’s face, and demand that she take me to Ivy. I ball my fists as she revs the engine. She’s playing a game of cat and mouse, trying to see if I’ll blink first. But she’s not going to draw me out. I’ll stay wedged in this truck all night if I have to. I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that I’m here.

After stalling for as long as she can, I hear the tires of her car slowly start to move. She’s pulling away. Her headlights skim the top of my head as she exits the lot. I count to ten before I make a move. She knows something’s up. I don’t have much time. I better hurry.

Somehow I angle my body back behind the wheel, even though it’s going to take a while to get the circulation flowing in my legs. My hands shake as I start the truck. I can’t let her get too far ahead of me. It’s nearly midnight, and even though there’s no one on the road at this hour, I can’t afford to lose her. It’ll be a dead giveaway if she peers in the rearview mirror and sees me following her. She’s already suspicious. She’ll never lead me to Ivy if she thinks it’s me.

Last night, I was dumb enough to take my own truck. After going a mile or so out of her way, she made a sudden U-turn then drove home. I refuse to make the same mistake again. Yeah, scheming and plotting don’t come natural to me, but I’m a quick learner. She may have outsmarted me so far, but she’s bound to trip up eventually. I know it’s killing her to have to stay away from Ivy when all she wants to do is sink her claws into her. If nothing else, I’m keeping Lauren away from her, at least for now.

I finger the engagement ring I have tied in the bandana in my pocket. I need it to be my lucky talisman that guides me to Ivy. The cabin is so quiet without her. It feels empty inside. Her presence is what makes it home. God, I’d do anything to hear her laugh again. I hate not waking up to her smile and feeling her next to me. Shep is beside himself, wandering around in circles, realizing something’s not right.