Tilting her head, obviously annoyed with me, she says, “They both had an army of men working under them. It wouldn’t be safe to go back to your old life right now. If anybody wanted to find you, they could.”
“You’re saying I can’t go home? Fuck that! I thought this was over.” I rake a hand through my hair.
“They’ll put you up at a hotel somewhere under a different identification. But it’s only until the investigation’s complete. It’ll be fine.”
“Fine for who? What about my girlfriend? I’m stuck in this bed, while she’s dealing with her father’s murder. She needs me! Who the hell’s going to watch out for her, if I’m shacked up in a hotel?”
She works the details in her head then stands up. “So there is a girlfriend.” She brings her face close to mine. “You lie,” she says, slowly scanning my face.
I stare right back. “I want to know she’ll be safe.” My jaw clenches tightly. “Is she going to be in danger?”
“Are you willing to stay away from her?” She arches a brow.
“They can’t keep me from her. I won’t do it.”
“Guess she doesn’t mean that much to you then.” She backs away. “’Cause if you care about this girl, you’ll leave her alone until they clear you.”
“Luke, is everything okay?” Lauren asks, walking in with my frozen yogurt, clearly noticing the tension. Her eyes flick from me to Rachelle, then she glares at her. “I need to speak with my brother in private now,” she spits out, throwing Rachelle’s words from earlier back at her.
Rachelle purses her lips, raising her eyebrows at me, like she expects I’m going to defend her.
“She was just leaving.”
It’s been nearly three weeks since my father passed away, and life is slowly returning to normal. Gia, Pam, and several others helped plan a beautiful ceremony for the funeral. When the service was over, we gathered for a memorial dinner that Pam held in her home. I got to see some familiar faces and listen to stories about my father that I hadn’t heard before. As sad as it’d made me to hear them, I’m so happy I did.
I’d finally heard back from my mother a couple of days later. She had taken the news hard, apologizing for not being here. We’d talked for close to an hour, taking turns sobbing while I explained all that had happened in the hospital. At the end of our conversation, she told me she loved me, but she wanted some time to cry alone while Tim wasn’t home. We haven’t spoken since.
Right after changing into a cotton sleep shirt and comfy shorts, I hear a knock at the front door. Sean and I are watching a movie tonight—probably a horror flick since it’s his turn to pick. He owns practically all of them.
I tread down the hallway, past the kitchen and through the living room, finally reaching the door by the second knock.
Swinging it open, I exhale. “Sorry. I was changing.” My eyes widen at what I see.
“Hello gorgeous.” Sean stands there with a smile, holding a bouquet of pink roses in one hand, a bag of groceries in the other. He’s got his hair gelled high, even though it’s short. He’s wearing a light blue t-shirt and jeans that fit his body nicely. He seems to be in an extra good mood tonight.
“Are those for me?” I grin, reaching for the flowers.
He curiously watches my reaction. “Do you like them?”
“Of course. They’re beautiful. I’m just surprised. Thank you,” I reply, taking them to the kitchen to put them in some water. “Why did you buy them for me?” I regret the question as soon as it leaves my mouth. I know Sean has feelings for me that go beyond our friendship. He’s made no practice of hiding it.
He’s right behind me with the groceries, setting them on the counter. “Why not?” He pulls out a couple pints of ice cream. “Cookies ‘n’ Cream, right? That’s your favorite?” he asks, nudging me with it.
“Yeah,” I say awkwardly. We’ve spent a lot of time together the last few weeks, but tonight feels strangely intimate. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that just yet. The pain from Luke is still fresh. It’s going to take some time for me to heal completely, and I don’t want to hurt Sean in the process. Snapping out of my thoughts, I tell him, “Again thank you. It’s very sweet.” Maybe I’m making this bigger than it is.
“You’re welcome,” he answers, scooping out a bowl of ice cream for himself. “By the way, I hope you like The Notebook ‘cause that’s what I brought.” Taking a bite, he walks right over to the couch and plops down on it.