34. Chapter 34
Chapter 34
I checked my pockets to make sure I had everything before leaving my apartment on Saturday afternoon, when I saw a man exiting Lehra’s apartment.
“Can I help you?” I asked and then almost keeled over when I saw who it was. Dwight fucking Jones . “What are you doing here?”
“Oh hey! Cruz, right?” He gave me a smug smile. “I live here now.”
My fists balled up at my sides as I tried to control my anger. “What do you mean you live here?”
“I just moved here. I got transferred by my architectural firm.”
“Lehra…” I said but was unable to form any other words.
“Yeah, I talked to her a couple hours ago.”
No way. No fucking way.
Unable to even look at him, I stormed off down the corridor to the elevator bank, stabbing the button so hard I cracked my fingernail.
I was absolutely furious but also hurt, as though someone was stabbing a white-hot poker directly into my chest. There’s no way she’s going back to him, right? She said she wanted to be in a relationship with me. She said she wanted to make this work.
When I walked into the station, I didn’t even remember how I got there. My brain was going ninety miles an hour while my heart was cracked into pieces in my chest.
“Look alive today, guys,” Curly told us. “There’s a big political rally downtown, and we have to make sure everyone plays nice.”
We made it through the workday with only a couple small skirmishes, which we dealt with quickly. But it had been enough to keep me distracted for a bit.
As I stripped off my gear, I heard my phone ping. Checking it, I found a message from Lehra.
Tink: Hey, I was wondering if I could come over tonight.
Shit. I couldn’t deal with her breaking up with me right now. I needed time to process, so I replied back.
Cruz: Not tonight. I’m not feeling great.
Tink: Oh no! Do you need me to come take care of you?
What the hell is she playing at?
Cruz: Just need some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.
Tomorrow came approximately one million hours later. At least that’s what it seemed like while I ran every horrible scenario over and over in my head.
I trudged to the kitchen and put on some coffee. I had to be at work again in a couple hours, and I needed to get my mind clear.
As soon as I took my first sip, I heard my front door open.
“Cruz?” a soft voice called out, and my heart rate doubled, both in excitement to see her and fear of what she was going to say.
“In the kitchen,” I replied, hearing the tremble in my own voice.
Her sweet smile was coated with sympathy when she walked in, and it almost killed me. She was about to do it. She was going to ruin my life.
“Are you okay?” she asked, walking toward me and pressing a cool hand against my forehead. “You don’t feel like you have a fever.” I hated that I still craved her sweet touch. This was going to kill me.
“I’m fine,” I replied curtly.
“What was wrong with you? Was it your stomach?”
No, my heart , I thought.
“Did you need something, Lehra?”
Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the ice in my voice. “I just wanted to check on you. I was worried.”
“I told you I was fine.”
“Cruz, what’s wrong?” she asked.
I was unable to keep the bitterness from my tone. “I saw Dwight, Lehra. He told me he moved in.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “Moved in where?”
“With you.”
“What?” she shrieked so loudly my ears rang. “And you actually believed him?”
“I, uh…”
She stood toe-to-toe with me and glared up into my face. “You big idiot.”
I blinked at her. “I’m the idiot?”
She rolled her eyes and planted her hands on her hips. “If you think I would ever go back with Dwight Jones, then yes, you’re a complete moron. He did show up at my apartment to tell me he’d moved to New York, but he’s certainly not moving into my apartment.”
“He said… the way he said it…” I shook my head in confusion. “I saw him coming out of your apartment while you were at Kassie’s. That’s when he told me, and I quote, I live here now. ”
“Ohhh, I’m just sure he did,” she fumed. “The jerk showed up without calling and announced that he was here so we could get back together. Like I would take his sorry ass back.” Lehra flailed her arms and stomped around the kitchen. “And he brought all his things, thinking I was going to let him move in here, I guess. Well, I informed him that he could take a damn hike.”
Every organ in my body seemed to melt with relief.
“So you’re not back together with Dwight?” I asked, just to confirm.
She whirled on me, looking even more beautiful in her fierceness. “Absolutely not. He was in my apartment because I told him he could stay until his hotel was ready. While I was not there,” she emphasized. “Now I wish I’d kicked his ass out onto the street with all his luggage.”
I scruffed a hand up and down my face. “Oh my god, Lehra. I was freaking out all day yesterday and all night. I thought you were leaving me.”
Her face softened, and she took my cup of coffee and set it down before climbing me like a tree. I instantly gripped her butt to hold her up as her legs wrapped around my waist and her arms wound around my shoulders.
“I adore you, you big jealous doof.”
Feeling like an ass, I leaned my forehead against hers. “I adore you too, Tink. I’m so sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure dipshit Dwight knew you’d interpret it that way.”
“Where is he staying?” I growled. “I want to punch him in the face.”
“I have no idea. I didn’t ask. and I don’t want to know.” Any remaining tension I may have held dissipated in an instant. “Is this why you didn’t want me to come over last night?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I feel so stupid for buying into that. I’m really sorry, Lehra.”
Her soft hands stroked my messy hair. “Stop apologizing. We’ve got it all straightened out now. You know I’m not going back with mama’s boy, and I’m now aware that you have a jealous streak a mile wide.”
“It was more than jealousy,” I whispered, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “I was devastated.”
“Baby,” she crooned, pressing kisses all over my face. “How about if I’m waiting in your bed when you get home tonight? And I’ll show you how I feel about you.”
I placed my woman on the counter and slid my fingers into the waistband of her shorts. “How about I give you an apology right now? Kinda like an appetizer before the main course tonight.”
“Don’t you have to go to work?”
“I always have time to get you off, Tink.”
She giggled as I worked her shorts and panties down her legs. “You do have quite the uncanny knack for that.”
I sank to my knees and gave her my best apology. Twice.
“What are your plans for the day?” I asked as we walked hand-in-hand out my front door sixty minutes later, my heart lighter than it had been in the past twenty-four hours.
“I’m going to Two Rivers Mall. They have that new sporting goods store, and I wanted to get some new workout gear.”
“Okay baby,” I said, giving her another kiss when we stopped beside her door.
“Mmmm,” she hummed, licking her lips. “You taste like me.”
I grin down at her. “You’re my favorite flavor, Tink. If I could get Ben & Jerry’s to make—”
She stopped me with a hand over my mouth. “Please don’t say anymore.”
We were three hours into our shift when Chris leaned his head back against the wall of the armored vehicle we were riding in. “Been a slow day today,” he commented.
Maverick punched him in the arm. “Shut the hell up, dude. You’re gonna jinx us.”
Five minutes later, Mav’s prediction was proven correct when we heard the words active shooter over the radio.
“Shit,” Curly muttered. “What’s the location?”
My blood froze in my veins when the voice said those three little words. The most horrifying words I’d heard since I learned my father had died.
Two Rivers Mall.