Chapter 30
30
PAIGE
Standing in front of the open refrigerator, I sighed. I was tired of soup, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much left to eat. There was something wrapped in foil, but it had been there since I moved in, and I was too afraid to look inside and see what it was. There was no way that could still be good to eat. Reaching in, I touched it but then pulled my hand back. This wasn’t my place. If Cole had wanted it thrown away, he would’ve done it by now, but something told me he’d forgotten about it.
When I heard the lock on the door, I stood straight and looked over toward the entrance. I was shocked when Cole walked through, considering it was only seven o’clock, and he didn’t usually quit this early unless he had plans.
“You’re done early.”
“Yeah.” His eyes scanned over me, and I knew what he saw. Gone was the dress I’d worn earlier. I was back in yoga pants and a hoodie, and my hair was in a braid. His expression changed to one of concern, and I understood why. I’d told him my clothes made me feel a certain way, and he probably thought I’d put this on because I was feeling vulnerable, but that wasn’t the case.
I gestured to my clothes. “Just wanted to be comfy.”
The lines on his forehead relaxed, and he gestured toward the refrigerator. “What are you doing?”
I frowned and glanced back at the refrigerator. “Trying to find something to eat, but I don’t know what I’m hungry for.”
“I’m hungry for pizza.”
I laughed, and the sound surprised me. I’d been doing that a little more lately, and it took me off guard every time. I hadn’t had much to laugh about over the past few weeks, and even before that, I’d been in a funk, usually because of my feelings for Cole, so I wasn’t my normal self. It felt so good to feel that emotion again. “You’re always hungry for pizza.”
“Why don’t you order the pizza while I grab a shower, and we’ll watch a movie or something?”
I considered that. Did I want pizza? “Okay, but no anchovies on the pizza and no scary movie. I’m tired from not sleeping well last night, so I need to get a good night's sleep.”
“Deal.”
He moved around me toward the bathroom, and I shut the refrigerator door. I’d just pulled up the pizza place I knew he liked on my phone. I was still going through their menu when there was a knock on the door.
My head snapped up, eyes locked on the closed door, and I froze.
I couldn’t move.
Nobody ever knocked on Cole’s door. I heard the shower and swallowed hard. Flashes of Paul Lewis’s hand around my throat battered my mind, and I took a step back, pressing my butt against the counter. Panic was beginning to overwhelm me, so I breathed in and out slowly, reminding myself that Paul Lewis would not knock on the door if he found me.
“Cole!”
Relief rushed through my body when I heard Bailey’s voice. Putting my hand to my chest, I let out a few shaky breaths and blinked back the tears threatening to escape before taking the few steps toward the door. I lifted my hand and watched it shake, trying to talk myself out of the panic still threatening before I unlocked the door. I took a few more deep breaths and attempted to clear my expression before I finally pulled open the door.
I smiled, but it was shaky when I saw Bailey, Bree, and Harper all standing on the landing outside Cole’s door. “Hey.”
“Hey, girl.” Harper pushed past Bailey, who rolled her eyes.
She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” I lied because, at that moment, I was still a little shaky. “Better.”
She moved away and I shared a hug with Bailey and Bree just as I heard the shower turn off.
“The boss home?” Bailey joked.
“He’s in the shower.” I gestured toward the living room. “I just heard the water shut off, though.”
“I figured he’d still be in the garage.” Bailey’s eyes rose. “Any reason he quit early today?”
My eyes flicked between his sisters, and I ignored the curiosity in their expressions. “No idea. He said he was hungry.”
“Oh.” Harper shrugged. “That makes sense.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
We all turned to face Cole, who stood in the open doorway to the kitchen in only sweatpants. I couldn’t look away. I’d never seen him without a shirt. I felt all that skin and toned muscle beneath my fingers, but we’d kept our clothes on the one and only time we’d been together. Suddenly, my mouth was dry, and my hands were shaky for a very different reason. I heard Bailey say something, but my eyes stayed locked on the man who occupied way too many of my thoughts over the past year.
His eyes flicked toward me, and his heated probably because of the expression I was doing nothing to hide. Shaking my head, I broke the stare and looked down at my feet, needing a minute to gather myself. I didn’t understand these feelings I had for him. I’d never had them with another man. This attraction and the chemistry I felt when he was near was overwhelming. I wasn’t sure if I liked or hated it, considering it made me feel vulnerable in a way I’d never felt with a man.
“I’m gonna put on a shirt,” he muttered.
“You good?” Bree asked, but it was Harper’s face I saw when I lifted my head, and her smirk told me they hadn’t missed a thing.
“Yep,” I answered, but somewhat unconvincingly.
Harper smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. “This is so much fun.”
“Do you three ever go anywhere without the other ones anymore?” Hearing Cole’s voice, I glanced over and watched him tug his shirt the rest of the way over his toned stomach before he came to stand beside me, leaning his butt against the counter.
Bailey laughed. “I told them I was coming to talk to you about my truck, and they decided they were too so they could check on Paige.”
Bree frowned and looked at me. “We wouldn’t have to ambush you this way if your gatekeeper would’ve let us visit before now.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Harper gestured toward Cole. “Your boss wouldn’t let us visit. He said you needed to rest. I stopped by last Saturday night, and he threw me out.” She lifted her eyebrows at Cole. “Oh yeah, I’m telling her.”
He shrugged. “I don’t care if you tell her.”
I shifted to face Cole. “You threw her out?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“Because you were sleeping, and you needed sleep.”
He was so matter-of-fact about it, and the truth was, he was right. I did need to sleep more than I needed to see people. I wanted to be mad at him and tell him I make my own decisions on what I do and who I spend time with, but I wasn’t. I was grateful that he was protecting and caring for me in a way I hadn’t let anyone for as long as I could remember.
Turning, I faced Harper. “He’s actually right. I did need sleep. I hadn’t been sleeping well.”
“I know.” Harper smiled softly. “That’s why I wasn’t pissed that he wouldn’t let me see you.”
“That’s why we came tonight. We wanted to see with our own eyes how you’re doing,” Bree added.
“I’m doing okay.”
“We heard what happened at your place.” Bailey shook her head. “The whole family is freaking out, especially Jake and Ben.”
I tilted my head. “Why?”
“Because Lewis just vanished,” she explained. “No one knows where he is or who he’s staying with. Not even the guys he was friends with on the crew, and believe me, they’ve been interrogated.”
Cole snorted. “I’ll bet they have.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Bailey shook her head. “There’s this one guy who was pretty tight with Lewis. They brought him in, and he sort of insinuated that Lewis wouldn’t do that to a woman who wasn’t asking for it.” Cole pushed off the counter and stood straight when Bailey held up her hand. “I wasn’t there, and they won’t let Chase sit in because they’re afraid of what he’ll do, but from what Ben told me, Jake hit the roof and threw the guy against the wall. Apparently, the only thing Ben could say to get him to stop was to remind him that Lanie was pregnant.”
“Where is this guy now?”
“Ben fired him, obviously,” she continued. “But they let Luke know and the police are all over it. I guess they’ve been to this guy’s house. Even pulled a warrant to search it.”
“Anything?”
“No.” Bailey frowned. “But they’re keeping a close eye on him in case he can lead them to Lewis.”
Cole opened his mouth to say something but then looked down at me. “You’re quiet. You okay?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Just not surprised he thinks that way.”
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “A lot of guys think like those two.”
“She’s right,” Harper agreed. “I hear it all the time in the clubs.”
“Why the hell do you go to those places if that’s how the guys act?”
“Because I go to have fun. I just avoid the douches.”
“It’s not safe.”
“It never felt unsafe,” I tried to explain. “At least not until recently.”
“They’re also not all like that,” Bree explained. “I’ve met a lot of guys in clubs who were just there to have fun and meet someone but without the douchee behavior.” She held up her hand. “And yes, I’m making douchee a word.”
I smiled when Bailey and Harper laughed, but Harper eventually spoke. “You just have to learn to use your douche radar.”
“I used to be good at that,” I admitted. “I missed it this time.”
“He hid it from you.” Bailey spoke up. “I know he did because if he talked to you like he talked to me all the weeks before he attacked me, you would’ve never gone through with the date.”
“Do you remember much from the date?” Bree asked.
“I remember the whole date,” I explained. “He was nice, even charming at times, but I realized as he kept drinking, his attitude changed. I’d finally had enough and left.”
“And then what?” Harper asked.
“Then I started driving home, and my stupid low fuel light thing started beeping. I knew from experience that I needed to stop, or I might run out of gas before I got home.”
“Running out of gas a habit of yours?”
I looked up at Cole, ready to defend myself, but saw the teasing glint in his eyes and smacked the back of my hand against his arm. “No.”
He snorted. “I’m calling bullshit.”
Smiling, I shook my head but didn’t answer. I was surprised I was in a space where I could smile while talking about this. I hadn’t really talked about this since I left the hospital, and even in there, I didn’t talk about anything leading up to the attack. Luke only wanted information about the attack.
Bree hit Cole’s other arm, but her eyes stayed on me. “Ignore him. Go on.”
“Anyway.” I grinned at Cole and continued. “I found a gas station I’d gone to before. I knew it was close to a busier road so I wouldn’t be isolated.”
“That was smart.” Cole nodded.
That one compliment filled me with pride. It was small, but I hadn’t felt like I’d done much right since the attack. Hearing I had made me feel less responsible for the attack in some way.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“Is that where he snuck up on you?” Bailey asked.
“Yeah.” I ran my hand over my forehead.
“Sounds like him.” Bailey shook her head. “He’s a coward. He likes to sneak up on women when they’re unprepared so he can quickly get the upper hand.”
I nodded at Bailey but then saw all of their eyes shift to Cole. Looking up at him, I noticed his face had changed and was just about to ask what was wrong but he spoke before I could. “We’re done talking about this.”
I looked between him and his sisters, but before I could ask what changed, he softened his voice and met my stare. “You’re rubbing your forehead, which you do when you get a headache.”
“Hmm…” I hummed. “I never noticed that.”
“Yeah, well, I did,” he replied. “And it happens every time Paul Lewis is the topic of conversation. I don’t want to watch you go through that.”
I nodded and gestured toward the living room. “I’m going to take a pill now. Maybe I can get ahead of it.”
“Good idea,” he answered.
I’d just walked into my bedroom when I heard Bree speaking again.
“She needs to talk about it, Cole,” Bree expressed.
“Yeah, she does, but in time. Not all at once. She gets so sick. You’ve never had to watch her go through that.”
“I guess you’re right,” Bree agreed.
Pulling the bottle from my purse, I took out a pill and made my way back to the kitchen, listening to Cole talk to Bailey about her truck.
The subject was officially changed.
All because Cole wanted to spare me from any more pain.