Chapter 34
“Micah?” Clover called out as she stepped into her house. His truck was in her driveway, but he hadn’t responded when she’d called him earlier as she’d left the station. She’d been there for so long and just wanted to see him.
“In the kitchen,” he called back.
She could smell something good, Italian maybe, before she made it to her kitchen. Her heart practically jumped from her chest as she stepped inside, saw Micah pulling out a casserole that looked a lot like baked ziti.
She wanted to go to him, hug him, but felt almost glued to the spot. She wasn’t sure how to make things right between them. She wanted a future and he’d said the same but…why was this so hard?
Oh right, she had no real experience with healthy romantic relationships.
Her stomach rumbled at the scent of the casserole, and he laughed lightly.
She was surprised he was in her house but glad to see him.
Felt almost relieved. They’d texted back and forth immediately after she’d gone back to the station after the chaos at the courthouse.
It didn’t even feel like the same day. Or night, at this point.
It was as if a week had passed so much had happened.
“Figured you’d be hungry when you got back. I talked to Krystal. She said it was chaos at the station and no one had eaten all day.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.” She all but collapsed on one of the stools at her kitchen table.
“The Feds basically raided the Morrow estate, brought in everyone who worked there to question them as well as anyone who benefited financially from Maeve’s parents around the time she was put into a conservatorship.
The Morrows are being held until tomorrow when they can have a hearing.
I think they’ll get bail but I also think they’ll end up doing real jail time.
” She wasn’t sure if they’d plead out and didn’t care.
They were guilty and there was so much evidence against them.
She had a feeling it would go worse for them if they went to trial.
They’d held their daughter captive, all for money.
Greedy monsters. The headlines were going to write themselves.
“How’s Maeve doing?” Micah asked.
“Well enough, all things considered.”
“With Sinead on her side, I can imagine. What about you? Do you have to go back to answer more questions?”
“I don’t know at this point. I don’t think so.
I actually only stayed so long because I didn’t want Ilena to be alone.
She’s back at the safe house with Taryn now—who the Feds still don’t know about.
I think Maeve is going to head there too later tonight…
Thank you for letting them keep using the place until everything is settled. ”
He simply nodded as he scooped some of the ziti onto a plate for her. “Listen, I’ve got a job coming up. I’m going to be heading out of town either tomorrow or Wednesday. I’m not sure.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Things were so weird between them and she wasn’t sure how to get them back to normal. If it was even possible. Probably not. Because she was acting like a coward and just needed to tell him what she wanted. Which was him.
She wanted to date, to get to know him even better, because everything she knew about him was amazing. But she’d been so burned before.
“I didn’t want to just leave without saying anything.” He set her food in front of her, little wisps of heat rolling off the pasta and cheese.
Even though she was famished, her stomach tightened because it felt like he was saying good-bye forever.
“So you’re cooking for me and then…are we just done?
Are we even friends anymore?” Because she couldn’t get a read on him at all.
Which was…fair. He’d told her what he wanted and she hadn’t responded.
He shoved his hands in his pockets as he remained on the other side of the kitchen. “Of course we’re friends.”
“You sure about that? Because this feels a lot like a good-bye good-bye.” She wanted to cry. Even if this was mostly her fault. Fine, all her fault.
“We’re going to still see each other. Our siblings are getting married.”
Like she needed the reminder. “I…don’t want that! Everything happened so fast—”
“It wasn’t fast.”
“Well it was fast for me. Jeez, Micah. I was still getting over my ex. Or not even over him, just the trauma of our breakup. I never expected someone like you.”
“I don’t know how to take that.”
“How about ask me on a date?” she snapped, surprised at her own anger. She was acting irrational, could feel herself spiraling. She’d been the one to tell him she didn’t want commitment. She’d been trying to protect herself. Look how that was working out.
His eyes widened. “I was giving you space. You said that you didn’t want commitment.”
“We were hiding from the FBI while helping other people hide from them. I’m sorry that I didn’t react perfectly.
” She could feel the tears welling up, wanting to spill over.
They burned her eyes and she refused to cry in front of him.
More than that, she wasn’t sure how to be a girlfriend, how to be in a healthy relationship.
She’d never seen one, and then when she thought she’d hit the jackpot it had turned out her now ex was just a charming liar.
“Clover, I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Honestly, I’m just tired and need sleep. That’s it. We can talk tomorrow or whenever you get back from your stupid job.” She wasn’t sure why she called it stupid but the word slipped out. Okay she knew exactly why—she was mad.
At him.
At herself.
At the whole world because she couldn’t seem to get her shit together and she wanted Micah to…maybe fight for her? Not just give up and run away? Maybe she… Damn it. She really was screwed up. She needed to just lay it out there, to be vulnerable.
“I don’t think I should leave now.” He was watching her, looking a little like a lost puppy.
Or maybe not a puppy, the man was too gorgeous for that. But he looked as confused as she felt. Probably because she was a hot mess and not making any sense even to herself.
Fighting back her tears, she stood. “It’s fine. And thank you for dinner. This was really nice to come home to. I’m tired and exhausted and we’ve all been running on fumes.” Though to look at him, she’d never know. “Can we talk tomorrow?” she whispered.
He looked like he wanted to argue, but finally nodded. “Want to meet for breakfast or coffee?”
“I’ve got to stop by the office first, but breakfast sounds good. Is nine o’clock okay?”
He nodded, looked like he wanted to say more, and she couldn’t decide if she wanted to, but he eventually left.
Maybe she could get her shit together by tomorrow morning and figure out how to put herself out there. To grab life and go for what she wanted even though it terrified her.