Chapter 9
Theo
I woke up feeling like I was hit by a truck. My head was pounding so loud that I couldn”t even see straight.
”What the hell,” I said out loud before reaching in my pocket for the pill bottle. But it wasn’t there. I instantly started to panic and started to look around the bench that I slept on all night long. I couldn’t find them. Did someone mug me while I was sleeping?
”Fuck!”
Shit, I can’t go back again, not so soon. Then I saw the jacket I had on under the bench and I grabbed it. I started to shake it and then I heard them. Flipping it over, I reached in the inside pocket and found it.
”Thank god.” I held them close, as if it were the last thing I would ever do, but then remembered my head was in a vise. I opened the pill bottle and grabbed one and tossed it back. I left my head back and tried to breathe through the pain until the pill worked. It took what felt like forever to make the pain dull enough for me to see straight, but when I could, I started to have glimpses of the night before.
I shouldn’t have called her. I should have just left it alone. But I couldn’t. Something about her made me want to feel whole again.
Then I remembered she was kind of rude to me, but it didn’t bother me because I was an ass right back. She was an honest woman which I respected, but I couldn’t let her know who I was. I didn’t deserve a woman like that. This life wouldn’t allow me to have that. Shaking it off, I got up and headed over to where I left my things the night before, chained to another bench. I put the combo in the lock and unhooked it. I opened it and grabbed a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt.
Since using needles, I rarely wore short sleeves anymore, but since I was using the pills again, maybe that would change. Fucking random thought.
Shaking my head, I realized I left my other clothes at Claire’s. It sent a chill up my spine. I would need to get those back at some point. I looked around to see no one was around, so I quickly changed out of the dress clothes that I was in and put on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. After I stuffed the suit into the bag, my stomach started to growl. I needed to get some food in me. I reached into my pockets and grabbed the few bucks I had in there still. Hopefully, this would be enough for something to eat. I made sure that my bag was secure to the bench and ran my hands through my hair before heading toward the main road to find somewhere to eat.
When I got to a local diner, I walked in and sat at the counter. I looked at the cash that I have and glanced at the menu. Luckily, it’s still breakfast and I can get pretty much whatever. So I ordered the works. Eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. I even got a few hotcakes! I shouldn’t have been excited about this, but I kind of was. I actually had an appetite now and actually felt pretty good. That calling in the back of my head was still there, trying to take hold. I shook my head and concentrated on eating. Hearing the bell on the restaurant door ding, I froze for a second and looked straight ahead when I heard her.
“You didn’t need to take me to breakfast. It was just another case. Nothing big.” I turned my head just enough to see her out of the corner of my eye. She didn’t see me. She was with some tall, scrawny dude. Was that her boyfriend? I turned back and chuckled to myself a little. Go figure she was trying to fuck me. Dude looked like a tool.
“It’s the least I could do. You did fantastic with the case. I can’t believe you got him to fold on everything. He wasn’t even trying to fight you.” I listened in on their conversation, but it’s not like I cared or anything.
“Just another day’s work, that’s all.” She seemed bored with this dip shit. Maybe I should turn around and say hi and take her away somewhere.
No, don’t be stupid, Theo. I started to shake my head to clear out the full-blown conversation that I have going on in there. I probably look like a fucking nut job.
“Are you okay, honey? Did you need anything else?” I looked up and saw the waitress in front of me.
“No thank you. Can I get the rest to go?” She nodded with a soft smile and walked away, but wait, how the hell am I getting out of here without her seeing me? Shit. I felt the panic rise and I needed to get out of here before I started to break. So much for feeling pretty good for a moment. I needed a pill but I couldn’t take one in here. I started to panic a little but also started to take a few breaths. I got hot and felt sweat forming on my head.
“Serenity, where are you going?” I turned my head to see what she was doing now. Maybe I could make a break for it. Just as I turned my head there, she was right in front of me. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“I thought that was you, but wasn’t sure until I heard you speak. And it’s funny because I haven’t heard you speak much, but I would recognize it anywhere.”
All I could do was stare at her. There were no words because, to be honest, I never thought that I would see her. Those green eyes had me seeing things that I didn’t think were possible for me anymore, but I couldn’t let it change who I was now. It’s not possible. I turned my head when the waitress came back with a box and my receipt.
“Not going to talk to me again? That’s kind of rude due to what you were saying to me last night.” I turned my head and looked at her once more and realized she was trying to push me.
“Are you going to order, Serenity?” the guy she”s with yelled. I glanced over at him, then back to her to ask without speaking.
“Nope you go ahead, Kyle. I’m not hungry.” She didn”t even break fucking eye contact with me when she spoke to bean pole. Why was I making up all these names for this douche? I needed to get out of here, but I had the feeling that she wasn’t going to let me go easily.
“Let me take care of that for you.”
Suddenly, she took the receipt from my hand and gave it to the waitress with a card. Who was this chick?
“You don’t need to do that.” Her eyes widened when I spoke, like she was surprised.
“He finally speaks again and yes, I can do that, so chill out. You always seem so uptight. Maybe you need some TLC?”
And there went my dick. Nope, not happening. I looked away but I could feel her gaze on me. It’s like it was burning through me and she could see all my deepest and darkest secrets. I needed to go before I got testy in here because I needed to clear my head and this was not helping me. I heard movement behind me and I tensed up a little.
“Who’s your friend, Serenity?” Asswipe was talking again. I glanced past my shoulder and saw him standing there.
“Kyle, why don’t you head back to the office and make sure that everything is sent out for me to finalize the case.” She still doesn’t stop looking at me with those eyes.
“But.” He tried to say something else, but she finally turned her head and looked right at him.
“Thank you.” She said it with such grace and firmness in her voice it gave me chills and made my balls jump a little. He huffed a little but headed toward the door.
“Is that a small grin that I see on your face?” she said. I didn’t even realize that I was grinning. I turned again and looked at her because I didn’t know what she was doing to me, but I couldn’t let it happen.
“I need to go.” I stood but realized she was close to my height and looked down to see the heels she was wearing. She noticed my gaze and leaned into me to whisper.
“If you like those, imagine them wrapped around you when you have me pinned to the wall.” All I could do was take a deep breath because she was about to push me over the edge. I moved to pass her, but she grabbed my arm.
“243.”
I turned and looked at her. What the hell was 243? She saw the look of confusion.
“Four Seasons, if you want to come and say hi later.”
Yup, I was fucked. She let me go and I started to walk toward the door but she didn’t leave where she stood. It’s been a long time since a woman had left me speechless and it almost had me scared, which was ridiculous. I took one more look at her and walked out.
As soon as I was outside, I grabbed the pill bottle and popped one in the back of my throat. I realized that it probably hasn’t been long enough since the one earlier, but I didn’t care at this point, I needed my head clear and now.