“You got it, boss,” she laughed. Given all that had gone down with her brother, it was nice to hear a laugh when I turned to sit at my desk.
23
AUDRA
Ifelt utterly worn out. Besides the emotional load of the whole shit show that was poor Cora’s life, the hospital was making mine hell. I still had that little boy on my caseload, and his parents, particularly his father, were crossing the line with the way they were speaking to me. Over the weekend, though nothing happened, I felt a little physically threatened by him. But leaving the office after dropping off the sweatshirt, I’d be lying if I didn’t have a little pep in my step.
“Audra, what are you up to?” The voice put me on alert as I spun.
“Theo, what are you doing here?” He was leering at me, and that was a first. He had never looked at me like that before. It gave me chills, but not the good kind. I figured he was angry about me not going home with him after darts and rejecting his dinner advances.
“Just out for a walk, Audra. What are you doing? Seeing your boyfriend?”
“If by boyfriend you meanMaeve, then yes.”
I tried walking, and he put his body in front of mine. What the hell was with the attempts at physical intimidation lately?
“What was in the bag?”
“I’m sorry?” Hearing him ask about the bag completely threw me off. How did he know I went up there with a bag?
“You heard me, Audra. What was in the paper bag?”
“Theo, what are you doing? Were you watching me?” My gut was churning. My internal panic alarms were going off. He had been watching me from somewhere. “Are you ok? I’m worried about you, Theo.” This was really out of character for him.
“Worried? That’s laughable. How do you think I am? I had to watch you leave the bar with another man.”
My jaw dropped open. Fuck. That. Any concern I had for him flew out the window, and my concern for my pride took precedence. That also means that although he left the bar before me, he was watching me then too, and saw me leave with Donovan. “First of all, you’ve had your share of women since we split, and I’ve never been up your ass about it. In fact, I haven’t cared about it for a damn minute. Furthermore, he drove me home, Theo. Nothing happened. But even if it did, we”—I gestured between us—“aren’t together anymore. I am welcome to do whatever I want with whomever I want.”
“I’ll always love you, Audra.”
Was I going to get into an argument publicly on Main Street to get everyone tongue-wagging more than they already did about the two of us? Not then. Not ever again.
“Right. Ok, Theo, I have to go to work. Have the day you deserve.” I tried to push past him, and he grabbed my wrist like he did at the bar again, and I froze. “Theo, let me go right fucking now.” He dropped my wrist and gave me a smug smile, as if he was letting me know he was stronger. I was equalparts enraged, confused, and jittery about the encounter as I rushed to my car. I didn’t want him to see me panicky, but I looked over my shoulder a few times and high-tailed it out of there.
What the fuck was that about?I could feel my heart racing after, and I called the person who would give it to me straight, no matter what.
“Hey, Jules.”
“Audra, my love, how are you? I’m just getting to my office after this piece of shit Maverick debacle. Do I need to turn around?”
I hesitated. “No, it’s not that. Can I ask you a question, Jules?”
Her tone changed immediately. “Anything always.”
“What do you think of Theo?”
“I’m sorry, Theo? You mean the fact I call him Theo the Turd doesn’t give you enough indication?”
“No, I mean, like, when we were dating. Not the asshole stuff he pulled after the break-up. Like when we were good.”
She hesitated, “What are you getting at, Audra?”
“ I… I don’t know. I’m asking you because I know you won’t bullshit me. He’s acting weird right now, and I’m wondering if I maybe missed something before.”
“Weird, how?”
“Like … kind of possessive, I guess.” I didn’t want to get into it because I didn’t want people to worry about me unnecessarily, but I knew Jules wouldn’t give me an answer until I was straightforward with her.
