Lincoln: Lizzy, I need you to tell me where you are. Or at least that you’re okay.
Lincoln: Please?
Lincoln: I’m coming over.
Lincoln: I’m outside. Let me know when you’re ready.
She sniffed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “He’s outside.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Yes, Cleo. It’s good. If he’d heard about what happened, and hadn’t tried to call you or find you, I’d have barbecued his testicles. He cares about you. Of course he was going to try to find you.”
Cleo climbed around Molly and went to the window. When she pulled back the blinds, Linc was leaning against his bike, arms folded, legs crossed at his ankles.
To an untrained observer, he might’ve looked as though he was waiting for someone, but Cleo knew better. His nostrils flared and his jaw was rigid. His every muscle radiated anger and tension.
Her heart squeezed. As though feeling her gaze on him, his head lifted, he met her eyes, and his features softened. She nodded, and he pushed off the bike and strode toward the house.
“Good choice. I’ll go let him in.”
Cleo gnawed on the inside of her cheek and paced her room. This wasn’t high school. These people were supposed to be grown adults.Shewas supposed to be a grown adult, and yet, she was crying in her room over some fat shaming assholes. Why did she give them so much power over her?
“Hey.”
She couldn’t look at him. “Hey.”
“I don’t know what you need right now, but I’m here. I just couldn’t stay away.”
She nodded, freeing another wave of tears to course down her cheeks. “I feel so stupid.” She wrapped her arms around herself as though it could offer protection from the hurricane of emotions raging through her.
In her periphery, he took two steps closer, hesitated, then a third. Warm fingers wrapped around her elbow. She shook her head. “I can’t. I’ll break down again. I can’t, Lincoln.
He pulled her arm again, and led her to him. “I’m not here just for the fun times, Cleo.” He snaked his arms around her, folding her into his chest. “Break down if you need to break down. I’ll be right here to help you pick yourself up.”
Chapter 25
Lincoln
Cleo cried on his shoulder for an hour before falling asleep. He lay with her until dinnertime when Molly insisted they have grilled cheese and soup before Cleo went back to bed. Her puffy, sad eyes, disheveled hair, and curled shoulders screamed defeat. His heart ached.
He’d spent the morning training at the rink, and now his legs were burning and heavy. His shoulders knotted and exhaustion rippled through him as he rode the elevator up to his dorm room.
Russ was already away for the weekend with Jude. Linc had planned on spending the weekend holed up with Cleo, but she’d declined when he’d asked, citing a stack of untouched work she needed to catch up on.
Every cell in his body wanted to hunt down Johnny and break his face, but it wouldn’t help Cleo. She didn’t want more attention on her. She wanted to disappear into the background. She was already pulling away from him. Her texts were one word answers, and the fire in her vibrant, hazel eyes was dimming.
Rage sloshed in his stomach and he thumped the back of the door as he closed it. Fucking Johnny. What damage did he have that drove him to be such a low life piece of shit and make everyone else’s lives miserable?
Linc’s phone vibrated against his thigh. He dropped his kit bag at his feet, pulled his shirt over his head and took his phone out of his pocket before taking his sweatpants off.
Dad calling.
He dropped face first onto his bed with a groan before shuffling onto his side and hitting the green button.
“Hi Dad.”
