Adrian tilts his head in confusion, then his frown turns into a formal smile. “Just getting lunch.”
I take that as an invitation it definitely wasn’t. “Oh, great, me too.” I pull a chair from the empty table across from them and sit between them. “What a coincidence.”
Sam gives me the fakest smile in the world. “Didn’t you say you had to work through lunch today? You should do that. Animals are important.”
I laugh. “I finished the surgery early. Lucky, right? So, what were you guys talking about?”
A waitress comes in with a menu, and I wave her off. “I’ll have the pancakes,” I tell her.
“I was boring Adrian with the memories of my parents.” Their gazes meet with the intensity that distinctly makes me feel like a third wheel.
Adrian shakes his head slightly, not breaking their eye contact. “I loved hearing about them.”
Okay, yeah, that’s a bit too much. I clear my throat, and their heads snap to me. “I just broke up with my boyfriend, sowe’re not doing this whole thing. Parents, we can talk about.” Time to finish this once and for all. I can’t let Sam get more tangled up in this. He’s clearly taken too much interest in this project. “Adrian, didn’t you say your father lives in the city?” I fire in the dark, hoping it’ll stick.
He frowns for a quarter of a second before nodding. “The last I knew.”
Sam’s eyebrows go up. “So you came here looking for him?” Sam asks.
Adrian sighs. “Kind of? Please don’t judge me, but I hired a private investigator to find him, and she located him here two years ago.”
“And did you? Find him?” I ask.
Adrian frowns at me, and Sam kicks my foot under the table, making me realize I might have let some of my feelings slip.
“No, I didn’t. But that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing considering everything my mother keeps telling me.”
Sam covers Adrian’s hand with his. “Parents are never easy, alive or not.”
I tune them out as the waitress brings over my plate of delicious-looking pancakes that I no longer have an appetite for. Raymond is here in LA. Does he know I live here too? He can’t be here for me, right?
I try to thank the waitress as she leaves, but no words come out. I try moving my hand to start eating, to not blow up our cover with my stupid reaction. I can’t.Fuck, he’ll find me.
What if he finds out I have people I love now? I feel a sting behind my eyes as Nicholas’s face flashes through my mind. His long lashes and beautiful blue eyes always trained on me. His valiant, albeit stupid habit of putting himself in danger to protect me. His broad shoulders shielding me from the rest of the world.
My heartbeat kicks up, my body suddenly feeling too heavy. Would Sam be embarrassed if I lie down here on the floor? What if Raymond finds out about Sam? About how he’ddo anything for me? Would he use that too? What about Oliver? He’d been wanting to meet since I left abruptly from the bakery. I’d need to stop talking to him. Sam needs to leave.
At least Nicholas no longer wants to do anything with me. He’s safer that way. Everyone is safe as long as they stay away.
“Elliot.” Sam's face slides into view, replacing the pancakes.
“He’s here,” I whisper.
“Is he okay?” I hear Adrian’s voice.
“Yeah, we’re gonna go, though. Elliot, you’re fine, okay?” Sam says, pulling me up.
I try to put my weight on my legs, but they feel like jelly.
A firm hand wraps around me, and I lean against the warmth as we walk out of the cafe. “You need to leave. It’s not safe,” I tell him.
Sam shushes me. “I know, babe. Just stay quiet for a few more minutes.”
I focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Then I’m suddenly sitting back in a warm seat. Sam puts on my seatbelt for me. “Just hold on, okay? I’ll be right back,” I hear him say.
It’s good that he’s leaving. That’s the only way. He’s listening. He’s always listening.
Then Sam is back again, sitting in the driver’s seat. Then the restaurant fades in the rearview mirror. “You’ll be okay, Elliot. You’ll be completely okay.”
