Page 112 of Her Wicked Plan

A sinful smile spreads across her face. “Plan.”

CHAPTER 31

Leo

The clock ticking echoes through the lobby, and the sound of thin book pages slowly turning by the women sitting in chairs filters through the air. All the noise, paired with the insistent tap of my pointer finger against the desk, floods my mind.

I’ve been on edge since Myles agreed to come here to help Dr. Bennett. Not for his safety around these women— he can handle his own and keep it professional.

But what has my anxiety rising is him and Veronica meeting. The only thing I was worried about was him slipping up around her and saying some shit. Granted, Veronica could do the same thing.

She could easily run her mouth to Myles about what we have been doing. Myles only knows we have kissed from our brief talk, but he doesn’t know how deep Veronica and I are into this.

And yes, as much as that scares me, there is something else. That wicked grin she wore after I told her he was coming here flashes through my mind. She told me she would need the rest of the day to plan. Plan what? A way to make me jealous of Myles?

“Dr. Madden.” One woman saying my name pulls my attention. “As much as our eyes love your presence, can you please stop with the tapping? It’s distracting me from my book.”

The request makes my finger immediately stop moving. I find the lobby quieter without focusing on the issues that may arise. The clock isn’t nearly as loud as I thought it was. Jesus. I feel like I’m strung out. I may be losing my mind.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize. I would use her name, but I can’t remember it. Had I ever even known it?

“What’s got you all crazed?” A woman who sits opposite her asks.

“A friend is coming in to help Dr. Bennett.” My eyes meet hers.

“And you’re afraid of what?” She lightly shuts her book, her finger between the pages to keep her place. “Us scaring him?”

“No.” I shake my head, then mutter under my breath, “Not you.”

The two patients share a knowing look, smiling at one another, before one says, “If it were up to me, I would have ensured Veronica was locked away while your friend visits. Who knows what she’ll try to do.”

“Dr. Bennett should have made her sentence longer for what she did to the new girl.”

“You’re right! The last time someone attempted murder behind these doors, they spent, what, a month in solitary? It isn’t fair that she only got a week.”

“That’s enough,” I dismiss their conversation with a harsh tone. I don’t mean for it to come out that way, but it slipped out without permission.

Both sets of eyes scan my features. “Sorry, Doc.”

I answer them with a look of gratitude that they dropped the topic. The last thing I want to consider is Veronica’s solitary time. But if the girls are right in saying that someone else served a month, then why did Veronica get so lucky?

My phone buzzes, and Myles is letting me know he has arrived. I inhale a deep breath as Edith slides into her desk chair. “Calm down, Leo. He’s going to be fine.”

“I know.” I shrug nonchalantly, although the old lady sees past my bullshit.

A small beeping sounds from behind the desk when Edith presses a button, unlocking the front door. It gets pushed open by the person on the other side.

Stepping into view is Myles with a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. He examines the room, the two women sitting on the couches, whose jaws dropped at the sight of him.

His blonde hair is longer than it used to be and is styled messily. Most strands are pushed out of his face while other wavy pieces fall over his forehead.

Those piercing blue eyes find me instantly, and that worry that consumed my body disappears. The corners of his lips go ear to ear as he approaches me and pulls me into a hug.

“There he is!” He pats my back before pulling away. “Man, you look like shit.”

The girls giggle in their seats. “It’s good to see you too, Myles.”

“I thought you said this place wasn’t driving you crazy.” He ruffles my hair, assessing my features.