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The ride home is silent and I keep glancing at Halley, who’s uncharacteristically subdued throughout. Well, she has reason to be subdued. “Why didn’t you tell me about your discussion with Raymond?”
She glances at me and sighs. “I needed time to think. My whole life was being ripped apart by the seams. I just needed some time to myself to sort things out.” Her words are stilted and she murmurs, “I hadn’t planned on saying anything at the gathering today but I just couldn’t keep it in. I ruined Kendall’s day, especially after she was so sweet to tell me to just bring my work over and do it there.”
I don’t say anything and I can feel her eyes on me.
“I feel like I’m being selfish, taking you away from your family.”
This garners a response from me. “Love is often selfish. I’m making this decision to choose you because I know I’ll never meet another you. Besides, this isn’t permanent. Caleb will hunt this man down and we’ll help him once we’re out of his reach.” I give her a fierce smile. “Don’t underestimate my family, Halley.”
We reach our building complex and I follow her to her apartment, carrying her laptop. Following her inside, I linger by the door. “Pick up what you need. You’re sleeping in my bed tonight.”
My order startles her and she gazes at me for a long second before nodding.
In a matter of minutes, I have her in my space and I bury my nose in her neck, taking in her scent as if it’s my lifeline.
“Uncle Raymond will pick me up tomorrow morning around dawn.” Her fingers curl in my hair as if she’s reluctant to release me. “I have some things for Mia. She’ll drop by in the morning and take them from you. Also, can you transfer the data from the phone into your laptop? I’ll set up the program right now. It’ll run overnight, and once you’re able to see the files you, just have to drag them onto the desktop.”
Even as she’s issuing these orders, I’m licking a trail down the column of her throat. “Halley.”
“Hmm,” she groans.
I open her top button to access her cleavage. “Shut up.” I sink into her.
She mutters, “Dick.”
But her soft cries soon fill the room as I fuck the disobedience and sassiness out of her. I use her body through the night and only let her fall asleep when she begs me to. By the time I wake up on Sunday morning, her side of the bed is cold.
I drag myself out of bed and go to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. There’s a yellow sticky note taped to the coffee machine. I take it off and stare at the crudely drawn heart on it with the words ‘Miss you already’ and my lips curve. I walk over and stick the paper to the fridge.
I don’t have any plan for the day, and with Halley not around, I feel listless. I pull on a shirt and a pair of sweats, then glance at the clock. Mia should be here in an hour to pick up the small bag Halley left for her.
I wait idly by, and after some time, hear a beeping on my laptop. I wander over and see that the program has run its course. I open the file that contains all the data Halley wants to preserve.
I pull one folder that says Camera to my desktop, and as it starts downloading, I hear the buzzer and I walk over to let Mia in.
I’ve met her a few times and she’s a good-natured girl. But today when she walks in, there’s a hollowness to her eyes.
I feel a bit concerned. “You all right there?”
She looks at me, glumly. “No.”
I stare at my coffee on the counter.
Her eyes wander in that direction.
Sighing, I offer, half-heartedly, “Would you like a cup?”
Halley keeps saying I should be nice to her friends so I guess I should make the effort.
“Sure,” Mia says, dully. “What have I got to lose?”
My concern is now a little more real and I raise a brow. “Is something wrong?”
She glares at me now. “No. What could possibly be wrong? It’s not like Cam proposed to me and then vanished a day later and started ignoring my texts. All I said was that I needed some time to think about it! How was that wrong?” She looks close to tears.
I feel uncomfortable, awkwardly touching her shoulder, a featherlike whisper of a touch. “There, there.”
Her scowl grows even more dangerous.
