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“Whoa. You okay?” I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her back.
“Thank you,” she whispers before pulling back. “Thank you for caring so much about Gemma and being there for her. She probably won’t ever admit it, but she feels safe around you.”
“I’ve always cared about her,” I confess. “I won’t let anything bad happen to Gemma.”
“I know. That’s why you’re the best.” She grins. “Well, and because you’re an amazing cook.”
Everleigh walks toward the kitchen, and I follow. She grabs a bottled water from the fridge, then offers it to me.
“Sure, thanks,” I say, taking it.
She pulls another one out for herself and immediately takes a sip. “I didn’t wanna say anything when she was here, but you should’ve seen the look in Robert’s eyes. He was deranged.”
“I swear, that asshole has some serious issues.”
“You’re telling me. There’s possessive in like a sexy, alpha way, and then there’s psycho in a needs-a-straitjacket kinda way. I could hardly sleep that night, worrying about what he would’ve done to her if I hadn’t gone to pick her up.”
My jaw clenches at the thought. I don’t understand how someone as amazing and beautiful as Gemma ended up with such a tool bag. I get the feeling that if her mom were alive, she would’ve warned Gemma about Robert from the beginning. Her letters talked about her mom and how she wished she were around to ask about girl stuff. Gemma’s dad only gets glimpses of what Robert wants to share and has no idea who he really is.
“I’m gonna go to bed so I can get up early and beat the punching bag before work since I have to train tomorrow evening.”
“You’re working too much,” she says. “I feel like I never see you these days. We spoke more when you were in prison than we do now.”
I roll my eyes when she laughs, then chug half the bottle. “Not true. I have this thing called a cell phone now, and you can call and text at any time.”
“Oh, shoot. I totally forgot about that.”
“And you wonder why you’re single with that smartass mouth.”
“Maybe it’s because all the guys in town are taken?”
“They can’tallbe.”
“Oh, you’re right. Some live in their parents' basements and play video games from sunup to sundown.”
“Come to the gym with me tomorrow. Plenty of men there.”
“Hard pass. I’m not getting up a minute earlier than I have to. Not to mention, gym rats care more about their muscles than women.”
“Whatcha trying to say?” I lift my sleeve and flex.
She snorts and playfully pushes my chest when she walks around me. “Good night, Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
I take a sleeping pill so I can fall asleep. By the time my alarm goes off, I’m ready to blow off some steam. Once I’m finished working out, I shower and feel a lot better. It’s exactly what I needed before heading to the shop. When I walk in, I see Gemma’s pretty face behind the counter.
With bright eyes, she smiles at me with dark-colored lips. She’s acting as though she has no worries in the world, almost as if she hasn’t been crying for the past few days.
“Morning,” I say, lowering my eyes to her orange shirt and smirking. “Getting ready for Halloween early?”
She frowns. “No. It’s my favorite—”
“Color. Yeah, I remember.”
Gemma sighs with a grin. “Of course, you do.”
I step closer to her. “It looks good on you.”
“Thanks.” Gemma stares into my eyes as I study how green hers are, neither of us speaking.
