AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ignore her, Alex,” he said. “Look at me. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Okay, that’s it,” Roxie growled, smacking Quinn hard on the shoulder. “I don’t care what you do in your free time or if she happens to be your new flavor of the month, but you need to leave. Right now.”
Alex’s eyes widened with surprise as Quinn released her and pivoted toward Roxie, disbelief dominating his expression.
“I’m running a business here,” Roxie said. “I willnothave you strolling in here like you own the damn place. Do you seriously think you can just waltz in and distract my employees whenever you feel hard up? Leave. Now.” She pointed at the front door. “I mean it, Quinn. Get the hell out.”
* * *
Roxie stormed into the kitchen.
What. The. Fuck?
Quinn looked back at Alex. Dark circles shadowed her brown eyes, which were a little too frantic. He wanted to scoop her up and figure out what had shaken her.
But first things first.
Giving Alex’s slim shoulders a delicate squeeze, he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “Be right back.”
He had to deal with his crazy-ass friend who’d just run off.
Ignoring Nina’s confused stare, he followed Roxie into her cramped office. Crossing his arms, he propped himself against the doorframe. And waited. Her back was to him, and tension strained her muscles as she scrubbed her hands through her hair.
Turning, she glared at him in that special way of hers that never failed to annoy the shit out of him. She tilted her head and raised her eyebrow in challenge.
He hated that damn eyebrow raise. God, she could be so damn irritating.
Taking a deep breath, he strived for calm. “What the fuck is going on with you, Roxie?”
“I asked you to leave, Quinn.” She huffed, as if shooing away a fly.
She attempted to walk by him, but he shifted to the other side of the doorframe and blocked her.
Pausing in front of him, she eyed him up and down, her chin lifting. Even though she was a few inches shorter than him, she was damn intimidating. She’d perfected the princess-to-peon look by her tenth birthday.
“Really, Quinn. She’s married, and she’s pregnant. I didn’t think that was your style.”
Holy. Fuck.
His blood ran cold, and his earlier exasperation morphed into full-blown outrage. Leaning down so they were eye to eye, he got right in her face. “I thought she was your friend, Roxie? Why are you being such a goddamn bitch?”
He had to hand it to her; that damn haughty look remained firmly in place. Didn’t even fucking waiver.
“Alex is my friend, jackass. It’s currently you I’m beginning to wonder about.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now move.”
He shook his head in disgust. “I’m disappointed in you, Roxie. I don’t know what’s going on in that warped mind of yours. But whatever the hell you’re, know that you arecompletelywrong.”
He pointed toward the front of the café. “That woman out there trusts you. And you’re treating her like absolute shit. You know I love you like my goddamn sister but sort your shit out before you go anywhere near Alex. She’s not just your employee, Rox. She’s supposed to be your goddamn friend. A friend who’s been through hell and back. Don’t fucking forget that.”
He left Roxie alone in her office.
Something had to be wrong if Roxie was acting like such a crazed bitch. He was too livid to stick around and figure out what it was, though. Did ditching her when she was clearly upset make him an asshole? Probably. But at this point, he didn’t care. Roxie was stubborn as fuck and would tell him what was wrong only when she was good and damn ready. Which could be never. So, yeah, he was okay being an asshole.
CHAPTERTWENTY
After assuring Quinn she was fine and simply tired, Alex did her best to stay out of Roxie’s way. Unfortunately, the tension continued throughout the rest of the morning.
She tried to pull it together, she really did. But she was having the hardest freaking time concentrating. Between last night’s call and Roxie, Alex’s nerves were shot. She was one giant, frazzled, jittery mess. It didn’t help that her veins held more caffeine than blood.
