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Alex crossed her arms. “We text.”
Frustrated, he ran his free hand through his hair. “Alex, she left at three in the freaking morning and was gone for over an hour. I was worried. And I didn’t callherstupid. I called heractionsstupid.”
She shook her head, a look of disbelief on her face. “I’m not even going to roll my eyes right now because they may actually fall out of my head.” She let out a big sigh. One that sounded suspiciously like she was striving for patience. “Roxie always runs at three in the morning. Comfort Food opens at six, and she’s there at four to get things going. The woman works super crazy hours, so that’s the only time she can fit in a run. And your ‘stupid’ comment? Sorry, but it’s potato, potahto on that one. And you know it.”
Fine. She had a point. He was a fucking idiot.
“What were you doing up that early, anyway?” Alex asked, tilting her head in question.
“Jet lag. I’m still on east coast time.” He held Annie closer, hoping her cuteness would chase away his lingering worry—his panic—over Roxie’s safety. “My point is that she shouldn’t be running by herself. Especially at that hour. Alex, you know her. The woman doesn’t pay attention to her surroundings. She even had her earphones in and music blasting. She wouldn’t be able to hear an approaching car or person or anything. Yeah, she had a bright jacket on, but the rest of her clothes were all black. It’s just not safe for her to be out there. In the dark. By herself.”
He knew he was right about this, so he didn’t understand why Alex looked so exasperated. He tried not to squirm under her gaze.
“Why didn’t you just say that?” she asked, throwing her hands up. “Your concern makes sense. Your execution, however, could use some help.”
“I know.” He scrubbed his free hand over his face, making sure not to jostle Annie. “I swear, I meant to have a normal, civilized conversation with her. Over coffee, even. But I took one look at her pulling her earbuds out like she didn’t have a damn care in the world and got so irritated. It seems like everything she does pisses me off.”
Everything he did pissed him off, too. Because Roxie had been right. He was the one who’d started their war all those years ago. He was the one who kept it going. He treated her like shit. Because in some ways, it was easier if she hated him. When she was constantly mad and spitting nails at him, he stayed on his toes. Her wrath distracted him from the ache that had been simmering in his gut these past few years. It also overpowered the pain of what he’d witnessed eight months ago: Roxie broken and bleeding, a gun pressed to her head.
Their constant bickering drowned out how he’d failed her. How he’d hurt her. How he wasstillfailing and hurting her.
Fuck.
He cleared his throat, desperate for a topic change. “Quinn mentioned you’ve been sick. That’s why I wanted to come by. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” she said with a wave of her hand. He could tell she wanted to say more about Roxie but was biting her tongue. Thank god. “Quinn worries too much. The better question is, how areyoudoing? Are you okay?”
His forehead knit in confusion. “I’m fine. Rox is the one you should be concerned about. She’s got the bruises and stitched-up lip.” And he’d never forgive himself for any of it.
“It’s just bruises, Joe,” Alex said. He opened his mouth to object, so she hurried on. “Trust me, I know Roxie will be fine. She and I talked yesterday, and she knows there was nothing malicious about you hitting her. Even though you can be a complete asshole to her, she knows you’d never intentionally hurt her. Physically, anyway.”
Ouch. Her jab landed. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but something in Alex’s expression warned him to shut up.
“What? Are you going to stand there and deny that you constantly act like a world-class ass with her?”
No. He couldn’t. What had Roxie called him? Oh yes—the world’s biggest asshole.
He nodded in concession. “Go on. I feel like there’s more you want to say. Lay it on me.”
“Roxie will be fine. Her bruises will heal, and she won’t give that incident any more thought. But I’m worried about you.”
He scoffed. “Me?”
“Yes, you. I know you, Joe Buchanan. You and Quinn are like two peas in a pod. I know you feel guilty about what happened. I also know that you’re not going to talk about it. You’ll sit there and stew in your own guilt. It’s going to eat you up inside.”
“Alex, have you seen Roxie? Up close?”
She shook her head.
“I punched her in the face, Alex. I didn’t hold anything back.” His stomach clenched as self-disgust rolled through him. “Ishouldfeel guilty. When I think about what could have happened if I hadn’t recognized her...”
“That’s exactly why I’m worried about you. It was an accident. This wasn’t your fault.”
Yes, it was 1,000 percent his fault. Accident or not, his fist had hit Roxie’s face. “Don’t worry about me, Alex. I’ll stew for a little bit, then things will be back to normal.”
“Great,” she huffed. “Does that mean you’ll revert back to being an asshole every time you’re around her? Because don’t.” She leveled him with a serious look that had his Spidey-senses twitching. “Seriously, Joe. Don’t. You never heard me say this, but I don’t think Roxie can handle that right now.”
His brow furrowed. He didn’t understand what Alex was getting at. Roxie could handle anything. Especially his asshole tendencies. She fucking excelled at taking his shit and flinging it right back at him. She was the master of snark.
