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“It was good,” I mutter, pulling out of our parking spot.
“Is everything okay?”
Glancing over at her I wish I could tell her “yes” but it’s not—not by a long shot.
“Miles and Tucker want to speak to us back at my place.”
“Did they find something out about Carly?” She pales.
I reach over for her hand and place it on my lap. “We’ll talk when we get somewhere that I can hold you.”
Her fingers dig into my thigh where I’ve got her hand trapped. “Clay?”
“Five minutes, baby.” I drive to my place wondering what the fuck it is she’s done to me in such a short time. My insides are raw just thinking about how much pain I’m about to cause her, and I wish I could keep driving to avoid the conversation we are about to have.
Miles said he and Tucker would share the news that Carly’s body was found, but I don’t trust them, not with this and not with her. Miles might not go in with the intention of being harsh, but Tucker would rip that shit off like a Band-Aid, not caring about the kind of damage he’d leave behind. And as things stand right now between Tucker and me, I’m not sure I wouldn’t end up putting my fist in his face if he caused her more pain than she’s already going to be feeling.
When we arrive at my building, I park behind Tucker’s SUV, then put the engine in park and unhook her belt. “Come here.” I urge her over the middle console and once she’s settled on my lap, I wrap my hand around her lower jaw and wait for her to meet my gaze. “I don’t know all the details, we’ll have to wait to get those from Miles and Tucker, but Carly’s body was found.”
“No!” she gasps. She closes her eyes, dropping her forehead to my shoulder. “Are they sure?”
“I’m sorry, Mouse.” I slide my hand into her hair and hold her as she silently cries. Feeling her pain soak through my shirt is enough to make my gut twist. I hate that I’m so fucking helpless to do anything for her right now but hold her.
I don’t know how long we sit like that, in the darkness of the interior of my jeep, but eventually she lifts her head from where she had burrowed it into the crook of my neck and looks at me. “Sorry for crying all over you.”
“You don’t have to apologize for that.” I wrap my hand around the side of her neck as she drags in a breath.
“I hate this.”
“I know, Mouse.” I scan my eyes over her face while I wipe the wet from her eyes and cheeks.
“I’m ready to go talk to them if you are?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I want to find out what they know.”
“All right.” I open the door and help her out, then take her hand in mine and lead her into the building and through it. When we get to my door, I open it and let her in, then send a text to Miles to let him know that we are home. “They should be here in a few minutes, do you want a glass of wine?”
“Yeah.” She wanders to the couch after kicking off her shoes.
I pour her a glass of the rosé she had last night and grab a beer from the fridge. I take both to the living room, handing her the glass, then grab the remote for the fireplace to turn it on.
As a glow fills the room, I take a seat next to her and she slouches into me, lifting her legs and pressing her knees into my thigh. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lean back on the couch, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. I look over the back of the couch when the door opens behind us and watch both Miles and Tucker step inside. I’m not surprised when Tucker avoids my gaze. Him speaking to Willow behind my back was a violation and he knows it. He thinks that this thing between her and me is just temporary, but it’s not, or it won’t be if I get my way. But what he did today could have caused her to run once again, and if that had happened, I’m not sure I’d be able to forgive him.
“Willow,” Miles greets, taking a seat on the couch across from us while Tucker stands with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m guessing that Clay explained why we’re here.”
“He did.” She leans into me.
I smooth my hand up her arm while he nods and leans forward resting his elbows on his knees.
“Now I—” He stops himself and looks up at Tucker. “We can’t go into a lot of detail about the case since this is an open investigation, but I can tell you that her body was found in Percy Priest Lake this morning by a fisherman. And as we speak, the coroner is performing an autopsy to see when exactly she died and what the exact manner of death was.”
