Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1047(@200wpm)___ 838(@250wpm)___ 698(@300wpm)
And in the name of friendship, I’d brought him a giant cookie that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY on it in frosting as a small thank-you for everything he’d done.
Putting the car into park, I managed to slip all the bag handles onto my forearms and huffed and puffed on the way to the front door. Not sure if I should just walk in or not, I jabbed my elbow against the doorbell and waited, straining under the weight of the toiletries, clothes, and the plain tennis shoes I’d picked up to replace my wet ones.
It took way too long, but the door opened, and Selene’s face was there, not looking surprised even a little bit.
I’d bet she’d seen me on the cameras. I’d only had to sit in front of the gate for about a minute, wondering how to get it open, when it had started moving. I had figured someone had buzzed me in.
She grabbed the bags hanging from my left arm. “You bought all this with that cash?” She eyeballed my other arm as I passed bags from one to the next.
“I milked every penny,” I told her with a tired smile. “Sorry I was gone so long.”
She turned and headed toward the main set of stairs while I toed off my shoes and left them beside her sneakers. “I didn’t have anywhere to go. Agatha brought some groceries earlier. She was disappointed she missed you,” she called out over her shoulder like I should know who that was. But all I knew was that she was the one Alex had told me to call.
While I was thinking about him… “Is he still sleeping?” I whispered.
Did her shoulders tense under the blouse she had on? “No, he got woken up a few hours ago.”
Why did that sound weird? “Oh, okay,” I said, following behind her. She turned into my room and set the bags on top of the bed. I set half of mine beside hers but held on to the ones with groceries in them. “I was going to put these in the fridge if that’s okay.”
“Sure, yeah,” she said, still sounding a little off, at least compared to how she’d been talking.
“If it’s not okay….” I trailed off, not sure what I would do. Or why that would be a problem.
Was something going on?
“No, no, sorry. I have a lot on my mind,” she replied quickly. “Do whatever you need.”
Something had happened. I’d bet my ass on it.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, even though I damn well knew we were strangers and she had no reason to feel obligated to tell me shit.
She nodded, but it didn’t make me feel assured, at all.
“Okay….” I held up the bags. “I’m going to take these downstairs then.”
Selene nodded again, but I definitely knew something was going on as she followed me into the kitchen. I kept an ear out for Superbutt in the house, but there wasn’t a peep. I had just set the bags on the counter when her phone started ringing and she smiled at me before disappearing down the hall that led to the main part of the house with the living area.
That wasn’t at all fishy. Maybe I was imagining it, but maybe I wasn’t. I wasn’t used to being around people. I was probably just being awkward and overthinking it.
I had just managed to put the milk in the fridge and was taking out my sandwich materials to put them wherever I could find room when I felt Alex’s presence nearby. There was a signature to his energy, and we’d just spent so much time together I was sensitive to it or something. Glancing over my shoulder, I found him leaning against the doorframe into the kitchen. His arms were crossed over his chest. He had on a heather gray shirt and black jeans.
But it was that pissy-ass, crabby expression on his face that made my stomach feel weird.
This wasn’t the first time I’d seen it, but it was on a whole other level compared to before.
“Hey,” I greeted him, trying to sound normal while trying to think about what could have happened.
Nothing.
I blinked, not sure why we were back to that now. “How was your day?” I asked slowly, watching his features carefully. It was the first time in months that we hadn’t been stuck together.
I’d kind of missed his grumpy comments and scowls, and that was a strange thought.
His eyes flashed purple for a second, and he kept on staring.
“That good, huh?” I said weakly, still watching him.
Seriously, what had happened? Last night had been okay. Now there was definitely tension in the air.
“I’m sure Selene told you, but I went and bought some clothes and things,” I said. “I should have asked if you needed anything, but I didn’t think about it until I was out, and there wasn’t really a phone I could use to call… and I didn’t have anyone’s phone number.”