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“Friends,” I say, and I’m oddly comforted by the fact that I have a bond with this man, that despite his humor, is a killer. And he is. I saw him in that bathroom. I know how easily he took down Roger. And I see that something in his eyes that says there is a dark, brutal side to him.
Once we’re in the offices, Savage stays by my side, and we enter the executive lobby to see Maria. I introduce Savage and when we approach Ashley, she quickly offers me my pick of the donut selection, a “welcome home donut” she calls it. “American pastry,” she jokes.
I laugh as she holds the box open, but I decline. “Too many French pastries. I need to run and eat right for about a week to pay for my Paris sins.”
We chat a few minutes, and I really do like this woman. She was a bitch to me back at the restaurant, but she’s been through hell and was an emotional wreck. I get it. It’s easy to throw daggers when you feel like the world is throwing swords.
“I’ll have a donut or ten,” Savage says, hovering, and in about thirty seconds, he’s flirting with Ashley. I escape into Cole’s office where I often work now and shut the door. Where we work together, game planning, and being the team we’ve become.
Savage stays ridiculously close, hanging out in the lobby outside Cole’s office. He and Ashley continue to flirt, because everyone seems to flirt with Savage, and I’m fairly certain this means his fling with our movie star client some time back was just that—a fling. I shut Cole’s door, and dial my doctor’s office, forced to leave a message for the nurse. I press my fingers to my temples. I’ve never really thought about being a mother, not even when I thought I was pregnant right after meeting Cole. I’m not sure how I feel about it. I just know that Cole is struggling with this need to protect me. I’m not sure he can shove his demons back in that box if he has me and a pregnancy to face. Now is not the time for this. Oh God. Please let now not be the time for this. I want a baby to be something we talk about and decide if it’s right for us, together.
My man cannot do this now. I don’t want to do this to him now.
I dial Cat. “Any news yet?” she asks immediately.
“Not about the case, but I still haven’t started my period.”
“It’s been like two more days,” she says. “This isn’t months. When this happened to me, I skipped completely. I was normal the next month.”
“Savage is hovering. I want to take a test.”
“If you got pregnant in Paris, it’s not likely to show up yet.”
“Can you bring me a test?” I ask. “Wait. No. There are picketers.” My phone beeps and I glance at the number. “It’s my doctor’s office. I’ll call you when I hear from Cole.” I switch lines. “Hi,” I say. “I should have started three days ago and I have not. I was in Paris, and I was late taking my pill a few times and—”
“Paris last week?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t miss your period because you screwed up your pill less than a week ago. If you’re pregnant it happened before that. Take a test. It should be 99% accurate at this stage.”
“And if it’s negative?”
“Then relax. Stress and the time change could affect your period, even on the pill.”
I breathe out. “Okay. Yes. I’ll take a test.”
“And listen to your body. Do you feel pregnant? Some women know right away.”
“I don’t. No, I don’t feel different. If I take a test and it’s negative, then I start back on the pill like normal?”
“Yes. That will be fine.”
I disconnect and decide that between trying to find a way to privately buy this test, and waiting on news from Cole, I’m going to lose my mind.
Cole
The pink tie was a good decision. It reminds me of Lori and she’s what today is about. I’m about to walk into court when Reese catches me at the doorway. “I hate that I can’t be in there with you, man,” he says. “But—”
“You have court and a client who needs you,” I say. “And there’s nothing you can do in there. There’s nothing I can do but pressure the ADA to do his job and let the judge see the face of Lori’s husband and protector as a reminder that she was attacked.”
“Call Cat when it’s over and text me.”
“I will.”
A few minutes later, I’m sitting in the courtroom and it kills me to sit back and pray that my promise of a lawsuit gave the DA enough pause to allow the ADA the freedom to do his job. The side doors open and Roger is led into the room and I swear, every muscle in my body locks up and my fingers curl into my palms. He was smart to stay away from me. I would have beat the shit out of him. Oh yeah, I would have.
Lance Miller stands behind the prosecutor’s table and surprises me by waving me forward.
