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He continues teasing me without mercy as we wait for him to pay the bill, and then all the way out into the parking lot.
“God, you’re so annoying,” I say while getting into my car. “I have no idea how Brooke puts up with you. Something must be wrong with the girl, I just can’t tell yet what that is.”
“She loves me like crazy,” he shrugs. He’s been a complete ray of sunshine since he and Brooke got married. She smiles a lot and seems to always be happy. It looks like it rubbed off on Ridge too. He’s the same way, and more so since Levi was born.
“Are you still upset you didn’t get a girl out of her?” It is my turn to tease him now. They didn’t want to find out the sex of the baby, but he was convinced they’d have a girl. He just walked around telling everyone how badly he wanted to be a girl dad.
“Nah, Levi’s fuckin’ awesome. Besides,” he gives me a goofy grin and moves his eyebrows up and down. “Who says we can’t have more? We’ll try until I do get a girl out of her.”
“Ugh, you’re disgusting.” I close my car door to block his cackling, then drive off.
I decide to take the long way back to my parents’ house which means I have to go through the main part of town where traffic is a little thicker. As an adopted New Yorker, when I hear people complaining about the traffic in Lake County, I laugh my ass off.
The light turns yellow, then red so fast, I have to hit on my breaks hard so that I don’t actually run the light. I cuss lightly under my breath, then sit back to wait. There seems to be lots of people out and about today. I guess it makes sense with the beautiful weather we’ve been having.
As I start reading the name of a new store that just opened in the strip mall across the street, my eyes catch on a tall figure. He stands out in the crowd of ordinary people. It can’t be though. Why would Zach Cavanaugh be here? In my hometown?
My hands get sweaty in an instant, and they start shaking on the steering wheel. I feel close to a panic attack, and I am not sure what I should do. I need to get out of this car. I need to be able to breathe. I need air.
The driver behind me honks their horn at me, and I realize the light’s turned green. They honk again, and I jump so hard, I almost hit my head on the roof of the car.
I can’t think. I need someone to help me.
I need to be out of this car.
CHAPTER 15
I’m sorry
Hunter
I pull over, not caring where I park. I don’t care if I get a ticket right now. I don’t even care if they suspend my license. I don’t know what to do.
When I grab my cell phone, my hands are shaking so badly, I keep on dropping it. I don’t even know what I want to do, who I want to call.
I drop my head to the steering wheel and force myself to regulate my breathing. I’ll be good for nothing if I can’t breathe, right? I squeeze my eyes shut and try to think happy thoughts. Positive thoughts. The world is big enough for both me and Zach to coexist in the same town. But he is not even here, I try to talk myself into it. There is no reason for him to be in Lake County out of all places.
Another thought pops into my head all of a sudden, and I worry that I am having a heart attack. My sister-in-law, Brooke, mentioned a time or two a neighbor of hers by the name of Zach. I also heard Ridge grumbling his name about. I froze up every time I heard that name, but at the same time, I am not an idiot, and I understand that there is more than one person on this planet by the name of Zach. Besides, this Zach is supposed to be the brother of Brooke’s best friend, Miranda. My Zach doesn’t have a sister.
My Zach…
With trembling fingers, I open my phone and tap on the contact app, scrolling until I find Brooke’s number. I think I am wrong, but I need someone to talk to anyway, and she seems to be trustworthy, I like her.
The phone rings and rings, but no answer.
“Where the hell are you, Brooke?” I scream into the empty car, throwing my phone on the passenger seat. The one time I need her, and she is nowhere to be found. Every other time, she is right under my feet, I think to myself with resentment.
Chloe. I’ll go to Chloe, she’ll talk to me.
With that plan in mind, I shake my hands a few times to get the blood flowing in them. They are cold and numb, and I can’t even feel the wheel under my fingers when I touch it.
“Come on, Slayer,” I channel my inner warrior, “you can do this. Get to Chloe’s.”
I put the car into gear and merge back into the traffic. The drive to Chloe’s apartment is short, and I let out a huge sigh of relief when I pull into the parking lot without getting into an accident. I get out of the car and take off into a run until I reach Chloe’s door where I start pressing on the doorbell.
“Please be home, please be home,” I chant while I wait. By the time I finally hear the lock coming undone, I am in complete meltdown.
“Chlo,” I gasp when the door is finally open, and my cousin is standing in front of me. “I’m so sorry to barge in. I didn’t know where to go. Brooke is not home, and I…”
