Page 10

She straightens, sniffing away her tears. “Hey—” Her eyes widen when she takes in my bare chest.

Do I stand still, giving her a chance to ogle me fully? Yes. Should I have snatched up a T-shirt from my backpack that’s only steps away from me instead? Also yes.

“You have more ink.”

I looked down. The floral design on my shoulder now stretches across my chest over my heart. I had the artist mix London’s birth flower with Kylie’s. “Yeah. It probably won’t be the last either.”

“I wish I weren’t so terrified of needles. I’d love to get a tattoo.”

She finally looks away, so I dig into my backpack for clothes. “If you find something you like, I’ll go with you to get one.”

“Maybe after Peanut’s here, I’ll get the courage to do it.”

I sit on the couch next to Kylie, resting my elbows on my thighs. “You ready to tell me what happened?”

She looks at me with heartbreak in her eyes. “Things with Chris have been…not great for a while. I thought it was just because of his work, so I decided to surprise him at his office with dinner.”

“Oh, Ladybug.” I know exactly where this is going.

Tears threaten to spill over her lids. “I heard voices, so I opened the door just a crack. Except he wasn’t in a meeting as I thought. He was fucking his secretary over his desk. Quite brutally, actually. I felt kind of bad for her.”

I breathe out a humorless laugh. “Only you would feel bad for someone doing something shitty.”

Kylie looks at me with worry. “That’s the thing though, Gray. I can’t say for certain that she actually wanted what was happening. She looked uncomfortable.”

“Maybe she was, but right now, we need to worry about what you’re going to do next. If Chris is stooping to assaulting his secretary, who’s to say he won’t try to do something to you?”

“I didn’t think about that.”

“We need to get you out of here, Ladybug. You’re no longer safe around this guy. Neither is Peanut.”

She stands with determination. “You’re right. Maybe I can find a rental somewhere.”

“Or…you could come back to Pine Creek Falls with me.”

“I can’t get on a plane.”

She could, but I understand that her anxiety won’t let her. “Then we’ll drive. We’ll make it a road trip.”

“What about London? You can’t be gone from her for days. You have to pick her up tomorrow anyway.”

I shrug. “I doubt Dani would mind hanging with her a bit longer if someone can’t get her right away, but we both know there are a million people willing to pick her up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Are you ready to go? We should get on the road as quickly as we can.”

“Yeah. I checked the security system, and Chris never went home last night.”

I sling my backpack over my shoulder as we walk out of the room. “Won’t he need to shower and change his clothes?”

“No, there’s a gym in his office building that he uses, and he always keeps a second suit there.” She scoffs. “I naively believed it was because he worked late so often. God, I can’t believe I was so stupid.”

I grip her biceps, ducking down a bit to ensure I’ve got her full attention. “That’s not stupid, Ladybug. You trusted your husband to stay loyal to you. He’s the one who’s an idiot for messing up the best thing to ever happen to him.”

Kylie raises an eyebrow at me. My tone was probably a bit too forceful, but I can’t help that I’m pissed she married an asshole when I’ve loved her my entire life.

Fuck. That’s not fair. I’m also an asshole. I could have told her how I felt so many times before she married Chris.