AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“All right. You already know what I think. I told you as much back in Utah.”
I fold my arms over my chest, and when I realize I’m closing myself off, I drop them to my lap. “Fair.”
“Look. I figure you’re used to getting what you want, and when you don’t get it, you can be difficult.” He arches a brow and smiles.
“I don’t always get what I want but understand what you mean. Even now, with this drive, my father wants me on a plane right now. He has my mother hounding me, and that’s why Felix was here. My father got him to come.”
“I see.” He nods, pressing his lips together contemplatively. “You said Felix was on the plane. He must understand. That must help, even a little.”
I huff, still, even all these weeks later, unable to figure Felix out.
“No. He bounced back that same night, acted as if nothing had ever happened. For the remainder of my stay in LA, he ghosted me. The night we flew into LA was the last time I saw him until yesterday. He never answered any of my texts or calls.”
I get up from the table, needing to shake off the overwhelming sense of rejection. “I’m not sure what I expected him to do. Maybe it’s because we shared a horrible experience and I was looking for someone to relate to… I don’t know. He was even supposed to be at that party the night I met you. He never showed up, or if he was there, he made it a point of avoiding me.”
His frown deepens into a scowl. “Now might not be the right time, but I need to know. Are you and Felix in a…relationship?”
“God, you ask tough questions, and all before I’ve barely had any coffee.”
“Finish your coffee.” Though his tone is neutral, the deep lines around his mouth suggest he doesn’t like my need for time.
Does he think I’m stalling? In a way, I am. How am I supposed to explain Felix without looking like an idiot?
He saunters toward the doorway. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business. I’ve got to take a shower.”
“Wait. The short answer is no. I’m not with Felix. I never was.” My fingers twist together nervously. “I just need a breather. I promise to explain everything.”
“All right. Can you also text me an itinerary for the drive? Gus needs it for ACE. We need to send him a list of dates and stops so he can track us and also have a record of it.”
“Oh.” I rub my temple, trying to catch up. “Go shower and I’ll text you the plan so you can forward it to Gus. Okay?”
He nods but doesn’t leave. “Then we talk about Felix, right?”
Even if I didn’t want to tell Tom about Felix, the look he gives me tells me there isn’t a chance in hell I’ll get out of spilling the nasty truth.
14
LEIGHTON
Body tense and muscles aching, I rub at the back of my neck in need of a massage. Since Felix’s arrival, I’ve been nothing but wound tight and on edge.
I took another sleeping pill last night, dreading the idea of another nightmare about the plane. Felix’s presence was dredging all of it up, and of course, his arrogant, cavalier attitude didn’t help.
Oh, there’s an excellent spa in the building. After finishing my coffee, I grab my phone from my room.
Irritated, I groan at the several missed calls and texts from my mother. There’s also a text from Felix. He must have called one or both of my parents the second he left the condo. It’s the only explanation for how Mom was suddenly silent when Felix was here and now she’s at it again. I refuse to look at any of them.
I dial the spa and strike out in getting an appointment. When I stroll into the kitchen, I’m so tangled in frustration that I don’t notice Tom drinking a glass of water.
“What’s the plan for the day?” He places the empty glass in the dishwasher, hair slightly wet from his shower and brushed back off his forehead.
He’s too kind. Instead of picking up where we left off, he seems to be giving me a reprieve from talking about Felix.
In jeans and a T-shirt, he looks comfortable and at home in my place, and the corners of my mouth turn upward into a smile. I step toward him.
He smells so good. It isn’t cologne. Tom doesn’t wear any or if he does, it’s nothing I recognize. His scent has both a calming and exhilarating effect on me. Or perhaps my excitement comes from being so close to him.
His gaze is still on me, and I haven’t answered him. “Um, I was hoping to book a massage at the spa in the hotel. I’m so tense and need one, but they’re fully booked.” I drop my phone onto the counter and lean back against it. “I’m going to call around to some of the other spas and see if I can get in.”
