Page 65 of Night Shift

“Say no more. I’m on my way, and I’ll bring all of your things. Give me an hour,” she said eagerly.

The thought of Bethany coming over, of seeing her and having a piece of normalcy, lifted my spirits a little. “Thanks, Beth. I really appreciate it. And, um, brace yourself. His place is going to blow your mind.”

Chapter seventeen

Knowing that Bethany would soon be here made me feel a lot better. I desperately needed a friend to talk to. In anticipation, I decided to take advantage of the guest bathroom’s niceties. I was surprised and slightly awed by the array of products Atticus had on hand—shampoos and conditioners with names I barely recognized, luxury soaps that smelled of lavender and jasmine, plush towels that felt like clouds against my skin, and a Dyson hair dryer, if you can believe that.

I indulged in a long, soothing bath, letting the warm water and bath salts wash away some of the stress and dirt that had accumulated over the past few days. Afterward, I showered, appreciating the way the fancy shampoos and conditioners made my hair feel silky and smell heavenly. I wrapped myself in one of the plush towels and dried my hair, feeling a bit more human with each passing minute.

With a sense of trepidation, I went to look through the things that Conan and Braxton had managed to salvage from my apartment. I wasn’t sure what to expect—so much of my life had been turned upside down in such a short time. Rummaging through the bags, I found clothes and shoes but nothing else. Surprisingly, the discovery didn’t upset me. Most of my makeup and other personal items were at Bethany’s condo anyway, and I’d never been one to wear much makeup in the first place.

I chose a pair of jeans with holes in the knees, a cute, comfy sweater, and a pair of boots I was surprised to find among my salvaged items. By the time I was dressed and feeling somewhat like myself again, the doorbell rang.

Rushing to the front door, I swung it open to find Bethany standing there, her arms loaded with my bags. “Beth!” I exclaimed. I stepped forward to squeeze her in a big hug, awkwardly wrapping my arms around her despite the bulky stuff she carried. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you.”

She stepped inside, and her brows shot up as she took in her surroundings. “Sam, this place is incredible. I can’t wait to check it all out. But forget about that for now. How are you holding up?”

“Oh my gosh, I can’t tell you how awful it’s been,” I said.

She grunted, maneuvering through the entryway. “Let’s get all this stuff out of the way first,” she suggested. She walked into the living room and dropped my belongings onto an armchair.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I offered, leading the way to Atticus’s kitchen.

“Sure, let’s see what he has to offer!”

Her eyes widened as soon as we stepped into the kitchen. It was the Jura GIGA X8 Professional Espresso Machine that caught her attention first. “Wow, would you look at that?!” she exclaimed, poking around with the machine’s settings. “Leave it to Atticus to have the Ferrari of coffee machines. Oooh, let’s make a cup of espresso!”

I hovered nearby, watching her as she got to work. “I swear, that thing probably costs more than everything I own, car included. I’m just glad one of us knows how to use it.”

With a laugh, I searched the cabinets, finding a couple of cups and setting them next to her.

“Yeah, well, all those early mornings working as a barista in college are finally paying off,” Bethany said. We watched the espresso pour smoothly into the cups. “There’s something almost sensual about how it brews, don’t you think?”

The rich aroma of freshly made espresso filled the air, and soon we carried our cups over to the bar overlooking the living room. We settled down on the stools and sipped the delicious coffee. Our conversation flowed easily, but the mood turned serious when we started talking about the horrific incident at my apartment.

“Atticus and his brothers think it might be the Russian mafia and that it might tie back to my dad’s…issues,” I confessed.

“Sam, that’s terrifying.” Bethany shook her head, her brow tight with concern. “But you’re safe now, okay? Atticus will make sure to take care of you. You know he has a compulsion to always be Dr. Fixer. The man has a serious savior complex, especially when it comes to women.”

“Oh God, tell me about it,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Bethany leaned in, raising one brow and giving me an expectant shrug.

“Sam…you’ve got that look in your eye. The one that says you’ve been keeping secrets. Now spill the beans!”

“Um, well—” I sucked in a deep breath. It was time I told her about my dirty little fling at Atticus’s cabin. “Bethany, promise me you won’t hate me when I tell you this, but I sort of hooked up with Atticus. I’m so, so sorry. Really, it wasn’t—It didn’t mean anything. I…I was curious, and well—”

Bethany erupted in hysterical laughter. “I already knew it, Sam! Everyone does! Sweetheart, your face tells it all. Hope you never play poker, cause you’re the worst liar I’ve ever known.”

I was stunned. My mouth fell open, and my cheeks blazed with heat. She laughed so hard that tears streaked down her cheeks. Wiping them away, she squeezed my cheeks between her hands and pulled me to her face, kissing me playfully. “Now you know what great sex is…am I right or am I right?”

“Yeah, well. I… But…how did you know? And by everyone…do you mean everyone, everyone?” I stumbled over my words, my voice coming out in a high-pitched whine I didn’t recognize.

“Oh, honey, don’t get yourself all worked up. My first inkling that there was something up with you two was when he gave you that ridiculous nickname. Then, at Friendsgiving, you practically crawled under the table when I told you he was taking Dr. Sinclair to the gala. No one can mention his name without your face flashing with a hundred different expressions.”

“Oh God, please just kill me now. I can’t believe I’m that obvious.”

“It’s no big deal. Seriously. Besides, that’s why I liked you right away when you started your first shift. The face you made when you smelled that drunk… I thought you were about to pass out. Instead of denying it, you were honest and said that it was hitting a little too close to home. That’s when I knew we’d be friends. You aren’t one of those fake little prima donnas who think they know everything.”

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