Page 61 of Broken Halo

Then she turns and has my door open before I can blink.

I rush after.

She moves through the waiting area of the executive staff, past Jessica and my four o’clock, who’s still standing there, probably wondering what the hell’s going on and why I cancelled on him when we’re about to sign a deal.

“Ellie,” I call but she doesn’t stop.

“Is she okay to drive?” Jessica asks, frowning at me. “Should I have someone stop her at security?”

I do my best to act as though I didn’t just fuck the woman who ran from my office. “No. But I need to reschedule. I’m leaving.”

Ellie Montgomery isn’t going to run from me now. She can’t go far. She’s got a child to take care of.

I’ll find her.

16

I Have Your Panties in My Pocket

Sometimes life calls for a little hooch.

Ellie

I fled from my family’s business as if my life depended on it, which I know was overly dramatic and maybe unnecessary, but the need to separate myself from Trig Barrett was so overwhelming, I had no choice.

I allowed him to break down my defenses, even after he told me his father had been released from prison and learning he’d kept that bit of information from me.

I was weak and cried in his arms.

Then he kissed me and I fell apart. I let him fuck me on his desk with his admin sitting right outside. And I hate myself because, until I came down from my orgasm, I wanted it. I wanted him—his touch, his lips, and even his cock.

I wasn’t thinking.

I can’t even pretend I was right in the head at that moment.

But coming down from an orgasm has a way of clearing your head. Reality steps in, like the bitch she is, and slaps you across the face with all the sting and judgment she can lay on you.

I had sex with the man who didn’t give me the time of day when I needed him most.

Unprotected sex, at that. Unprotected sex with my former lover who’s haunted my heart for years. I was fucked in so many ways.

I sped home.

Well, not sped. I was just arrested for the possession of marijuana—I certainly don’t need a speeding ticket on top of that. Once I got there, I sent Chloe away in a rush. She knew something was wrong and tried to stay. She asked me what she could do to help and even offered to watch Griffin if I needed time to myself.

I’m sure I was rude but I didn’t have the mind to care. She walked out my door more curious than concerned, but I had no time to worry about my babysitter. I packed up Griffin and a mountain of diapers. Thank goodness he was just excited to go.

And we went.

I called Jen and told her I was on my way to her loft. She tried to ask me a million questions but I hung up on her because, no matter what anyone wanted to know, I had no answers. All I knew was Trig was leaving early for the day and I’m sure he’d be at my house, banging my door down, more determined than any bitchy CPS worker. There was no way I was going to allow myself to be a sitting duck.

I thought about going to the ranch for about two-point-two seconds, but the desire to see my parents lies somewhere around the level of not in this fucking life or the next one, especially after my time in Trig’s office today. The ranch, normally a fortress for hiding, was out of the question.

And because my life sucks and I have no other friends, Jen’s loft was my only choice. She was waiting and didn’t ask a thing. After taking one look at me, she knew what I needed. I gave her my son and she did what she does best—she took over.

I went straight to her kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Belvedere, poured myself a huge glass over ice and only cut it with a splash of grapefruit juice. I took my drink and the bottle of vodka and went straight to Jen’s cushy white chair she keeps facing out over downtown Dallas.

I parked my ass there and haven’t moved.

---