Page 77 of Broken Halo

And for the second night in a row, I have my Ellie back.

Fuck the force that tries to separate us again. I’ll die before I’ll allow that to happen.

21

Therapy

There are many ways to settle your soul. Accept and embrace them.

Ellie

“Trust me, I’m not one to judge. I had no desire to go to a traditional university. I’m not sure what I would’ve done had I not gotten into Juilliard. Hell, I almost didn’t go at all.”

“Really? Why?” Quinn picks up her drink, putting the straw to her lips, and takes a pull before she motions around her. “I thought we were relying on your time at Juilliard and years on Broadway to market this place. You’re telling me that almost didn’t happen?”

I stab at my salad and use the tip of my Adidas to swivel myself back and forth as I eat and get to know my new friend. I admit it, she’s the first person I’ve liked in Dallas outside of my family and Faye. I shake my head because as much as I like Quinn, giving her the backstory of Trig and me isn’t in the cards. “I almost didn’t go. Plans changed and then they changed again. What can you do, right? It was Juilliard or stay and attend somewhere here, and the thought of that about gave me hives. So I left for New York where I could get far away from everyone.”

She takes a bite of the roast beef sandwich she made me promise I wouldn’t judge her for eating since she found out I don’t eat most meat. I just laughed at her—like I’d judge anyone. “But I’ve met your parents and your sister when they’ve stopped by. Your mom even told me all about your brother. They seem great.”

I wipe my mouth and toss my empty salad container in the trash. “Growing up a Montgomery—as backwards as this sounds—I didn’t have a lot of options. I won’t go into details, but at the time, I needed to get away more than anything. I couldn’t escape Texas fast enough.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine. At least you’re back and Griffin gets to grow up close to your family.” She dips another fry into her ketchup and gives me a small smile. “And I get to know you, too.”

I shrug and pick up my water because, as much as they drive me crazy at times, I can’t imagine not having my family and being stuck back in New York with my asshole-in-laws. “The Montgomerys … they’re crazy but they’re mine, right? There have been times when I’ve run from them and then others, like the past few months after what happened with Robert, when I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. They’ve helped me make life somewhat normal for Griffin, that’s for sure.”

We both jump when we hear someone clear his throat and look to our sides in unison. Trig is standing in my office doorway wearing a suit I haven’t seen yet, this one a gray so dark, it’s edging on black. His crisp dress shirt is fitted flat across his abs and narrowing hips that pinned me naked to the back of my sofa last night. I’m not sure if it’s the steely color of his tie or the way he’s looking at me, but his eyes seem darker than their usual icy blue.

Leaning onto the doorjamb, he slides a hand into his pocket as a plastic sack swings from the other. “You told me you were busy today, angel. Had I known you had time for lunch, I would’ve brought you another boring, meatless meal.”

With his eyes narrowed on me, I can’t tell if he’s mad I didn’t make a lunch date with him or if he’s undressing me in his mind. At this point, it really could go either way.

Instead of giving him the satisfaction of addressing either of those scenarios, I look back to Quinn. “Every time he comes here, he makes a scene. This is my attorney, Easton Barrett. You can call him Trig.” I look at the man who doesn’t seem to mind pushing the boundaries of unprotected sex with me and swipe my top lip with the tip of my tongue. “Trig, this is Quinn, my right-hand woman who figures out all the shit I don’t know, which lately, seems to be everything. I couldn’t live without her.”

“Thought you couldn’t live without me,” he shoots back, not giving Quinn the courtesy of a glance, let alone a proper greeting, and making me hike a brow at his bravado.

“I seemed to manage for ten whole years,” I quip, not liking his familiarity in front of Quinn.

He pushes off the wall and walks straight to my desk that sits between Quinn and me, plopping down the sack. “Managing and living are two different things, baby. We were both miserable.” Then he finally looks at Quinn. “Nice to meet you.”

Quinn doesn’t quite know what to say as her eyes widen and I can tell she was raised in a southern home because she stands and offers Trig her hand, which he accepts. “Lovely to meet you.” She looks at me as she gathers the trash off my desk in hasty fashion, as if the King just walked in and it’s her responsibility that there isn’t a crumb in sight. “I’ll get this cleaned up and go check on the painters. Mirrors will be delivered and installed tomorrow. As of now, you’re on schedule.”

I put my foot to my chair and hug my knee to my chest but don’t get up. “What would I do without you?”

She gives me a little shrug as she hurries toward the door. “I’m pretty sure I had to talk you into giving me a job.”

Quinn barely crosses the threshold before Trig shuts the door behind her but I don’t move a muscle as I chide, “Wow, I know Faye taught you better manners than that.”

He doesn’t say a word and stalks to me, swings my chair around, and puts a hand on each armrest, caging me in. “Are you telling me I could’ve had lunch with you and missed the opportunity?”

I tip my head back and try not to smile because, by the look in his eyes, he might be serious about the lunch, yet he’s still giving me shit. “Just because I let you sleep on my sofa last night doesn’t mean you get to dictate my meals. I like Quinn.”

“I like you.” He leans in and steals a kiss but doesn’t move away. “And you might’ve let me sleep on your sofa, but you were right there with me, naked in my arms. Don’t tell me you didn’t like sleeping with my hand on your bare ass.”

I pull in a breath and tip my head to the side where he’s worked his way around to my ear. “I got hot.”

“You are hot,” he lowers his voice and sucks on my skin light enough that I hope he doesn’t leave a mark. I have a court hearing tomorrow—I don’t need to stand in front of a judge with a hickey on my neck. “Do you not have a bed in your house? At this point a twin would be an upgrade from the sofas we’ve been sleeping on.”

I put a hand to his jaw and bring his face to mine. “What are you doing here?”

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