Page 44 of Everything I Crave

I whip around to face Willow. “What did she say?”

Willow’s face turns red and she shrinks away from me. “Nothing.”

“Bullshit, darling. What did she say?”

I knew this was a mistake. I knew I shouldn’t have asked Madeline to cover but I was stupid and let myself believe that she would be happy to get the patio to herself on a busy night, something she’s been asking for all summer since Willow started.

While it’s true what Willow says, I did reject Madeline last summer, I didn’t think she was still holding on to that, I thought it was a stupid summertime crush, she’s barely nineteen, and last year she had just hit eighteen for fuck’s sake. She can’t possibly think she has a chance with me?

“She just said that it must be nice to be fucking the boss to get the night off and make people come in for me.” She almost whispers her answer.

“Fuck. I’m so sorry." I scrub my hands over my face. "This right here is exactly what I was worried about. Something I think we maybe need to talkmore about before going into this fully.” I shut off the stove so I don’t burn the food and slide it off the burner. I turn back to Willow, placing my palms on the island counter.

“Seriously?” She stares at me, that fire coming to her eyes.

“Seriously. I don’t want employees thinking you are getting special treatment because we’refucking.”

“Wow. One jealous bitch is all it takes for you to abandon me. Just like everyone else. I’m only good for one fucking thing, huh?”

She hurls her words at me and I take every one. I never should have asked her to take the night off.

“Fuck, Willow! I don’t want to complicate your life, and you don’t need that right now. All I said was talk, slow down, not end completely!”

“Oh! So now we’re taking thepoor Willow she’s so fucked uproute? I thought you knew me better!” She stands up and storms back to her room, but turns mid-step in the hall. “No, you know what, you don’t get to do this!” She marches right into my personal space.

“Darling, I -” My phone rings on the counter.

“Don’t you dare. We’re going to finish this now.” She demands, pointing at me, shoving her finger into my chest.

It rings for a second time.

“Gunnar.” She narrows her eyes at me when I look at my phone again out of the side of my eye.

“I have to. My brothers only call multiple times if it’s important. That’s our signal when something is wrong in case I’m busy at work.”

She eyes me as I walk over to the counter to grab my phone.

Hunter’s name flashes across the screen for a third time. He’d only call like this if it was important.

“Hey,” I answer quickly.

“G. Dad fell off the roof.”

Shit.

“What happened?” I turn away from Willow and start toward my room.

“He was helping Liam with something on the roof, or ignoring Liam to leave it to him, and he was trying to fix the gutters or some shit on the roof. He slipped and fell , taking the ladder down with him. He landed on the rocks on his side, and the ladder hit his head.”

Fuck. I rub my hands over my face and grab a bag. I start throwing clothes in without even looking at what I’m grabbing.

“Where is he? Is he okay?”

“Going to the Coastal Medical Center. Following the ambulance now so I don’t know, but I’m guessing concussion and broken hip.”

“Ok. On my way in a few.”

“Drive safe, G.” He hangs up on me and I go into my bathroom to grab more stuff. Willow appears in my doorway.

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