Page 56 of Just My Ex

Chapter 21

Quinn

One minute I’m in the water, gravel clogging my shirt sleeve, my feet completely off to one side, and the next I’m walking towards Henry, hysterical with laughter at the embarrassment of slipping in front of myexand because my arm nowhurtsand the look on his face?

Anger. Annoyance. Shock. All in equal measure.

“Quinn.” It’s a bark. A warning. He splashes towards me in the water.

I’d highly recommend being around Henry Tate when he runs in water.

It’s indescribable—sorry to all ya’ll who won’t ever see it. You should just trust me on this.

I tell him I’m hurt and he’s there, lifting me in his arms and cradling me.

You know the set of his jaw when he’s frustrated? Well, that’s gone now. And it’s replaced by the set of his jaw when he’s worried.

It’s not until we reach the shore that I realize he’s still wearing his running shoes.

“Your shoes!” I exclaim, but it’s watery. My voice is watery, like I’m still under water. Which is odd, because I’m not, I’m in my ex-husband’s very amply muscular arms and he’s kept me safe.

He promised he would, and he did.

Fluttery heart things start happening in my middle, but I can’t find it within myself to care so much because,dang,my shoulder feels skinned alive.

He doesn’t address the problem of his soaked shoes, so I attempt to ask him about mine.

“My shoes, Henry? What aboutmyshoes?”

He groans and turns back around. “Can you stand for a second while I grab them?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I should put them on because look.” He’s eased me down and I stand, but I raise my foot to show him there’s blood, a rainbow shaped gash near my instep.

“I wasn’t going to make you put them on.” He keeps one hand on my arm and bends down to reach my shoe with his other hand. “Come on,” he says as he takes a couple of steps towards one of my socks, all stretched out and stuck on a tufted plant. He grasps my hand now so that he can move further away from the lake to grab my other errant sock and shoe.

“Reminds me of home,” he mutters as he reaches for my things.

“What? The shoes and socks?”

“Yep.” He lets go of my hand so he can tie the shoelaces together. He shoves a sock deep inside each shoe and hangs them on the crook of his arm before returning to me and lifting me in his arms again.

“Let me at least piggyback. That’s got to be easier on you.”

He glances at me and then his mouth forms a stiff line. “No. Not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

He hefts me so I’m more secure in his arms. “Trust me, it’s just not.”

“Well then put me down and I can walk.”

He gives me a look like,please.

“Henry, if we go slow, I can do this on my own.”

“We can’t go slow!” he shoots back.

“Why not? What’s so important for you to get back for? Elianna said she can watch Navie until lunchtime if we need her to.”

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