Page 40 of Don't Look Away

I give Wyn another quick hug. “Thank you for doing this with me. I’ll let you know when the blood results come in.”

“You need a ride back to Rush House?”

“Nah, I’m okay,” I say with a smile, trying to convince her I really am fine. “I could use a walk anyway.”

She nods, pressing her lips into a tight smile. “Okay, let me know if you need anything.”

It’s a twenty-minute walk back to Rush House, but the fresh air is exactly what I need to clear my head. I’m walking along the main road that hugs the coastline, and the ocean breeze cuts through me. But it’s warm, and the air feels good. I only wish I’d put on some sunscreen because I tend to burn easily.

I’m about a third of the way back, when a car comes up behind me, and suddenly starts to slow down.

Oh, shit. Here we go. It’s probably some random college guy, looking for some ass. Walking alone as a girl, even in broad daylight, is a fucking risk no matter how boojie the town is, I guess.

I stiffen as I watch the car pull up next to me from my periphery, but I keep walking, eyes ahead. My phone is in my hand, and I’m prepared to call for help if I need to.

The car window rolls down, and I hear a deep voice address me. “Hey, Little Rabbit. Need a ride?”

My heart skips a beat at the familiar voice, and I look over to see Roman, smiling at me from the driver’s side. His smile is so damn beautiful, stretching wide like he’s happy to see me so unexpectedly. He reaches over and opens the passenger-side door. I hop in.

“Fancy meeting you here,” I say. “Are you headed back home?”

He’s actually headed east and Rush House is west, but it’s my subtle way of asking where he’s going without really asking. I don’t want to bethatgirl, always trying to keep tabs on him.

“I’m headed to Exeter House to see my dad to discuss a bit of society business. You want to come?”

The wordssociety businesspique my interest. “Sure,” I say. “Will Exeter House even let me in though? I’ve heard you have to be a member to even step over the threshold.”

Exeter House is a private club for the elite of the elite, and I’ve heard they’resupersnobby. Like, there’s a dress code to even walk through the door kind of snobby.

After I buckle in, he reaches over and places his hand on my thigh. “It’ll be fine.”

I look down at his hand and marvel at the intimacy of such a simple action. It just feels so easy with Roman…until it’s not. Until we both get in our heads and fuck things up. But right now, I need this with him. I need it to be easy, and comfortable, especially after the day I’ve had.

It’s like he can sense my thoughts, because he asks, “So how’d it go at the doctor’s office?”

My heart leaps into my throat, and I swallow, forcing the organ back down. “Good,” I say vaguely. “Dr. Kimball is really nice.”

“She’s been my mom’s doctor for years.” He glances at me quickly. “Did you pick up the birth control? The driver said you stopped at the pharmacy before he brought you home.”

I glance out of the passenger side window, watching the as dry, dead-looking shrubbery on the side of the road whizzes by. I can’t lie to him. Ishould,but I know it’ll bite me in the ass if I do, so my best option right now is avoidance.

“What business do you need to talk to your dad about?” I ask, blatantly ignoring his question.

“Lux.” He squeezes my thigh. “Is everything okay? What’s wrong?” I can hear the alarm in his voice like he’s about to confront whatever problem I’m having and bully it into going away. If only he could do that withthisproblem.

I glance at him, flashing him a quick, reassuring smile. “Everything is fine,” I say a bit defensively. “Yes, I went to the pharmacy. What else is there to say about it? I’m more interested in what you need to talk to your dad about so urgently.”

He seems satisfied with my response, but he still looks a little skeptical. Still, I guess he decides to let it go for now. “I need to convince him of something, which won’t be easy. My dad is a narcissistic asshole, who only thinks of himself.”

“Well, it’s easy then,” I say.

He looks confused. “What do you mean?”

I shrug a shoulder. “If he’s really a narcissist, then all you have to do is point out what the benefits are forhim.”

He lifts a brow. “And if there are none?”

“Then bullshit your way through it,” I say. “Narcissistsreallycare about how other people view them, and it’s pretty easy to manipulate that.”

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