Page 37 of Hush

But Jaden resisted. “It’s Ben,” Jaden said.

Feeling a strange unease, Elise followed Jaden’s pointed finger. Her heart refused to process the image that greeted her. Jaden was right. Ben was indeed inside the restaurant.

“Who’s that?” Jaden asked, turning to look at her, his eyes curious.

Elise couldn’t see the woman’s face, only her blonde hair and narrow shoulders.

But Elise couldn’t answer, her mouth open as Ben glanced up and saw her.

Ben

Afeeling of true terror seized Ben when he noticed Elise’s shocked face staring at him through the window. “Oh, fuck,” he said. He dashed out of the restaurant, not hearing Ashley’s protest.

“Elise,” he cried as he burst through the door.

But Elise had scooped up Jaden, and she was running for her car. His shoes slipped on the slick sidewalk and he skidded, his hands flying out for balance.

“Elise! Wait,” he shouted, remembering he had left his coat, his wallet. But it didn’t matter. He had to get to Elise, explain that what she saw wasn’t what she thought.

Elise started her car, and she was already maneuvering out of the parking spot. He arrived just as she inched herself free. He banged on the hood. “Elise!” he called.

For a split second, Elise turned, her face broken with an expression so full of pain it ripped a hole right through him. Then she turned away and pulled onto the street. Jaden watched him from the backseat, his mouth open in a scream he couldn’t hear.

Ben stood as the snowflakes filtered down, wetting his shoulders, as Elise moved farther and farther away from him.

He wiped his face with his hands.I have to fix this. I can’t let her think…that I was…He tried to draw a deep breath, but it was like his lungs had shrunk. His pulse vibrated in his temples, tapping painfully, making his eyes ache.

Finally, he returned to the restaurant where a smug Ashley sat enjoying the last of her wine.

Looking at her there, the source of so much anguish, the reason his dreams had crashed and burned, and, now, so satisfied to see him distraught was too much.

“I don’t ever want to see you again,” he said, standing over her while he grabbed his coat, trying to keep his voice civil despite the urge to pounce on her like a leopard and sink his teeth into her neck. He imagined her cries for help as he dragged her off into his tree where he would let her slowly bleed to death then eat her piece by piece.

She clucked her tongue. “You don’t get to decide that, darling.”

He shoved his wallet into his pocket. “Cut the crap, Ashley. You’d go nuts here.” He sighed, but his breath caught at the sharp memory of Elise’s wounded eyes. That she was suffering right now because of him nearly brought him to his knees.

“I kept my promise,” Ben said, hating how his voice had become edged with the emotion exploding in his chest. He had to get out of the restaurant. “Now you get to keep yours.”

Stepping past Ashley, he hurried for the door.

Back on the street, this time clad in his coat, he dashed to his car and forced himself to accelerate safely down the white streets, passing the snowplow clearing the main roadway. He drove too fast, his mind inventing an explanation that would convince Elise that he wasn’t a lying, cheating bastard.

How about the truth, asshole?a voice in his head snickered.

“Fuck,” Ben groaned, running a trembling hand through his hair.

Why had Elise had to walk past the restaurant tonight, of all nights? Why had Ashley dropped into his life again? A shudder of rage flowed through him, and he gripped the wheel. No way could Ashley get a job at Providence. He wouldn’t allow it.Think,his brain screamed. What could he do to keep her away from him, from ruining his life yet again?

The answer appeared instantly, like one of those fortune telling eight-balls that one shook until a cube floated to the window with an answer:Nothing.

Ben knew that with the evidence Ashley had acquired, he could do nothing to stop her. He’d kicked himself so many times for getting involved with her, but, back then, he had no idea people like her even existed, people so ambitious they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. But it went further than that, because she not only derailed his career, she’d also broke his heart, which had, in turn, stolen his confidence. That was, until he’d met Elise. She had changed him, reminded him of the man he wanted to be. Caring and attentive, trusting.

As Ben pulled up in front of Elise’s house, all the windows dark, he searched his brain for any logical explanation he could present. What was he doing with a strange blonde woman who looked like the cat who had just swallowed the canary?

Earlier, when he and Elise had lain together in his bedroom, he had successfully kept Ashley from his mind, but the moment Elise asked about him about his plans tonight, he’d went tense.

And now it had all gone wrong.

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