Page 20 of Cocky Counsel

“I’m sorry to intrude when you’re not feeling well,” Lucy apologized quietly, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. I caught a glimpse of a bruise along the side of her throat that had been covered by her hair and felt my blood start to boil.

“You don’t ever apologize for being here,” I said sternly, looking her in the eyes. “I am always your safe place.” I softened my tone and gently reached over to wipe the tear that was running down her face. “I got you, Lucy. You never have to worry about coming here, okay?”

She nodded and wiped the rest of the tears with the back of her hand. We walked over and sat on the couch. I winced as I sat, my body sore and achy from being sick. They both looked at me and gave me a questionable look as to whether they should be here or if I should be going to the hospital instead. I knew that I probably looked as good as I felt.

“I’m fine,” I said breathlessly, addressing one of the elephants in the room. “I just need to sit down and rest for a few minutes.”

“Have you eaten today?” Lucy asked as she sat down in the chair across from me.

“She burned the toast,” Gabi volunteered for me before I could say anything. I gave her a snotty look and scrunched my face at her as she laughed and carried the box of bagels over with her before plopping down next to me on the couch.

“That’s what I smelled when I walked in,” Lucy laughed, offering me the same sympathetic look that I had seen her give her four-year-old plenty of times. I guess burning toast was on the same level as things four-year-olds needed to be comforted for.

“Very funny,” I replied with an eye roll before taking the bagel covered in strawberry cream cheese that Gabi handed to me. So what if I was almost thirty-eight and still managed to burn toast? I had plenty of admirable skills, however, cooking wasn’t one of them. But was toast actually considered cooking?

“How are you feeling?” Lucy asked as she leaned forward to take the bagel that Gabi offered her.

“I’ve been better. But at least I’m doing better than I was on Wednesday,” I shivered, a quick flashback of how terrible I had felt. “Wednesday was rough.”

“Why didn’t you call one of us? We would have come over to take care of you.” Gabi leaned back against the couch and took a bite out of her bagel.

“Honestly, I was so sick that I couldn’t even see straight. I was so delirious that I thought I had dreamt that my boss was here taking care of me,” I snorted, taking a bite.

“Could you imagine? That would be totally insane!” Gabi shrieked as if it was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. I swallowed hard, trying to force my bite down and keep the blush off my face. So far, I had only told Brittany that Ethan was the same guy from my random hump at the club. I had been planning to tell my sisters at brunch this morning but obviously, that didn’t happen.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at me and studied me. She had this natural ability to read my body language and knew when I was hiding something. It was one of the things that had us close over the years when she realized that she could use it against me and essentially blackmail me not to tell our parents about the trouble she was getting into.

“You’re not telling us something,” she accused, pointing a finger in my direction and shaking it.

“There’s nothing to tell,” I rushed the words out, hoping to change the subject back to her. That was after all why they were here. “Besides, we need to talk about you and what’s going on with Lance.” I pointed my finger back at her and gave her the pointed look that I knew worked.

I was this close to shifting the attention away from me when Gabi decided to pipe up and agree with Lucy that I was hiding something.

“Lucy is right, something is going on. You look guilty and your face is blushing.” She stared intently at me, waiting.

“Guys, nothing is going on,” I insisted, feeling the heat spread even further across my chest and up my neck. I blushed excessively when I was nervous which was another giveaway that something was going on that I wasn’t telling them.

“Maybe we should call Brit?” Lucy offered, looking at Gabi and avoiding me as if I wasn’t there. “I bet she knows what’s going on.”

“You’re right,” Gabi agreed. “Brit always knows everything, sometimes before it even happens,” she joked. “It’s like her special psychic ability or something.”

Gabi pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at me while her fingers moved across the screen. She lifted it to her ear, her finger hovering over the send button to where I could see. Her eyebrows raised as she challenged me.

“Fine!” I sighed dramatically. “I was planning to tell you at brunch anyways,” I muttered and rolled my eyes.

Gabi lowered her arm and set her phone on the couch in between us while they waited. I pulled in a deep breath, instantly regretting it as I started coughing in response. Once I was able to catch my breath again, I pulled my shoulders back and looked between them.

“Do you guys remember the guy from the nightclub?” I asked.

“Mr. Tall, Dark, and double shot of tequila?” Gabi teased and wiggled her eyebrows. “Yeah, I remember him.”

I had regretted giving them the full details of what happened and what he looked like after Gabi started making everything into a sexual innuendo after that. Lucy laughed and nodded her head for me to continue.

“Well, it turns out that the guy from the club…” I paused and took another deep breath, carefully this time. “Is also my new boss. Ethan Roberts.”

“NO. FUCKING. WAY.” Gabi clasped a hand over her mouth and stared at me in disbelief.

“Language!” Lucy scolded.

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