Page 52 of Hurry Up And Wait

“Would you want me in tears right now, crying because you’re not here?”

“A few tears would be nice. You know, feed my ego just a little.”

“I highly doubt your ego needs any bolstering.”

“You don’t know that for sure. I could be one of those men who’s really insecure.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling much better now that he lightened the mood. “When you get home, I promise to show you just how much I need you.”

Silence met me until a low rumble echoed through the phone. “Fuck, I really wish I was there right now.”

“Until the weekend.”

“Fuck, until the weekend,” he muttered.

“Where are we going?”I asked, running a tired hand over my eyes.

The countryside flew past us as we left town, leaving me reeling the farther we got from the safety of people. It was only five minutes ago that we left the hospital, and for some reason, I assumed we’d be going back to my house. But instead, IKE was taking us in the opposite direction.

When he didn’t answer, I looked over at him, watching as he checked the mirrors. His posture was relaxed and he looked as if we were taking a Sunday drive. “IKE?”

“My place.”

My eyes widened at his words. “Your place? But I need to go home.”

“Your place is currently a crime scene. You can’t go there.”

I swallowed hard, thinking about what was going to happen over the next few days. “What about my clothes? I need things for work and?—”

“You work from home.”

“Yes, and I need things to accomplish that.”

“A few days off won’t kill you.”

My jaw dropped in disbelief. “I can’t just stop my life because my ex is a psychopath.”

His gaze slowly turned to meet mine. Sharp, blue eyes narrowed, pinning me with a mixture of fury and curiosity. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to slap me or ask me what my favorite cup of coffee was. The car slowed as he pulled to the side of the road. When he shifted into park, I started to get a little creeped out.

“What are we doing?” I asked, swallowing hard.

“Waiting for someone to kill you.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “You want to go home where a bomb just went off. I figured if you want someone to take you out, we might as well stop here and let them come to us. Maybe I should just get out and leave you here.”

“That’s not what I said,” I argued.

His voice came out low and harsh as he leaned in close to me. “Then what the fuck do you want? I know you love your sister. She’s probably the only fucking person you’re actually scared for. So, what the fuck are you thinking, wanting to go back to your house where someone just tried to kill you?”

Well, when he put it like that… “You may have a point.”

A slight smile touched the corner of his lips, but it was gone before I could nail him for it. He shifted back into drive and pulled out again, taking us further away from town. Sighing, I sat back in my seat and tried to ignore the man beside me.

“So, if you work for OPS, why don’t you live there?”

“I already told you, I don’t work for them.”

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