“You’d think you’d be less needy, considering you came on my cock a few hours ago,” I said.
Right as a voice cleared.
Dotty flew backward, her back thumping against the wall and rattling a few picture frames.
Dorian stood there with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Sorry to interrupt.” He coughed, failing to disguise a laugh.
Dotty’s head fell into her hands as she groaned.
Dorian put his hands up. “I didn’t see anything, and I definitely didn’thearanything. I just have to take a piss.”
Dotty’s phone buzzed, and she looked down at it.
“Sorry. I need to get this. It’s Noah, and I have three missed calls from her.”
Dorian stilled, and stayed in the hallway, waiting for Dotty instead of heading into the bathroom.
“Hey, Noah. Everything okay?” Dotty answered.
I couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end of the phone, but by Dotty’s expression, I could instantly tell it was bad.
“Noah, slow down. What is going on?”
Dotty pinched the bridge of her nose as Noah responded.
“Okay. What do you need? What can I do?” Dotty asked. After a few moments of silence, she continued, “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll book the next flight. We’ll figure this out.” She paused and waited for a response. “I’ll try to be there tonight. I’ll drive if I have to.” She ended the call after a brief goodbye.
“What happened?” Dorian asked, his voice clipped, and I was confused about why he would be so concerned.
“I guess the FBI came to our apartment to question Noah. She’s freaking out because her boyfriend is being investigated for something. She has no idea what’s going on, and she’s terrified. I have to go back to Seattle. Now.”
Dorian pulled out his phone, searching for flights before Dotty even finished her sentence. “I can book you a flight in two hours. It’s an hour’s drive to the airport. Go back to Trent’s and pack,” he said.
She looked at me, uncertain. “I have my meeting next Monday, so I’ll probably stay until then.” My stomach sank at the thought of being away from her for a couple of weeks, but I pushed down my feelings, knowing she needed me.
Her eyes shifted between Dorian and me. I tossed her my keys. “Go pack, drive back, and I’ll take you to the airport.”
“No,” she said, and my heart sank. “I need to drive myself.”
“You need someone to drive you, Dotty.” Dorian said.
“I need time to think and process what’s going on,” she replied.
The last thing I wanted was for Dotty to leave Woodstone on a whim, but not being able to drive her to the airport felt even worse.
I needed time to convince her it would be okay, to show her that whatever came next, while terrifying, would be worth it.
I needed more time.
Dorian and I exchanged a glance, and he nodded. So, I let her go.
“Fine,” I said bitterly. “But you need to text me everything—when you get there, when you land, all of it. We can grab the truck from the airport in the next couple of days.”
“Fine,” she echoed. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes. I’ll pack my stuff and then come say goodbye to everyone.” She turned to leave, and I pulled her back into me.
“He already saw us,” I said, kissing her despite the tension of the last few minutes. After the shock wore off, she melted into me. Each kiss we shared was unforgettable but as we stood there, it felt like a different kind of kiss entirely.
Dorian cleared his throat, and Dotty took a step back.