Page 80 of Brassy Bigwig

Shelby: Sorry, Reed called me, and I got sidetracked. Checking now.

I don’t have patience for unfocused Shelby right now.

Shelby: No, nothing but junk and bills.

I inhale a deep breath and relax a little bit.

Me: Okay, thank you for checking.

“Shelby said nothing came to the apartment today,” I inform D.

“That’s great news,” he responds.

Yeah. But I know it’s just a waiting game.

Me: Also, you’re invited to dinner at D’s place tonight. Reed is going to be there installing a security system.

Shelby: Yeah, that’s actually why he just called. I’ll be there.

Me: Can you bring me some work clothes when you come? I’m going to spend the night.

Shelby: Sure

“She’ll bring me some clothes for tomorrow.”

“That’s if we make it in. I was just thinking it may not be a bad idea to take a few days. We can work from my office at the penthouse.”

“I hate changing my life because of him. I don’t want him to affect my behavior.”

“I know, but at least he doesn’t know where I live. He can’t reach you there.”

“D, you don’t understand. I have no doubt in my mind he already knows everything there is to know about you.”

As D struggles to hide his look of shock, I put my phone back into my purse. I should tell my parents, but I’m not ready to do that yet. The last thing I need right now is them forcing their way in to my everyday life and trying to control what I do like last time. I know this is a serious situation, but I’ve never felt safer than I do when I’m with D.

Cliff opens the back door of the limo when we pull up to D’s building. D takes my hand and doesn’t let go the entire way up to his penthouse.

* * *

When we got upstairs, I called Officer Huntington, the police officer I worked with the last time I filed a report on Blake. He came by the penthouse within an hour and took my statement as well as a copy of the letter Blake sent. Unfortunately, I’ll need proof that Blake is the one behind it, and then I have to go through the entire court process again in order to get another order of protection filed. It took a lot out of me the first time around, but D assured me he would be with me every step of the way. As grateful as I am, I’m still worried that, at some point, he’s going to get tired of all of the drama he’s about to be pulled into.

“What’s the matter, théa?” D asks, breaking me from my thoughts

“Hmm? Oh, it’s nothing,” I assure him.

It’s been several hours since we got here, and Shelby and Reed have since joined us. Reed picked up dinner for all of us on his way over, and the three of them are chowing down on chicken parmesan and lasagna from Cibo. I, however, have been pushing my food around my plate for the last thirty minutes, trying to make it seem like I’m eating and not going crazy inside.

D drops it, but he definitely has more to say.

“I’m going to get started,” Reed speaks up.

I shoot him a smile as he gets up from the table and takes his plate into the kitchen. Apparently, he’s giving D a deal on their most expensive system. Even though he could price gouge the shit out of D because he’s loaded, Reed is only charging him cost not labor. D even offered to pay him for dinner, but he wouldn’t accept that, either. Reed really is one of the good ones. For the smallest moment, I think if I would have met him before going to Greece, I may have given him a chance. My mind was too consumed by D by the time we met, though.

Not that I’m complaining.

I take a deep breath and think about where I would be if Dex hadn't come in for a meeting that day. I can feel my pulse quicken at the thought of not being here with D right now. My heart aches as I think about everything I’ve experienced with him over the past two weeks.

What if I stuck to my guns and never went to Greece with Shelby at all? I tense up, panicking over the idea of being without D and having never known him in the first place.

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