Page 27 of Make Me Stay

I dug around and couldn’t find my lip gloss, annoyance riding me as I opened my drawer and dumped my purse in there, slamming it closed.

When I looked up, Sully’s eyebrow was arched. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just a rough morning. You know what, I’m going to go grab a bagel and coffee. Need me for anything?”

Sully shook his head. “We’re good.”

I opened my drawer and grabbed my debit card, instead of taking my whole bag. When I got outside, I collided with Kai.

He gripped my arms and that sweet spice wrapped around me. He was still wearing his jeans from yesterday, even if he’d swapped his shirt for a Murdock Brothers one. His eyes were red-rimmed.

“You didn’t come home last night.”

He glanced away. “I know. I fell asleep in my truck at the lake.”

“You slept in your truck?”

“Not the first time. Probably won’t be the last.”

“Right, because you’ll be on your way soon.”

He sighed. “Something like that.”

“Your brother’s looking for you.” I wiggled out of his hold.

“Which one?”

“Sully.”

“Yeah, I got his text.”

“Good. I’ll be back in a few.” I practically ran down the street to Bite Me.

Eloise looked up from the counter, her red hair bound up in a funky scarf. “Hey, Lexi. How’s it going?”

“Better with your largest cold brew.”

She laughed. “That kind of morning, huh? Sure. Anything else?”

“I’m having a fuck it day. Everything bagel with cream cheese too, please.”

“Regular or jalapeño?”

“Do you have to ask?”

She laughed. “Got it. Hot it is.” She tugged on hot pink gloves, then grabbed a bagel and cut it cleanly apart, shoving it into the commercial grade toaster. “How’s things going on in hot Murdock brothers land?”

I leaned on the counter since there was no one else in the shop. “Busy. Nora managed to take another viral video. This time, Cash was the star. He’s much more comfortable with being the center of attention than Sully.”

She poured the cold brew into a tall cup and added a splash of cream and pinch of brown sugar before shaking it up and sliding it my way. “Pretty sure all of them like the camera more than Sully. Too bad he’s so damn hot.”

I laughed. “It’s not a hardship working with all of them. Mostly.”

Eloise chucked. “Working with men has its perks.” She smeared on a healthy dollop of cream cheese on my bagel and quickly wrapped it in deli paper, setting it on the counter before tugging off her gloves.

I tapped the screen with my card. “You coming to the lake this weekend?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. I don’t have to make the sandwiches for once.”

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