Page 22 of The Potter

I think of Vance on the bathroom floor earlier, beautifully broken. His threat echoing in my mind.

He wasn’t my savior. Not anymore.

Inhaling, I look to the sky. I don’t need a savior. I’ve already saved myself. All I need is a blank slate, and if Dr. Potter can’t provide one, I’ll find someone else. Nothing and no one will come between me and my future again.

“Halle!” Tires squeal and I jerk my head up and look to my right, finding a black sports car with the window down.

Is that? No way. It can’t be.

“Dr. Potter?” I finally call out, confused.

I can’t be sure, but I think his eyes roll. “What thefuckare you doing?”

What am I doing?

I look at the man on the bench with me. “This is the bus stop, right?” He nods his confirmation, and I turn back to Dr. Potter.

“It’s after five, and Astor said I could leave,” I tell him, just in case he’s confused about who I work for again.

Dr. Potter rakes a frustrated hand through his hair as another car pulls up behind him and blows the horn, which he aptly ignores. “Do you not drive?” The way he asks the question seems like it pained him to get the words out.

“I drive,” I tell him matter-of-factly.

He scoffs out this rude and totally uncalled-for noise. “So, you just decided to take the bus today?” Another horn blows, but Vance still doesn’t look back. He seems intently focused on my reason for sitting on the bus stop bench.

“Correct,” I grit out. Gone is the nice girl from a few minutes ago. I don’t owe Vance a freaking explanation. Especially since he doesn’t bother explaining anything to me, either. He can take his demands and shove them where the sun doesn’t shine. “You have a good evening,” I add, giving Vance a little wave goodbye.

Hopefully, he takes it as a hint and leaves. I think I’ve had about all I can take of his attitude today.

The horn-blower in the car behind him finally has had enough and yells for Vance to move his car, which Vance does not do. Instead, he mumbles something I don’t catch, tugging at his hair until he exhales, offering me a tight smile. “You have ten seconds to get in the car.”

“Are you serious?”

Maybe he hit his head in the bathroom?

But then, he starts counting. “Ten…Nine…”

Vance

She stares at me like I’ve just asked her to come back to my room for a quickie. “Did you hear me?”

The last thing I needed today was to find this sweet, southern belle on the bus bench, two seconds from getting mugged by the resident pickpocket.

“I heard you,” she finally snaps, showing that she was, in fact, just choosing not to do what I asked.

“Do I need to help you from the bench, or would you like to walk?” I don’t have time for her theatrics right now. Nor do I feel like taking her home when all I want to do is get as far away from her as I can. But she helped me earlier. Who knows how long I would have been out without her waking me.

It would have been much worse had Astor or Duke found me. They would have gone all doctor on me, and I would have ended up with another therapist and an emergency room visit.

I owe Ms. Belle for waking me, even if I would have preferred anyone other than her.

“Are you threatening me, Dr. Potter?” She looks shocked, and I’m not sure why. Have I given this woman any impression that I’m a nice guy?

“Absolutely not. But I can assist you off the bench if you need help.”

I’m not opposed to dealing with this situation quickly. I don’t have the headspace for being patient.

As if she knew I would enjoy “helping” her, Halle gathers her purse, speaks to the criminal, and walks slowly to the other side of my car, taking her sweet ass time opening the door before sitting in the passenger seat.

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