Page 34 of Waiting for Acceptance
“Well, you certainly would have fit in better with that family.” She goes back to eating as if she’s completely unphased by everything that just conspired and my heart physically aches. I storm out of their house and make it to my car with my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath while my blood continues to boil beneath the surface of my skin. I can’t believe I just said that. I know this night is going to come back to bite me in the ass, and I probably should have just kept my mouth shut, but I just…couldn’t.
CHAPTER 19
FITZ
In the month since I’ve been back, Lauren has been more unlike herself than I’ve ever seen her before. It’s unsettling and quite frankly, starting to piss me off. She’s not showing up early, her eating habits have changed, she barely mumbles a word when I press buttons I know would usually cause her to blow up in my face, and she hasn’t so much as cracked a smile since the day I got back and it’s infuriating how much I miss seeing it. I’d even settle for one of those god-forsaken eye rolls right now. Anything to know she’s still in there. So to find out, I do the only thing I know to do to get a response out of her.
“What the fuck is this, Lauren?” She flinches at the mention of her name. Not sure I’ve ever called her anything other than Trouble—except the condescendingSweetheartI throw around every now and then.
“A sales report, Fitz.” God, her voice sounds as empty as she looks.
I scoff, “A sad excuse for one, maybe. What’s going on?” She remains expressionless and stares at her computer. No typing. No scrolling of her mouse. Just staring at a blank screen as she remains silent.
“Let’s go.” Her eyes lazily drag up to mine.
“Where?”
“Tell you on the way.” Pain settles between her brows and she shakes her head.
“No.” The fact that there’s no fight in her whatsoever is alarming.
“Is whatever is going on with you reallyso badthat you’re willing to just give up like this?” Her eyes slice back to mine. There it is…anger.
“Fuck you, Fitzgerald.” She snatches her bag from the floor beside her and rounds the desk. “Stop acting like you know everything about me. You don’t know a damn thing so why don’t you make my life a little bit better and stay the hell out of it.” My hand wraps around her arm before I can think better of it and her jawline sharpens as she glares up at me.
“No.” Surprise flashes across her face as quickly as she yanks free of my grip, then she slams her office door behind her, closing me in.
I’ll fucking get her back. No matter how pissed off she gets at me in the process.
I take advantage of being alone in Lauren’s office, doing my due diligence to snoop while I have the chance. She’s an insanely organized individual, which is why I’m taken aback by how messy her desk is right now. There are papers and half-empty energy drink cans all over it. I walk around and glance over everything, careful not to mess anything up. In case by some slim chance, she’s one of those wild ones who knows when her mess has been messed with. Then I see a green pamphlet that stands out amongst all the white papers surrounding it, so I pick it up and read it.
In loving memory of Allen Gates
Well, fuck.
I toss the program back down on the desk and sigh. I have no idea who this guy is, or what he may have meant to her, but the fact that it was sitting on top of her desk— a month after the date of the funeral arrangements listed on the back—tells me there’s a good chance this is why she’s been off.
I am an asshole—and this time I don’t feel good about it.
I gotta get out of this damn office.
As soon as I open the door Luther is standing in the hallway, looking at me with wide eyes.
“Something I can help you with there, Luther?” His face morphs into one full of shock and a little bit of…sass?
“Whatever you did kicked a little bit of life back into her, which I guess is good, but buddy you pissed her the hell off.”
I smirk to myself and pat him on the shoulder. “I can handle her.”
Hall’s Gym.
Maybe this place will be better than the less-than-desirable gym in my hotel. I hike my bag over my shoulder and walk through the door, immediately met with the smell of sweat and sanitizer.
“Welcome to Hall’s,” a guy behind the front desk greets me as I take in the space. I am already more pleased with what I see than when I first walked into the stale gym in the basement of my current residence. “First time here?”
I nod, dropping my bag at my feet. “Yeah.”
“Well, are you looking for a guest pass for the day or a membership?A membership gives you access to our new boxingarea and the sauna.” I look at him in anticipation for more, but his eyebrows raise as he waits formyresponse.
