Page 74 of One Little Kiss
“Elijah?” It comes out strangled and when Elijah’s gaze meets mine, there’s not a hint of humor, not a flicker of his typical easygoing charm.
He’s all grim lines and terrifying determination as he directs his attention to the deputy. “Are you done here?”
I don’t wait for the deputy to respond. I’m already jumping out of my seat. “We’re done.”
I refuse to turn and say goodbye to the creepy deputy, and I don’t even pause for Elijah. I head straight for the front doors, and don’t stop until I’m outside, the cold air nipping at my skin.
I draw in a deep breath as Elijah drapes his jacket over my shoulders.
I so want to shrug it off and say I don’t need it, but I’m freezing so I burrow into it. “Thanks.”
We’re both silent as we head to his car. “You didn’t have to—”
“Don’t.” He cuts me off, opening the passenger door for me, then slamming it shut once I’m tucked inside his car.
I’m a little freaked out by how serious he’s being. I watch him stalk around the car then wrench his own door open before slamming that shut too.
I let a beat of thick silence pass before murmuring, “I could’ve called a car if—”
“Stop.” He turns to face me, one hand on the wheel. “Are you hurt? Did he…” His jaw works. “Did he hurt you?”
A shiver races through me at the unexpected fire in his eyes.
“No,” I whisper. “He didn’t hurt me.”
He nods and then starts the car. “What happened?”
I wet my lips, then turn to face the front. My insides feel like they’ve been scorched and all that’s left is ash. I am the worst sort of idiot to think that going out with another guy would help…this.
Whatever this is.
“Noelle,” he says. “Why were you at the sheriff’s office?”
I take a deep breath. “He’d been drinking. My date. Before he came to pick me up. I guess there was a game at his school—”
“His school.”
“His college,” I say.
“Right.”
I don’t miss the harshness of his voice or the way there’s a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“I didn’t realize he’d been drinking until…until it was too late.” I try to sound cool, but there’s a tremble in my voice and he doesn’t miss it.
The look Elijah cuts in my direction…he doesn’t miss a thing. “You okay?”
His tone is gentler this time. Gruffer. He sounds like he’s still angry but doesn’t want to scare me.
God, I love this guy.
The thought cuts through the fog I’ve been in ever since we got pulled over, and it hits me like a splash of cold water.
Like a friend, I mentally amend. As if anyone but me can hear my thoughts. As if it matters now anyway after the way I ended things.
I look out the window to hide a fresh wave of emotions.
His hand covers mine in my lap and for a long while neither of us says anything. Part of me is waiting for more questions to start up.
