Page 52 of Tinsel Time Treasure
She reached over and took my hands. “I’ll try to be there for you too, as much as I can be around work.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled, then we both turned as a key sounded in the lock.
“We brought tacos,” Annie announced as she strode in, holding a plastic bag aloft.
As if on cue, Grace’s stomach rumbled loudly, making the two of us laugh.
Max and Annie shared a confused glance.
Grace stood, walked to Annie, and kissed her cheeks. “Baby says tacos sound amazing. Let’s go grab plates and such while Max talks to Justin.”
Annie nodded, and the women disappeared into the kitchen while Max walked over and took a seat next to me.
“How’d it go?” I asked.
“Good, though I think it helped a lot that Annie was with me. Many of the officers remember her from when she worked at the crisis center. They know that she’ll have given you solid advice, which will make things easier as it goes to prosecution.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief.
Max draped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me to his side. “I’ll be beside you through it all. Ok?”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Anything to make sure you’re safe.”
For now… But I wish it was for forever.
Chapter 22 - Max
Iwas elated as I helped Justin take the cameras out of his friend’s apartment, but that joy fizzled as he reinstalled them in his own. It meant that he didn’t feel safe, despite being granted a restraining order against his stalker.
Still, it seemed that he was intent on attempting to live a normal life, which my alpha side had a hard time accepting. If he didn't feel safe, then he wasn’t safe—and I needed to protect him.
My only consolation was that I was just across the parking lot, where he could easily reach me in an emergency.
The apartment was quiet for the first time in over a week, and I realized I hated it. I’d gotten used to Linden’s absence almost immediately. But Justin? It was as if all the life had been sucked from the place as soon as he was gone.
“The last thing he needs is me pining over him,” I scolded myself.
I wandered from room to room in search of something to keep me occupied, but kept coming back to the guest room. Justin’s sweet scent perfumed the air, and as I stood in the doorway I closed my eyes and allowed myself the brief fantasy of him still being there.
Eventually the silence won, and I decided that I needed to wash the linens. But instead of pulling them from the bed, I ended up sitting on the mattress instead.
I grabbed the pillow and held it to my face, breathing Justin’s scent deep.
Maybe the laundry could wait for another day or two.
∞∞∞
“Hello?”
I smiled when I heard Justin’s voice over the phone, even if he was only across the parking lot. “Hey.”
“Max?”
“Of course. Did you forget my voice in only a few days?”
