Page 28 of Better Run
I punch my hand into the mirror. It makes a sharp clank into the wood wall behind it. Pain shoots into my hand.
It doesn’t take long. The door handle jiggles, and then a hard thump of a fist.
“Open the door.”
I make a strangled sob sound.
“Mary. Open it now.”
“Go away!”
“Open, or I’m going to kick it in.”
“Jesus Christ.” I storm to the door and fling it open. “Can you give a girl some privacy?”
Jayden immediately presses into my personal space. “What was that noise?”
“Nothing.” I sniff and ball my hand behind my back.
He notices, and faster than I can react, he’s flipped me around and pinned my chest to the wall. He wrenches the thing from my hand.
There’s silence then he lets me go.
I flip around, and we both look at a bloody pair of my panties. I had to open and re-bandage my foot back up for it.
I press my hands into fists. “You got me, hot shot. Escaping through the walls with nothing but a pair of panties. For Christ’s sake, can you not be a horrible person for two seconds and let me have a minute?” My voice rises, shrill now. “Jesus fucking hell, give me a break.” I wipe my eyes.
He takes a step back.
“You good?” Cole steps into the doorway. He takes in the scene.
“Fuck.” I storm past both of them to my room. They let me go.
I slam the door.
It works like I want it to. Jayden rips it open. “You don’t shut my door unless I tell you to.”
I hide my face in my hands. “I’m going to bleed all over my clothes! All over the bed.”
He’s silent for a long time. So long that I peek up.
“I’ll get you pads.”
I sniff. “And Midol. And chocolate.”
He is silent again. He runs a hand through his hair, looking annoyed. Maddeningly, it adds to his handsome appeal.
“Fine. What kind do you want? Long? Heavy flow? Wings?”
I pause. How does he know about women’s products? Dread shoots down my spine. Maybe he’s not as fooled with my little show as I’d like him to be.
“Heavy flow. And dark chocolate.”
“You got her?”
“Yep,” Cole answers from the hallway.
Jayden sighs. For a second, I fear he’s going to call me on my bullshit. But he doesn’t. He stalks out of the room. A few minutes later, the alarm chimes on the front door. I hear the low rumble of the men’s voices briefly before Jayden leaves.
