Page 75 of New Girl in Town
Dylan didn’t answer right away, instead opting to pour himself a cup of coffee from my French press. “I came to find my wife,” he said, looking up at me from his cup.
“I’m not your wife anymore, Dylan.” I leaned over my empty plate and could barely conceal the growl that escaped me. “I’ve got the notarized documents in triplicate to prove it.”
He blew on his steaming cup of coffee and took a slow sip, and all the while his eyes never left my face. “You look good,” he said, setting his cup down and giving me a crooked smile.
“Did you not just hear me? I’m not your wife.”
“Aurora…” He gestured at the spread of food that could have been rotting for all I cared. “Eat your breakfast. You’ll be more reasonable after you do. Coffee?”
“I don’t want to eat.” I shoved my plate away with a jerk. “Get out of my apartment.”
Dylan poured another cup of coffee and ignored me. “One sugar, just the way you like it.”
I glared at the cup of coffee he slid toward me, and then back at him. “The only thing I want is you to leave. Don’t make me call the cops.”
“You’re not calling the cops. We both know it.”
“Really?” I shoved back from the table and made a beeline for my phone on the counter. “You want to try me?”
I didn’t see how close Dylan was to me until his hands were on me, jerking me against him.
“Get off!”
I flailed for a second before I brought my elbow back, hitting him in the stomach. Dylan grunted but didn’t let me go, and I brought my foot down as hard as I could, but my strike bounced off his expensive Italian footwear.
“Stop it. Get out!”
I was no longer worried about the volume of my voice, and my scream was loud and desperate. I knew my throat would be raw the next day, but I didn’t care. I’d left Dylan. Chosen to leave behind the nightmare my marriage had turned into. Now here he was, forcing his way into my life—again.
“I want you gone!” I screamed, managing to get away from him, my feet carrying me to the door.
“Aurora!” Dylan was behind me now, his fingertips brushing against me as I stumbled into the door, but I managed to jerk it open before he could get any further and I flung myself into the hallway, fully intent on making a run for it. Where, I didn’t know—nor did I care that I was barefoot.
I didn’t make it so much as a step outside of my apartment before I crashed into what felt like a wall. I pinwheeled back from the abruptness of the collision.
“Aurora, are you okay?” Grant’s hands dropped onto my shoulders, and I blinked up at him in confusion.
“Grant?”
His hands were warm on me, strong and steadying. I drank up the feeling after Dylan’s sudden and disturbing appearance in my apartment.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” His hands rose to my cheeks as he leaned close, his body crowding mine against the hallway wall. “I heard you scream.”
“I have to go. I can’t—”
“Aurora!”
Dylan’s sharp yell cracked through the air like a whip. I winced. Grant’s face looked like a storm cloud when he heard Dylan’s voice calling to me
“Is that him?” he asked, his expression going dark.
I manage a quick nod before Grant sighed and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine. “Go to my apartment. Lock the door. Don’t open it until I tell you.”
“Grant, what are you doing?” I made a grab for him, but he had already stepped back from me, turning toward my apartment. “Grant?”
“Go downstairs, baby.”
“But—”
