Page 10 of Beneath the Surface

Good. Maybe his attention will leave me, and end up on her, and I won’t have to focus on how much he unsettles me.

He grins at her, his expansive arms stretching against the back of the booth. My heartbeat picks up speed, my breath lodging in my throat as my eyes flick back and forth between them.

Her hand reaches out, her bright pink press-on nails wrapping around a laminated menu, her breasts practically grazing his face, when suddenly his eyes snap over to me.

I jerk, the sugar packets falling from my hand and onto the table. Heat rushes into my cheeks as I clear my throat and glance down, scrambling to pick up the pink and blue packets and place them in the caddie.

Ugh. Great. Quit looking, Lily.

But a few seconds later, I can’t stop myself from glancing up again. Annabelle’s hand has now latched onto his forearm as she leans across the table and points to something on the menu.

Oh, so now he’s hungry.

Finishing up the rest of the table fills, I head over to where Annabelle is standing, knowing that I shouldn’t interrupt. That I shouldn’t care. But I do it anyway. I feel weirdly possessive over this stranger that I’ve shared nothing more than a few moments with.

But they weremymoments, and my chest squeezes at the idea that maybe she’ll get them too.

“Annabelle, I’m off for the night. Everyone’s cashed out except for the guys at table three, but I’ll just transfer them.”

She turns to me, her auburn hair swinging in a high ponytail, a genuine smile gracing her face. “You don’t want the tip?”

I shrug, feeling Alex’s eyes burn holes into the side of my face. “I want to go home more.”

She nods. “I get it. No problem.”

“You never cashedmeout,” Alex’s voice cuts in.

Annabelle glances at him. “Oh, I have zero problem taking you over.”

His eyes flick to hers before coming back to meet mine. “Well, that wouldn’t be very fair. I was hers first.” He smirks like he’s teasing, and a nervous twinge spikes low in my belly.

I bite the inside of my cheek and smile big. “Oh, I don’t mind.”

His grin dims just a bit. “You sure?”

“You tipped me more than enough yesterday to last a lifetime.”

It’s not true. That money is already gone, sucked down into the hole I can never climb out from, but I need him to get the picture that whatever he’s trying to accomplish with me—whatever it is hethinkswill happen, won’t.

The only reason someone comes to Raindale is so they can disappear. And he couldn’t disappear if he tried, so I’m wary of why he’s even here in the first place.

His brows draw in, a toothpick rolling back and forth over his lips, and my cheeks hurt from the strain of keeping a chipper face in place.

“Okay, Lily.” Annabelle’s eyes widen as she looks at me. “Have a good night.”

I nod, relief loosening the knot that was forming in my stomach, and I turn around to do my check out and get home to what matters. I’m just grabbing my purse from the back office when the door busts open, and Annabelle comes rushing in, her cheeks flushed and a smile high on her lips.

“Oh myGod, Lily, can you believe someone that fine is here?”

I laugh, rolling my apron strings up and tucking it away in my purse. “He’s different, that’s for sure.”

“He’s a work of art. Fucking gorgeous.” She swoons. “I wonder if he lives in Phoenix. That’s not too far, I could totally convince him to let me come down for the weekend.”

I shrug, ignoring the pinch in my chest. “Says he’s staying at the Motel Eight here in town.”

“Oh,really? That’s even better.” She pauses. “Hey, speaking of Phoenix, me and some of my hometown girls are going out this weekend. You should come.”

I cringe. “Uhh… no thanks, I don’t have anyone to watch Chase.”

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