Page 118 of Bad For A Weekend

“He said he’d kill me if I hurt you. I didn’t get a parental vibe from him, though he was older. I’m assuming your mood has to do with him.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I can’t believe he did that.”

“Who is he?”

“He’s my ex. Kind of. He was my bodyguard and things happened. I got shot at my high school graduation, and then he disappeared. For some reason, he chose today to resurface. The day I decided to move on, and there he is, at my door, scolding me like I’m a child,” I rant.

“Woah, woah, woah. Back up. You were shot?”

I sigh and spill the entire story. By the time I get to Owen kissing me goodbye at the hospital, I actually feel a little better. Some of my anger has faded after talking about all the good times we had.

“That’s insane. I guess I vaguely remember the story, but being in high school, I didn’t exactly keep up on the news,” he says.

“I didn’t either until I was the news.”

“So, are you going to see what’s in the envelope?”

“I don’t know. No matter what’s in there, it doesn’t change the fact that he showed up being an asshole.”

“I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships, and definitely not the kind you two had, but I am a psych major, so maybe I can help.”

“Okay, Dr. Grayson. Fix me.” I grin for real this time.

“He was upset because you weren’t being safe, right?”

I nod.

“That’s coming from a place of concern. He went about it all wrong, but the meaning behind his tantrum was his worry about your welfare.”

“Why was he there in the first place? He had no way of knowing I would let him up without asking the doorman who he was.”

“I think the answer is in the envelope, right?”

I chew on my lip. “I guess.”

The waiter delivers our check, and we both reach for it.

“I’m paying,” he says.

“No. I’d feel awful. This was the worst date in the history of dates. Let me pay.”

“I asked you out, so I’m paying.” He slips his credit card into the folder.

“Thank you. For dinner, for listening, all of it. And I’m sorry things ended this way.”

“Don’t apologize. Just bad timing.”

“Very.”

Grayson drives me home and walks me to the front door of the building. I give him a hug and thank him again. Watching him walk away, I feel eyes on me. After everything I’ve been through, my instincts are heightened, and I know when I’m being watched.

I scour the parking lot, not knowing what I’m looking for. The only car that stands out to me is a sporty black one parked in the very back of the lot. Maybe it’s a Mustang? I know I’ve seen it there before, but I spend no time figuring it out and rush into the building and up to the condo.

No one’s home when I walk in. Ziggy’s probably out with Knate, and Brandy told me she had a date tonight, so I’m not surprised. It’s early, and they probably didn’t mess up their dates by talking about someone else like I did.

In my room, I set the manilla envelope on my bed and decide to take a hot shower and put on my pajamas before opening it. The water helps to soothe my muscles. I take my time going through my skincare routine, procrastinating as much as possible.

When there’s nothing left to do, and I’m snuggled in my favorite fluffy robe, I sit in my reading chair and pull out a stack of papers. Flipping through them, I see they’re all letters written out by hand. Some are long and some short, all of them addressed to me.

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