Page 58 of First Time

He swallowed and nodded, but I remained unmoved by his apologetic puppy dog eyes I’d fallen for a hundred times too many. “I’ll wait in my car.” He shuffled out the door and toward the right, out of view.

My breath left in a rush and I sagged, shaky from the adrenaline crash.

“Everything okay?” my boss asked as I entered the back room a minute later.

“Yes. He’s in his apologetic stage of this shitty game I am so over.” I huffed a snort of unfunny laughter that shook along with my voice. “He’ll grovel and beg for another chance, but this time he’s out of luck.”

“I’m not sure talking to him is a good idea.”

“I’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me if others are around. He has a high opinion of himself and he’ll do anything to uphold it.”

My boss huffed. “Just stay close to the windows. I’ll be out in a minute to keep an eye on you.”

“I will, thanks.” I grabbed my coat and headed out the front door.

Stephen’s car sat two spaces to the right, and he rolled down his window as I drew near, clutching my coat close against the cold. “Hop in,” he said, pulling papers and a sweatshirt off of the passenger seat.

“I’m good,” I said, not moving.

“Please, Becky. I just want to talk, and there’s no sense in you standing out in the cold.”

The winter wind bit my cheeks, and I admitted to myself he had a point. I nodded and rounded the car, climbing in since customers were coming and going.

Stephen wouldn’t dare touch me in public.

The interior stank of stale beer and body odor. Even though my insides shivered and my pulse stuttered, I inhaled shallow breaths. I had decided to keep things short and to the point, no arguing. “I’m moving out, Stephen,” I said, angling to face him.

His gaze narrowed, all trace of remorse gone from his eyes. “The fuck you are.”

His fist shot out, and I didn’t have time to wince. Pain exploded across the bruise on my cheek, and my head crashed into the passenger window. Black spots ate up my vision, devouring my consciousness.

Chapter 23

Daniel

My meeting ran long, and I had a hell of a time focusing on what I needed to be saying and doing to close the biggest deal of my communications business life. A six-figure bonus awaited me if I managed it properly.

It was four o’clock before I left Hartford, and by the time I drove down my street, darkness lay like a thick blanket over the sky. Becky hadn’t called or texted, but I wasn’t concerned since I hadn’t asked her to.

A few minutes from my exit, my cell lit up.

Chantelle.

“Is Becky with you?” she asked instead of greeting me when I answered.

“No—why?”

“She was supposed to call me and never did. I had issues at the club this afternoon and got caught up in a bunch of legal shit. Anyway, I just realized I hadn’t heard from her, and now she’s not answering.”

“Maybe she’s in the shower.”

“I don’t have a good feeling, Daniel.”

Neither did I.

I raced into my neighborhood. No light shone from my house windows, and my gut twisted, instant wariness making my arm hair stand on end. I hit the button for the garage door.

Empty.

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