Page 85 of Brittle Heart

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Arms wrap around my waist, pulling me into a firm chest as I sort stuff into our lab storeroom. “Hey, you,” Josh whispers into my ear, and I lean back slightly.

“Hey,” I whisper back.

He kisses my temple and murmurs softly, “I missed you. I need your phone number.”

I turn my head to look up at him, teasingly saying, “You could have asked Clay or Sophia.”

“No, I wanted to get it from you,” he clarifies, releasing me and taking out his phone. He unlocks it and opens his contacts before handing it to me, flashing me a cheeky grin. “Can I get your number, please?”

I blush a little but take his phone, seeing that he has already created a new contact named ‘My Carolina.’ The butterflies in my stomach flutter as I enter my number and hand the phone back to him.

He taps at his screen, and a red heart emoji pops up when I check my phone.

Josh takes my hand, leading me to the door. “Let’s go eat. Clay and Sophia are already waiting for us.”

We head to the cafeteria, and Josh holds my hand the entire time. It might seem silly, but it means a lot to me. He doesn’t let go even as we walk in, not seeming embarrassed to be with me.

“Hey, lovebirds.” Sophia smiles as we sit down on the other side of the table. I glance over at Clay, but he’s focused on his plate, paying no attention to us.

“What do you want? I’ll go get us something,” Josh offers, squeezing my forearm, and I have to suppress a hiss when pain shoots toward my shoulder.

I start to say it’s fine, but then Del Moro and his partner show up, standing behind Sophia and Clay with a smug expression.

“Why bother looking at the food when you know you’ll never have enough money to get some, Costa?” Del Moro taunts.

“The same reason you watch porn,” I say in a monotone.

Clay almost chokes on his food, bursting into laughter.

“Shut up, Cooper! I’ll bet you’ve never even seen a pussy,” Del Moro snaps angrily.

Clay glares back at him.

“He’s staring at one right now,” I note.

“You fucking bitch,” Del Moro snaps, leaning over to reach for me, but Josh and Clay stand.

Josh pushes Del Moro away to create some more distance between us. “Don’t you dare touch her,” he warns in a tone I’ve never heard from him before.

“Yeah, rookie, fuck off. Or do we need to file a complaint with HR and make your cop career a very short one? I bet they always need security guards at supermarkets. What do you think, Josh?” Clay adds.

“I think he would make an awesome security guard.” Josh grins back.

“Oh look, Lee is into fat, poor, emo girls. Did you know that, Taylor?” Del Moro mocks. Then he leans down to me, telling me in a softer tone, “They are not going to be there all the time, Costa. I can’t wait for the next time your uncle is letting a bit loose.” He winks at me before storming off.

“The same reason you watch porn.” Clay snickers, sitting back down.

“You okay?” Josh asks, cupping my face with concern in his eyes.

“Sure,” I say, but there’s an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Xander

“Hey, my love,” I whisper, still half-asleep.

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