Page 28 of Venomous Vows

“Right.” Yet Celine doesn’t bother to hide that she’s not buying it. “You wanna talk about it?”

Nope.

Because I’m already living with a spectrum of emotions running through my head and how Adrian hasn’t kept me privy to one thing involving Marcella. Celine doesn’t even know she’s been taken either.

No one does.

I’ve been living in this torture for almost a week now and I don’t know how much more I can take.

“Go home,” I hedge softly with the best smile I can manage. “I’m good.”

“I’m not going to leave you alone this late.” She begins to collect her long blond hair with her hands and puts it up in a ponytail. “I’ll help.”

“That’s not necessary. Don’t you have some shows to go home and watch?”

Celine props her palm along the edge of the front counter and narrows her eyes at me. “You wouldn’t happen to be trying to get rid of me, would you?”

“No,” I quickly recant. I’m not sure what’s giving me away, but I’dreallylike two damn seconds alone. My mindset has to be right because I’ve been in this arrangement with Adrian for days, but it feels like years. “But there’s no need for the two of us to be here.”

“It’ll get done quicker.” She reaches for the iPad, alluding that she’s not leaving. “Inventory is a bitch.”

Irritation slithers through me, but I bat it down. It’s not her fault I’m on edge. It’s not her fault that I’m anxious. And it’s definitely not her fault for wanting to help.

Celine starts at the front, taking in napkins, coffee cups, and sugar packets. Meanwhile, I begin some of the accounting when the bells on the front door chime and I realize I hadn’t locked it.

Fuck.

The hairs on my arms rise as I glance up to see what customer didn’t get the hint that we’re closed, especially at this hour, when my gaze connects withhis.

It bores into me as if he were ready to throttle me with both hands as I remain frozen in my spot.

He’s not supposed to be here.

This is my sanctuary.

“We’re closed,” Celine intervenes, saving me the trouble of having to say anything at all. “We’ll be open bright and early in the morning.”

Adrian rudely ignores her, standing solely in the middle of our front space in a gray suit and menacing demeanor.

Panic ensues inside me because Celine doesn’t know who this is and he’s not just going to leave. I know Adrian better than that. He’s going to do what he came to do and there’s no one to stop him.

“It’s okay,” I interject, placing down our binder that contains our monthly sales and losses. “He’s here for me.”

I feel Celine’s heavy curiosity latch onto me, but I don’t bother. This is a private conversation that she and I are going to have when the cat is out of the bag. I can’t pretend not to be married for the next five-plus years. That’s insanity.

Finally looking over at my best friend, I give her my best smile. “Do you mind starting in the back? I just need a few minutes.”

Celine stares at me, then steals a glance at Adrian before lifting a brow. She’s going to want all the tea and it’s not going to be as alluring as she probably believes it’s going to be. Adrian is an attractive man, but that all flees the moment he opens his mouth.

“Sure,” she finally says. “Yell if you need me.” She begins to make her way to the back but not until she mutters as she passes, “Or not. Behave yourself. People eat here.”

Geezus.

That will be the last thing I need to fret about.

Actually, not true.

Blood on the floor wouldn’t be a good look or sanitary in this instance.

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