Page 52

I couldn’t shake the image of Stef, her tear-streaked face and the hopelessness that had seemed to cling to her like a second skin when I’d arrived to find her a crying mess. Jesus, it had torn atme. I just hadn’t known what to do to help her. Patti had been a stroke of genius, and I’d assumed she’d be fine on her own now. That she’d want the peace, actually. And let’s be honest, I wasn’t exactly her favorite person, kitten or no kitten.
Still;“It’s not good for her to be left alone when she’s like that.”
I checked the time on my phone. It was late, but I couldn’t help myself. I just needed to know she was okay.
Me:Hey. I know it’s late. Just checking in. Hopefully, you’re already asleep.
Stef:I’m not, but just going to bed now. Good night.
Me:Okay. Good night.
That seemed weird. Was that weird? Did she seem upset? Was she crying, even as she typed out the text? I frowned at my phone, the words not sitting right with me. Maybe it was the fact that I felt like a junior in high school, pining after some girl who barely tolerated me.Loser.
Dropping my phone back to the couch, I returned my attention to my tablet. The minutes ticked by and I just couldn’t stop thinking about Stef. Dammit. Huffing out a breath of annoyance, I brought up the security system at the beach house.
A device was still connected to the internet. So she wasn’t asleep. Then why lie? And what the hell else could she be doing at close to midnight?
Was she crying? The thought of her alone, curled up in the darkness of my beach house, made me feel a pang of guilt and concern that I couldn’t ignore.
I couldn’t bear the idea that she was there all by herself. I was right to go to her last time, and maybe I was right this time, too.Fuck it.I pushed up from the sofa, retrieved my briefcase from the floor, threw my tablet in, and grabbed my phone.
The jet was waiting for me when I arrived at the airstrip. The pilot greeted me with a nod, already knowing where we were headed. As we took off into the night sky, I wondered what the fuck I would find when I got there.
By the time we landed, I’d pictured all sorts of catastrophes, so the car ride to the beach house felt like an eternity. When I pulled up out front, though, it was in complete and total darkness. Not a single light on in the whole place. I let myself in, heading straight for my bedroom.
No light appeared from under Stef’s bedroom door as I quietly walked by. Did I feel fucking stupid? Yes, I did. How the fuck was I meant to explain myself to her in the morning?
Yes, Stefania, I just did a mad, midnight dash to see you because I’d convinced myself you were in such severe distress that you needed me to come rescue you. Immediately.Idiot.
The moment I opened my bedroom door, though, I froze, and all the air whooshed from my lungs. Because there, lit by the dim glow of the bedside lamp, was Stef. Sleeping in my bed, with Patti curled up on the pillow next to her. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, even as I ached at the sight of her, so small and vulnerable. I’d been so worried about her, and now here she was, safe and sound. What she was doing in my bed was anyone’s guess, but I certainly wasn’t going to disturb her.
I slipped into the walk-in robe to change into something I could sleep in, placing my briefcase neatly on a shelf. It looked like I’dbe working from the beach house tomorrow.Fuck.I’d left the charger for my tablet back at the condo. Hopefully, the spare was here somewhere. Remembering where it was, I let out a sigh. My nightstand drawer.
I almost held my breath as I crept to the side of the bed. But it was no use. The moment I pulled the drawer open, Stef’s eyes flew open, and she threw the duvet back, scrambling from the bed, pulling her earbuds out. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t know you were?—”
“No, of course not, I didn’t tell you I was?—”
“It was just that I couldn’t sleep, so I?—”
“It’s fine. You stay here. I’ll go sleep in —
“No, it’s okay. I can go back to my room.”
“If you’re comfortable here, I’m happy to sleep in the spare room.”
She tugged at the hem of her sleep shirt. “No, of course not. I’ll go. I mean, it’s your bed…”
“It’s fine, I’ll go.”
Was she blushing? Wait…was that my shirt she was wearing? Yes, that was my old college basketball shirt. What the fuck was going on here?
Her eyes were downcast, her voice low, when she said, “I just need...”
“What do you need, sweetheart?”
When she raised her gaze to mine, it was clear she was confused. And maybe a little overwhelmed. Yeah, same. Sucking in some air, she said simply, “You.”
I stared back at her, dumbfounded, the word echoing in my head. “Me?” I looked at my bed, at Stef standing there in my shirt, and back to my bed, struggling to compute what was happening here.