Page 71 of Just One Look

All the Questions

She woke up in bed.

Not just in bed. She woke up in herunderwear.She wasn’t even wearing her bra, and she didn’t remember taking it off.

Beside her, Webster was already standing up, his nose about six inches from hers, his tail wagging. How did he always know when she was awake?

She sat up, rubbed his head absently, and listened. Nothing but quiet. What had shedone?And where was Luka?

He wasn’t in the bathroom or the kitchen, she found when she checked, but the doors to the patio were closed now.

He’d carried her inside. She remembered that, because she’d stirred when he picked her up, had said something, and he’d said something back. She hadn’t really heard it, had just felt the rumble of his voice, felt him putting her on the bed, and thought,We’re going to have sex now. Good. I want to have sex.

Unfortunately, that was all she remembered.

She didn’t exactlyfeellike she’d had sex, but …

She picked up her phone. Nine o’clock. A moment’s hesitation, and she was texting him.Did we have sex last night?

No answer.

Oh, boy.

No answer, still, by the time she’d gotten dressed and gone to breakfast, which she did at Dizengoff. Which happened to be about two blocks from his house. It wouldn’t be one bit hard to find that brick wall again. She could go knock onhisdoor, if she wanted to.

Her mind was a mess. This was either really bad, or kind of … good, if she’d fallen asleep and he’d left.The missing clothes weren’t a good sign, though. She brushed Webster, but he didn’t give her any answers. She did her laundry and some grocery shopping, which meant that for once, she was actually caught up with the logistics of her life, but that didn’t help, either. The dog walker came and got Webster, and Elizabeth considered doing that clothes-shopping, since she still hadn’t managed it, but let’s face it, the whole appeal of that had been to find something pretty to wear on a date. On a new-life, actually-sexy, perfumed-and-ready date. With Luka Darkovic.

Who might have had sex with her while she was asleep. Which would be so not OK. So very, very much not OK. He still hadn’t answered her, either. That probably meant that he was ghosting her. He’d done that, and then he’d walked away?

The thought of that was a heavy ball of lead, sitting low in her belly.

Wait. Would he even have worn a condom? A lurch of pure fear at that one. But—wait. You couldn’t have sex without a condom and not leave evidence, and there was no evidence.

Why had she been so willing to believe that Piper had been the one in the wrong, though? SheknewPiper! Piper didn’t do horrible things! Elizabeth was just like every other woman in the world: excusing a man, telling herself that he was different now, or that he was different with her, because he cared about her. Because she was special.

She should go knock on his door, or she should go to the gym and go swimming. If she wasn’t going to be direct, if she wasn’t going to be proactive, she could at least be productive. Besides, exercise was good for stress.

This was why she didn’t like time off. Surgery was clean. Surgery was clear. You went in to fix a problem, and you either fixed it or you didn’t. Afterwards, you went on to the next problem. Time off was full of messiness, of not knowing what you were supposed to do next. Once you got your chores done, what did peopledo?And how did they know if they were doing it right?

She texted Nyree.Still want company?

You cannot imagine how much,Nyree texted back, and gave her the address.

She grabbed her purse and keys and left the house.

* * *

She didn’t thinkabout the awkwardness of this visit until Marko opened the door. Once she did, though, she almost smacked her forehead. He was Luka’sfriend.

“Oh. Hi,” she said, still on the front steps of an extremely modern house that had cornered the market on white and glass. A little gray cat sat by Marko’s feet, its tail curled around itself, and stared at her. It was a very self-possessed cat, the polar opposite of Webster, who thought every visitor was a gift sent just for him.

A gift. Oh,darnit. She said, “Uh … I came to visit Nyree, but I just realized that I didn’t bring a baby present. Obviously, a person is supposed to bring a present to the first visit, but I forgot. Sorry. Surgeon. Forgetful. Poorly raised.”

She was babbling because—wait. How could she be friends with Nyree if this had happened?

Marko said, “You don’t have to bring a present. You already gave us a present. Come in.” All of that, he said abruptly. Ferociously. He really was the most frightening man.

The minute she stepped inside, she forgot about that, because there was a painting in here, of blue flowers on a background of rich gold cloth. The paint was so thick and the colors so vibrant, the whole thing was nearly pulsing out of the frame, and you’d swear that cloth was real. It wasn’t perfectly realistic. It wasmorethan realistic. She said, “Wow. Is this …”