Page 22

Max

Iwas elbow deep in paperwork, cursing the gods for making my morning a never-ending torment, when I heard Lara’s overly cheerful voice echoing from the lobby,

“Is my favourite killer-of-joy assistant in here?”

She called loudly, ignoring every professional boundary in existence.

I stifled my grin, swivelling in my chair as Lara strode into view in the doorway of my little office, her blonde hair swinging in effortless curls over her shoulders.

“Please, Lara, come in.

It’s not like I have work or anything.”

“Oh, relax.

Im saving you from this depressing beige hell.”

She gestured dramatically around the office, her disgust evident.

“Who decorated this place? Satan’s accountant?”

I snorted, tossing my pen aside.

“What do you want?”

She plopped down in the chair across my desk, leaning forward with a conspiratorial grin.

“You.

Me.

My parents’ lake house.

This weekend.”

I hesitated, “Lara—”

“Don’t you dare say no,”

she interrupted, holding her hand up.

“I need this.

Seriously.

Im drowning in stress and horny enough to hump a fucking lamppost.

I heard the local bar has some grade A dick and I need me some of that.”

She wiggled her eyebrows at me, making a gesture with her hand that looked like she was wanking a cock.

I frowned, stifling my laugh “That’s an image I definitely did not need.”

“Too bad, because its true.

Come on, Max.

Lake views, no responsibilities, no creepy-ass dudes unless they’re the ones we choose to invite into our beds.

It’s perfect.”

I bit my lip, genuinely temped.

The idea of escaping for a few days sounded amazing, especially with the clusterfuck that was Connor consuming every second of my thoughts.

Getting out of town for a few days might just clear my head and give me some perspective on whatever insanity I’d gotten myself into.

“Fine,”

I finally relented, sighing dramatically.

“But no hooking up with anyone who resembles a lamppost, okay”

She clapped her hands, bouncing excitedly.

“Yes! Finally, something fun to look forward to.

Can you get Friday afternoon off? Ill pick you up at two?”

“I’ll ask my boss, I’m sure he won't mind.”

She grinned, “The boss that eye fucks you at every given moment? He’s practically your lap dog, you say jump he says how high.

I doubt he’ll say no.”

She laughed, putting her hands in front of her like little paws whilst pretending to pant.

I cringed at the thought of my boss simpering over me, “Ugh, please.

That is not something I want to imagine at all”

I sat back in my chair, my fingers absentmindedly running over the bruises that marred my throat, my thoughts once again drifting to Connor’s hands.

Lara smirked, eying my hands, then my throat as she leaned forward, slamming her eyes on the desk.

“Who the hell are you fucking, Miss Pochon?”

I rolled my eyes, “Nobody.”

“Oh, please,”

she scoffed.

“The ignoring my phone calls, those little bruises on your neck?”

She pointed her finger towards me.

“Yeah, I see those.

If you’re trying to hide it, you suck.”

“You have no idea.”

I mumbled, glancing down at my desk.

“Oh shit.

You’re not just fucking some rando are you? Was it Dave?”

She squealed.

I felt heat crawl up my neck, betraying me instantly.

“Can you not broadcast it to the entire fucking office? And no, it wasn’t Dave.”

Lara laughed, covering her mouth dramatically.

“Oh my god Max, you scandalous little minx.

And you didn’t tell me?”

“It just happened, okay? And I’m still… processing.”

She sobered slightly, eyes squinting at me in suspicion, “Good or bad?”

“Both,”

I admitted honestly.

“He’s… complicated.”

“Good complicated or stalker-level complicated?”

She asked warily.

I stiffened, forcing a laugh.

“Uhhh, probably both.”

She eyed me closely.

“Well, if you’re already complicating your sex life, you definitely need this break.”

“You’re not wrong,”

I said, huffing out a breath.

She stood, her mood shifting abruptly as she frowned.

“Oh, and speaking of complicated, did you hear there might be a serial killer around here?”

She whispered, “A friend of a friend told my cousin that the cops are looking into someone targeting men or something.

It’s all super hush-hush.”

I froze, heart thudding violently against my ribs.

“Seriously?”

She nodded, pulling a scrunched-up face.

“Apparently some messed-up vigilante shit.

But whatever, probably just some small-town gossip, right?”

“Yeah,”

I whispered faintly, forcing myself to smile.

“Probably.”

But my pulse was already pounding, my palms slick with sweat.

Paranoia was setting in.

If Lara knew, if rumours were already spreading this far…Fuck.

“Anyway!”

She chirped, oblivious to my turmoil.

“Forget the psycho-killer talk see you Friday! Pack slutty outfits, slutty bikinis, alcohol, and absolutely zero self-control bitch.”

I forced a laugh as she walked away, her little pink dress swaying as she bounced away, giving a wink to one of the older guys as she passed.

Fucking flirt.

My mind began racing in a thousand different directions.

Maybe this lake house trip was exactly what I needed – to get away, clear my head, and stop thinking about Connor.

Stop obsessing over the way he’d consumed my entire fucking world.

And to stop looking over my shoulder, listening out for little whispers around me about a serial killer.

I needed to forget everything in my life that was consuming me.

At least for a little while.