Page 27 of Saving His Heart

“Pack, right. Okay. Do you need anything before I go down there?”

“I’m good. Apparently, everything I own is already on rolling racks,” she spits out sarcastically, but also with a smile. She raises her hand for a high five, and I laugh.

“Baby steps?”

“Baby steps,” she agrees.

Shaking my head, I leave her in the hallway. Lexi makes me want to swear at the top of my lungs, but I don’t. How the hell is this lie getting fast-tracked and out of control so fucking quickly?

* * *

I’m standing outsideof Emory’s apartment for way too long.Grow a set and just knock on the damn door.As I’m raising my hand, it swings open with Emory on the other side.

“Jesus. I thought that was just a Loki thing,” I tell a startled Emory. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just about to knock. We always assumed Loki had cameras set up everywhere because he would open the door every freaking time someone was out here.” Sticking my head inside of her door above her head, I ask, “He doesn’t have cameras, right?”

“I-I’m not sure. I don’t think so,” she stutters. Looking down, I notice she has a trash bag in her hands.

“I’ll take this to the shoot, then we need to talk,” I tell her as I grab the bag and head to the end of the hallway. When I return, she is in the same position, hand still half raised. “Emory? You okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a lot of firsts, I guess,” she says absentmindedly, while sweeping the door open to let me in.

I stare at her quizzically as I pass, hoping she will elaborate. When she doesn’t, I enter the apartment, happy when I feel her close behind.

Glancing around the room, I’m beginning to understand just how much fun the girls had last night, and it makes me laugh. “You guys definitely threw yourselves a party.”

This seems to break the ice and pull Emory from her stupor. Taking in the room, she also laughs, then plops down on the couch. I sit beside her.

“Lexi told me everyone is coming to help us switch apartments?”

Running my hands through my hair, I lean forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. “Yeah, uh … Ems, I’m sorry. I really didn’t think this through. I should have known we would get steamrolled like this. They mean well, but Christ, they’re on a mission. I will call them and tell them we have to go to Boston tomorrow for a meeting, so it’s better to wait until the weekend. That will give us a little more time—”

I’m cut off by my cell phone and hate that it’s an annoying ring I can’t ignore.

“Sorry, just give me a minute.”

Pressing the green accept button, I answer, “Hi Seth.”

“I just spoke to Lexi, and while I think the switch will be fine, we can’t make any moves until we hear from Loki. I’ve put a call in, but I have no idea the time frame for a response. For now, just keep the living arrangements as they are.”

“Fuck, come on, Seth? What’s the difference?”

“Probably nothing,” he admits, “but I don’t have the authority to make those decisions. You all just have to hold tight.”

“Two weeks, that’s all you have,” I command before ending the call.

“Everything okay?” Emory asks.

“Looks like you were just saved by the bell. Seth says we can’t switch you and Lexi until he hears from Loki.” I hate the look of relief that washes over her delicate features.

“Okay, well, I guess we should get ready for the infusion center then, right?”

With everything going on, I had forgotten today was an infusion day. We usually go together, but while I get my treatment, Emory volunteers. I’ve often found her sitting with patients that had to go alone. I would never tell her, but I had to pull many strings so they would allow her to volunteer while on probation. I’d do it again, though, in a heartbeat. Every single person in that medical office loves her, and you can tell how much it means to her.

“Sure, let me run up and tell Lexi to slow her roll on the packing, and then we can go. You sure you’re up for it today?”

“Are you saying I look bad, Preston?”

“I would never, but you do look a little green around the gills,” I joke.