Page 173 of Scandalous Contract

He texted me back, wanting to know if I was okay. I texted him that I was. Then he called, but I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I knew he’d hear the tears in my voice. And hearing his voice would probably make me break down.

Later that day, I was folding a pile of laundry in Ronnie’s living room, the scent of fresh linen filling the air, when a knock echoed through the house. I didn’t think Ronnie was expecting anyone.

I set the clothes down, strode over to the door, and peeked through the peephole. My breath caught.Julian. Julian was standing on Ronnie’s front porch.Shit!Panic surged through me, and for a second, I stood there frozen.

“Who’s at the door?” Ronnie called out.

Shit. Shit. Shit.I hoped Julian hadn’t heard him. I wasn’t ready to face him, not yet. So, I darted into the kitchen where Ronnie was sipping his coffee.

“Ronnie,” I whispered urgently. “Julian’s at the door.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you want me to do about it?”

“Tell him I’m not here. Please.”

“But you are here, and you two need to talk. It was wrong of you to avoid his calls anyway. I told you he’d show up if you didn’t answer.”

“This is not a time to be saying I told you so,” I hissed. “Go tell him I’m not here.”

“Then where are you?” he asked.

“Running errands,” I said.

Ronnie sighed, setting his mug down. “You owe me for this.”

I nodded, following him into the living room, then hiding behind the door when he opened it, so I could listen in.

“Can I help you?” Ronnie asked, his tone neutral.

“I’m looking for Stefanie,” Julian replied.

“She’s out running errands,” Ronnie informed him.

“Do you know where she went?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll have her call you when she gets back.”

“I’ll wait on the porch for her,” Julian said.

Ronnie hesitated. “It could be a while.”

Silence hung in the air. I held my breath.

“I won’t leave without seeing her,” Julian finally said.

“I understand, but...”

“You don’t understand because you’re still talking. I’m not leaving without her.”

“Listen, I don’t want any problems,” Ronnie replied. “And I’d prefer not to disturb the neighbors.”

“If I don’t see Stefanie today, you won’t have any neighbors. I’ll burn every house on this street down if you don’t tell her to come out.”

“She’s not here and...”

“Stefanie!” Julian called out. “I’ll burn this block down if you don’t stop hiding from me.”

I sighed, knowing he meant it. I tapped Ronnie on the shoulder. He turned to me.