Page 42 of The Locked Door

He shakes his head.

“What about your ex-wife?”

He gives me a lopsided smile. “Well, if I felt that way, we would probably still be married, wouldn’t we?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Anyway,” he says. “I still don’t know why you broke up with me. I thought things were going so great, and thenbam, you call me and tell me it’s over.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Any chance you could tell me why?” His eyebrows scrunch together. “Just so I know for future reference?”

“It had nothing to do with you. I just felt like thingswere getting too serious, and I didn’t want that. Istilldon’t want that.”

“Right, but…” He looks like he’s going to say something else, but then he thinks better of it. “Fine. I guess that’s fair.”

I drain the last of my Old Fashioned. Before I can second-guess myself, I blurt out, “Do you want to go back to your place again?”

“Yes,” he says so quickly that I almost laugh. “Two cars again?”

“Yes.”

“I can drive you back here after if—”

“Two cars.”

“Fine.” He nods. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 21

This time is even better than last time. If we keep going on this trajectory, in another month, I’m probably going to black out. But it will be worth it.

As I cuddle up next to Brady on his queen-size bed, he reaches for his cell phone. He punches a number into it.

“Who are you calling?” I ask him.

“I’m ordering a pizza,” he says. “Don’t say no. If you don’t want to eat it, I’ll eat the whole damn thing myself. I’m starving. You made me work up an appetite.”

“I’ll have some pizza,” I say. Because the thought of it does seem incredibly tempting. He also made me work up an appetite.

“Hello?” Brady says into the phone as I listen in. “Yeah, I’d like a large cheese pizza. With… pepperoni… mushrooms… onions…” I elbow him in the ribs. “No, scratch that, no onions. But also a side salad?” He raises his eyebrows at me and I nod. “Yes, a side salad. And… French fries?” I shake my head. “No, no French fries. Just the pizza and the salad.”

He hangs up the phone and turns to me. “We have thirty minutes. Want to go again?”

I poke him in the shoulder. “You’re really up for that?”

He grins. “I am if you are.”

I think about it for a moment, but then I shake my head. I don’t think I have the physical strength to go again. I’m impressed with his stamina. “How about some TV?”

“Your wish is my command.” He grabs the remote from the nightstand and pauses before turning on the small television balanced on top of his dresser. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

I get a flash of déjà vu. Brady saying those exact words to me.Do you want to watch a movie?And then whatever we would choose would be something incredibly violent and bloody.

“Do you still like slasher films?” I ask.

For a second, he looks at me like he has no idea what I’m talking about. But then he laughs. “Christ, no. I haven’t watched any of those in years. Kind of outgrew it.”