Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 41143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 206(@200wpm)___ 165(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 206(@200wpm)___ 165(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
The server's slow with my card, and it sets my teeth on edge knowing she's back there alone. I should have just left. I could have called the manager and settled up later. He would have understood.
When I finally get away and turn back to the table, some dude is leaning over, touching her hair, and I nearly lose my dinner. Leah's uncomfortable smile makes me ready to kill.
As I come up behind her, he's talking, voice low and slurred. I can smell the alcohol before I reach them. "…fucking hot. I mean, fuckable. It's a compliment, honey. We should Kik sometime, you know? Or Skype? I'd die to see your tits…"
My blood is boiling, and before I know it, I've got him spun around by the shoulder, panic flashing across his face as I lean in, forcing him back. The thought that I might kill him right here crosses my mind, and I pull my arm back, balling a fist that'll knock him into orbit.
"Allister!"
Leah's voice cuts across every instinct to kill the fucker, the urge to see his blood, and I hesitate, glancing her way. The look on her face pulls me up, the horror, the fear. I don't ever want to see her like that.
"Allister, no, please." She's holding her phone. Why didn't I notice that before? "It's May, there's something wrong…"
"Come on, Leah, this way." I have her by the elbow as I pull her down the hospital corridor. A nurse pointed us the right way, and I want to move faster. If I didn't think she'd freak out, I'd pick her up and carry her. "Come on, baby."
All thoughts of that drunk idiot are gone. He's a lucky bastard. Lucky Leah took pity on him, because I wouldn't have.
The hospital is a rabbit warren, but we're almost there. Deck hasn't called me, and in my head, no news is bad news.
When we turn the corner, he's sitting outside the room, head down, cradling a cheap cup of coffee, and my heart stops.
"Deck?"
He looks up, and all that's on his face is confusion. I'm sure he's aged ten years since the last time I saw him. He looks back and forth between me and Leah, and then she's struggling beside me, because I still have my arm around her.
When I let go, she hobbles forward into the private room.
"Deck, what the fuck's going on, man?"
Nothing comes from the room, and I can't tell if that's good or bad.
Decker stares at me through bleary eyes. "You and Leah?"
"What?" At first, I think he's gone mad, then it dawns on me. "Oh, no, you have the wrong idea. We just arrived at the same time, that's all. I found her in the lobby…"
"Uh huh. Sure."
He shakes his head.
The door swings back, and there's Leah, and I'm confused, because she has tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "May says you two should come inside."
I look back to Deck, and he shrugs.
"Turns out it's nothing, just a urinary infection. But damn, man, I was so fucking scared."
The relief floods me so hard my vision spins, and I run a hand over my head and breathe out. "Jesus Christ, I thought it was something serious, especially when you never called."
"I'm glad you came. We just found out everything's okay, but if it hadn't been, I'd have wanted you here, man."
We both stand and head into the room, Decker dropping his empty cup in the trash can by the door. He goes straight to May, and I can't blame him. I want to grab Leah and pull her in too, but since we're not telling anyone about us, that's a bad idea.
"Hey, did you two arrive together?" May's eyes narrow as she looks between me and Leah. I open my mouth to speak, but Leah's already there.
"Allister was heading to the house to speak to Decker, then when he heard me panicking, he offered to give me a ride."
When Decker looks over, a smile pulls at the corners of his lips. "Really, what did you want to speak to me about?"
I can't even meet his eyes. He had his suspicions before, but now he knows he's caught me in a lie. Sooner or later, we'll have to tell them, and I'd rather it was sooner, but Leah's keen to keep it to ourselves.
"Oh, it'll wait, man. You concentrate on all this."
12
Leah
It's been a few days since the hospital scare. May glows, Decker's arms around her from behind, his hand patting her belly. They're out of honeymoon hibernation, all of us back at the mansion, and the way she keeps looking between me and Allister, she's finally worked it out.
Her voice rises as she turns to Decker. "Did you know about this?"
"Hey, if someone else can find their happiness, more power to them."