Bait (Wake, #1)(40)

I took Aly's hand to get her out of the taxi, then I leaned into the window to pay the driver and Aly slipped on the curb falling into my side.

“Sorry, Casey.” She laughed with her hand over her mouth.

I righted her and pulled her to the sidewalk next to our bags. I was still holding her hand when I glanced over to see if my brain really had short-circuited or if it really was Blake, as people passed by on the walkway.

When my gaze fell back on them, they were closer. She stared at Aly and me. I saw realization coat her face and then what looked like disappointment.

I was there with Aly. I knew what she was thinking.

“Hi,” I said.

Aly pulled on my arm. “Come on, I need coffee,” She tugged at me not realizing what else was going on around her. She grabbed her bag with her free hand and pulled me again toward the door.

“Hey,” I said to Blake again, trying to get her to speak. She only looked at me, then to Aly and back. Stone faced.

“Aly, hold on!” I barked.

My shout caused Blake to jump. The man next to her wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders and she walked backward toward their car.

“Wait,” I said. “Just a second.”

The man said into her ear, “Who is that?” I heard him, they were only a few feet away. So close that I also heard when she said, “Nobody.”

The guy opened the passenger door and she got in. He rounded the car to the driver's side and I took off, my feet propelling me toward her before she was gone. I crouched, looking into the windows to see her, but I couldn't get sight of her through the tint. The guy pointed a sharp finger at me from over the roof of the car as he was paused getting in. He gave me a look that could kill.

As my hand went to slap the glass, to see if she’d roll it down, he said, “I wouldn't do that.” I took his warning. Something about him told me that he was ten seconds from kicking my ass. And that guy was big enough to do it. Then he said before getting in, “Stay away from my sister.”

His sister. The dude was one of her brothers.

I bent down so that she could see me. I only had seconds until they'd pull away.

“Please. Stop. Get out and talk to me. Please.”

That didn't work. The window didn't budge.

Fuck it. She wasn't with him, I'd text her.

Me: I'm still waiting.

Honeybee: Is she really your girlfriend?

Her reply came faster than I'd expected.

Me: No.

Honeybee: Then who is she?

Me: Someone who wants what she can't have.

Honeybee: Don't we all?

Honeybee: Leave me alone.

Like hell I would. I mean, what were the odds of running into her like that? If I believed in signs, I would have admitted to just witnessing one.





Thursday, July 3, 2008


IF THAT WASN'T A sign from the universe, then I was losing my mind.

After my freak out the night before, and saying yes to Grant, I needed to get away for a minute. The beauty of my new job was that, with my laptop and a kitchen, I could do it anywhere. So I decided to go to Chicago early, to spend a few days with Reggie, before my first trade show on Saturday.

My bosses had given me a few menus to review and I was already starting to work up some ideas for the clients. Not only did I feel like I could do the job well, after only a few days, I also loved it. The freedom. Bridgett and Lance were incredibly laid back. It was a great environment for creativity.

So, I flew to Chicago.

“Does Nobody have a name?” my brother asked as we drove through the busy rush-hour traffic. I knew he was going to ask.

“I don't know,” I said. All I could think was that she had told the truth. That was the girl he'd been with at the party. They were in Chicago together.

“You don't know or you don't want to talk about it?” Reggie and I were close in age. He was only about eighteen months older than me in reality. In life, though, he was years older. He graduated early from high school, went straight into college, finished in three years, and then got his MBA. He was the brains of our little family and he'd done really well for himself.

He'd looked so different when I first saw him through the airport doors. He was bigger than the last time I'd seen him, he looked like a full-on man. He certainly wasn't my nerdy older brother who I'd seen months ago over the holidays.

“I don't want to talk about it. You look good. You're bigger. Like buff,” I said, changing the subject and trying to get out of my head for the first time in the past twenty-four hours.

“My building has a gym. So you're going to marry the robot, huh?” he teased, looking behind himself as he changed lanes with ease.

“He's not a robot.”

“He acts like a robot. Tell me who that other guy was.” So much for changing the subject.

So I stuck to my story and answered, “He's a friend.”

“Okay then we'll do this my way. Since you don't want to talk now, we're going back to my place. You're going to cook for me. And then you're going to tell me what the f*ck is going on. You look like shit. You got engaged and then came to visit—for the first time in over a year—the day after, the some Nobody sees you at the airport and you don't want to talk about it. There's no way I'm letting this go. So figure out how you want the story to sound, because you're telling me everything.”