Following Me(66)

“Who said you could pinch me?” he asked, crawling across the bed. He wrapped his arms around her middle and yanked her back into bed. “On that note, who said you could get out of bed?”

“I’ll do what I want,” she said stubbornly.

“Not until I let you,” Brennan said, holding her tightly and wrestling her back into the bed.

It didn’t take much effort because she wasn’t really fighting him. Although if she had put up a fight, she was sure it still wouldn’t have taken much effort on his part. He was surprisingly muscular.

So, she stopped resisting entirely and enjoyed the fleeting minutes they had left, locked away on his boat. She wished they didn’t have to leave, and when they did leave, she wished that they could come back soon. This felt right for them, and she wanted to remember that and cherish it for what it was.

BRENNAN DROPPED HER off back at her apartment and escorted her all the way up to the forty-third floor. He stopped her before she could head inside. He picked her up by her waist, letting her feet dangle above the ground. She giggled and leaned forward against him.

“I’m going to miss you.” He let her body slide against his as he released her, placing her gently back on the floor.

“I’ll see you soon,” Devon said, shaking her head at him. She was dizzy from his touch and his enthusiasm. She couldn’t get enough of him.

“Too long,” he murmured. He walked her backward into the wall and captured her lips.

“Much too long,” she said between breaths. “Maybe you could stay—”

“I’d never make it to work on time.”

“Not such a bad thing.” She fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.

“That’s not helping.”

Devon smirked deviously, toying with his shirt more. “Just stay.”

Gripping her wrists in his hands, he pulled them away from the buttons and lifted her hands up next to her head. “Maybe tonight. I’ll stay here, or you can stay with me. How does that sound?”

“Like forever away.” She pouted despite her heart feeling like it was beating out of her chest.

“So, is that a no?”

“That’s a yes, of course.”

“Good.” He released her, kissed her one last time on her lips, and took a step back. “I’ll see you at work then, Belle.”

Devon watched him walk away. Sighing heavily, she wished that he could have stayed, but she knew it was impractical. They actually did have to work. They had gotten yesterday off, and Brennan had missed too much recently because of his dad. She couldn’t let him miss work again because of her.

She pushed open the door to the apartment and was surprised when she noticed that Hadley wasn’t camped out on the couch already. “Hadley?” she called, tossing her purse on the floor next to the side table.

“Hey,” Garrett said, walking out of the bedroom.

“Oh. Is Hadley here?” she asked. Since the incident, she didn’t like being alone with him. It didn’t sit well with her.

“No. She went to get lunch with her mother, who is in the city for the afternoon,” Garrett told her.

“Her mom is here?” Devon asked.

Hadley’s mom was the nicest woman Devon had ever met. She was a mirror image of her daughter—all smart, pretty, and bubbly. But she didn’t like big cities; they made her feel claustrophobic. So, there must have been a good reason for her visit.

“Yeah. Drove up this morning.”

“Why?” Devon asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Hadley didn’t say.”

“That’s…weird,” she said. “Does her mother know about the overdose?”

“I don’t know. Only if Hadley told her,” Garrett said.

“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see her later then. I have to get ready for work,” Devon said, turning toward her bedroom.

She shut the door and pulled out her phone from her back pocket. She glanced down at the screen, and her stomach dropped to the floor. Her phone nearly slipped out of her fingers, but she gripped it tighter even though her hands were shaking. There were five texts and a few missed calls from Reid, all from the last hour.

She swallowed hard, wondering what this could be about. Her brain told her not to read them. What good could come from reading them? But she couldn’t stop herself. It couldn’t be a coincidence that all the messages were so close together.

I saw your parents on TV this morning for some award ceremony in New York. Are you in the States?

FUCK! She couldn’t believe he had seen the ceremony.

Devon? I’ve missed you since you’ve been gone. If you are in the States, hurry home. I have a bed waiting for you.

Devon shook her head. This could not be happening.

Why aren’t you answering me? Are you avoiding me? Answer your phone. Let me know if you’re here. I’ll fly out to get you.

To. Get. Her. She knew what that meant.

Answer your goddamn phone. Since when do you not answer my texts right away? Are you in New York with someone else? Is that what this is about? You better text me back right away. Better yet, call me. I need to talk to you.

No. No. No. No. No.

I don’t know what the f**k you are doing, but if you don’t call me, this isn’t going to be good. I’m giving you fair warning. Don’t be a bitch. Call. Me. Back.