Following Me(67)

Devon’s palms were sweating by the time she finished reading the last text message. Not good. This was so not good. How the f**k had she not thought of this? Of course, he would happen across her parents’ award ceremony, the one she had skipped with good reason.

Her hands were trembling, and she was barely keeping it together. What would he do now that he knew she hadn’t been in France? Okay, she was getting ahead of herself. He didn’t know that. He just knew that her parents were in New York. They could have come back from Paris for it unexpectedly. She could have stayed in Paris…right?

She shook her head. He was too smart. She couldn’t fool him into believing her. Not that she could text him back if he was flipping out anyway, not that she had responded to anything he had sent her in weeks.

How did he do this to her? How did he make her feel so guilty for what she had done when he was the one who had hit her? She needed to keep repeating that to herself or else she would end up texting him back. She already felt bad for lying to him. They had been together for so long. Not letting him know that she was alright felt weird. But if he found out, he would make sure that she wasn’t.

A knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts, and then the phone started ringing again. Reid. Fuck.

“Hey, Devon? Can I come in?”

Devon silenced the phone and tried to stay calm. “What’s up?” she called out to Garrett.

All she wanted to do was lie down and pretend she was back on the boat with Brennan.

The door cracked open, and Garrett cautiously walked into the room. “Do you think we could talk?” he asked.

“I’d really rather not,” she said, not wanting to deal with this and Reid.

“Don’t you think we should discuss what happened?”

“I prefer to just forget about it,” she said. She really wanted to forget everything at the moment.

“Right,” he said, shaking his head. “You would rather run off with Brennan and avoid everything that’s happening in your life. Does he even know about the things that went on with you and your boyfriend?”

Devon glared. “It’s none of your business what I’m doing and who I’m with.”

“I’m just trying to look out for you,” he said, taking a step toward her.

“I really don’t want to talk about all of this right now, Garrett,” Devon said, crossing her arms.

“I’m trying to apologize,” he insisted.

“I know. I get it. I just can’t even think about it. Reid has been calling and texting me nonstop all morning. He won’t leave me alone. I don’t know what he’s thinking or what he’s doing, but I’m just sick and tired of it. So, please just drop it for now!” She turned away from him.

“He’s been contacting you?” Garrett asked.

“Yes! All morning. I have to go to work, and I’m going to be late. So, please just drop it Garrett.”

“Dev,” he said consolingly.

“Please, Garrett,” she pleaded, hoping he would actually listen.

“Fine. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I don’t want you. I want Hadley. And I should have never let any of this happen.” He threw his hands out wide and walked back toward the door.

“No, you probably shouldn’t have,” she said. Her emotions were too high right now for her to have this conversation. She just wanted him to leave, so she could wallow in peace.

“But it was just a drunken mistake.”

“Garrett, please just leave. I can’t handle anything more right now,” she pleaded.

Garrett shook his head and walked through the doorway. Turning around to face her, he said, “I’m trying to do the right thing here, Devon.” Then, he walked out of her bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Devon gritted her teeth upon his exit. It wasn’t that she intentionally wanted to be angry with Garrett, but she was just too mentally exhausted. Between her growing feelings for Brennan, Reid’s persistence, and Garrett’s continual reminder of that night, she was too drained to deal with anything.

Devon quickly changed into her uniform and pulled out her phone to let Brennan know she would be a few minutes late. She clicked out of the new missed call from Reid and sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t likely stop anytime soon.

Another message flashed on the screen as she was deleting Reid’s call.

I’m going to be a few minutes late to work. Can’t wait to see you.

Brennan. Devon smiled.

She exited the screen and sighed. She missed him.

Staring down at her phone, she was full of frustration, doubt, and regret, and then she remembered that Reid didn’t know she was in Chicago. As long as he didn’t know, then she was safe from him. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him. She would deal with him in August when she was on more solid ground.

Chapter Twenty-Three - Natural and Easy

DEVON SHUFFLED INTO Jenn’s Restaurant a full fifteen minutes late. After her conversation with Garrett and those texts from Reid, she hadn’t been able to get herself together. The only way she had guaranteed she wouldn’t respond to Reid’s messages was to leave her phone at home. She had backtracked her steps and picked up her phone at least three times before tossing it back on her bed and leaving it there. The last thing she wanted to do was thumb through her messages at work while Brennan was around. They had too much to talk about tonight after work, and she didn’t want him to find out about Reid early.