Say the Word(126)

I paused, waiting for Bash to interject, but he was surprisingly silent for once. I kept talking to fill the quiet, my nervous prattle doing nothing to soothe my nerves.

“Then Mrs. Patel and I did shots of scotch, which really wasn’t appropriate at seven in the morning but, I mean, how often are you attacked by thugs in a convenience store? If any occasion called for alcohol, I think it was that one.”

I paused. He was still silent.

“So then I talked to the police and gave them a statement, but I obviously didn’t mention anything about the fact that I knew Smash-Nose and the Neanderthal because, well, that would’ve just made things worse…”

I trailed off, listening. I heard nothing over the line. No words, no background noise, not even his breathing. I pulled the receiver away from my ear and checked the screen to see if the call was still connected — it was.

“Bash?” I asked. “You still there?”

When he finally spoke, his voice was choked with tension. “I promised you I wouldn’t freak out. If I talk right now, I’m going to freak out.”

“Oh.”

“Where are you?” he forced the words out through clenched teeth.

“My apartment,” I whispered.

“Alone?”

“Fae’s here. I’m going to crash at her place for a few days, I just need to grab some clothes. Really, Bash, I’m fine.”

“I’ll be there in twenty.”

He clicked off.

Shit.

I turned to Fae, who was sitting on the other side of my sofa listening to our conversation. She shook her head in resignation. “Don’t look to me for sympathy,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I told you that you should’ve called him right away.”

“He was working!” I protested.

“He loves you. He wants to be with you. That means, when shit like this happens, you tell him about it.” She sighed. “I know you’ve been taking care of yourself and everyone around you for your whole life. You supported your family. You held your parents together. You were there, everyday, when Jamie was sick and he needed you. I get that, love.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly, staring into my eyes with an intensity I’d rarely seen in the past. “But Lux, you have to realize that people love you. We want to take care of you, occasionally. And you have to let us.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t see it that way.”

“Don’t be sorry. Just stop being so damn self-sufficient. It’s okay to lean on other people, sometimes.”

“I lean on you and Simon all the time,” I pointed out.

“Only when we force it on you,” she contested.

I sighed. “I’ll try to be better about it.”

“Good,” she said, grinning. “Now let’s pack before Sebastian gets here. I have a feeling things are going to be a little tense when he arrives.”

I felt my stomach flutter with nerves as I walked to my closet to retrieve my suitcase.





***


Twenty minutes later, I was nearly packed. I’d squeezed as many clothes as I could manage into my luggage, and I’d filled a large tote bag with other essentials — hair products, makeup, my computer, a journal, a book to read, and the tiny iPod shuffle I used while running. The bags sat by the entryway, ready to be loaded into Simon’s car. The garment bag containing my Centennial dress hung on the back of my door, where I’d be sure not to forget it.

When the intercom went off, I let Fae answer and buzz Sebastian in. Within seconds he was at the door, stepping through and crossing the room to me with a stern expression that made my stomach flip. As he came close, I backed away from him, wary that his anger might make an appearance at any moment.

I felt like a fool as soon as he reached me. He didn’t scream or tell me I was an idiot for not calling sooner. He didn’t freak out. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me in a gentle embrace, propped his chin against the crown of my head, and exhaled a breath he’d seemingly been holding for quite some time.

“You’re okay,” he whispered into my hair, his arms tightening around me. “You’re not hurt.”

I brought my arms up around him and pressed myself as close as possible. “I’m fine. Better now that you’re here.”

Bash kissed the top of my head and pulled out of our embrace, but wrapped one arm around my waist so our connection wasn’t entirely severed. He turned to look at Fae. “Thank you for taking care of her. She’s too stubborn for her own good.”

“Believe me, I know.” Fae grinned.

“I’m all packed,” I told Bash, nodding at the stack of luggage. “I’m crashing at Fae’s until this is over.”

“You’re crashing with me,” Bash countered.

I turned startled eyes up to stare at his face. “What? Why?”

“First of all, because I want you there. Secondly, because you’ll be safer with me.” He glanced at Fae. “No offense to you, I’m sure you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. But my building has 24-hour security on site, plus an alarm system. Anyone who tries to reach Lux won’t even make it past the parking garage. And if they do, well, let’s just say I did more than take photos during those years in Iraq. Our men in arms taught me enough to handle myself, with or without my gun.”