“Well, you’re not giving him the guy’s version of flowers, if that’s what you’re thinking.” He smirked.
I sighed. “Always thinking with your cock.”
“Always thinking about your cunt,” he corrected me.
“Who’s cunt?” Andrew’s voice said before we saw him appear in our office.
“The one you need. Go find your own,” Nathan said and chucked the pen at him, the one he licked.
“Gross!” I said under my breath.
“It’s just a word for pu**y,” Nathan said, teasing me.
“The things you guys talk about during work hours.” Andrew rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Yeah, and you wish you had it.” Nathan chuckled and leaned back in his chair, looking pleased with himself.
“Is there a reason you’re here?” I asked Andrew. “I mean, I know you two are buddies again, but you know Nathan doesn’t really like you hanging around me a lot.”
Andrew winked, then closed the door. “I know. I just stopped by to tell bozo here you guys need to be more careful. Jennifer’s spreading rumors about you two.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned.
“And it’s not pretty,” Andrew added.
“That’s because it’s coming out of her. Pretty and Jennifer don’t mix,” Nathan said. He gripped the back of his neck.
“What’s she saying now?” I leaned forward in my seat.
“Actually, I phrased it wrong. She’s saying that you, Lila, have been coming on to Owen; that she’s pretty sure she saw you both kissing in your office. I think she’s trying to get you and Owen fired so she can have Nathan all to herself.” Andrew pointed at Nathan. “I’m thinking it’s because she’s caught on that you two are interested in each other, so she’s doing what she can to get rid of the competition.”
“Shit. She knows I’m interested? But Owen’s not even my usual type – I figured no one would pick up on the sexual tension,” Nathan deadpanned. “He’s not as tall and handsome as you are, Drew.” He batted his lashes like a dork.
They both laughed, but the knot in my stomach prevented me from doing more than smile a little. Shit. We were failing in the acting department. It was getting harder every day to keep from showing on my face exactly how much I adored Nathan and how much he meant to me.
A few long days later, I returned home after work and moved to the kitchen to see what I had available to make for dinner, knowing Nathan would be here soon. There was also a chance he would have Andrew in tow, so I needed to find something that was enough to feed four to five people. I pulled out some ingredients to make a salad and chicken to cook up. There was always something to make with chicken.
I was contemplating a side dish or two when I was interrupted by a knocking at the door. My brow scrunched in curiosity as to why Nathan was knocking.
“Why aren’t you using your key?” I asked as I walked to the door, shaking my head and smiling. His hands were probably just full of something.
My hand twisted the knob and swung the door open. I was about to tease him for not being able to open it on his own, or something to that effect, but was stopped by the person on the other side.
My smile faded, my eyes widened, and terror filled my being.
“Long time no see, sis,” Adam said from the other side of the threshold.
CHAPTER 18
Adam found me.
Adam was in my doorway, standing much closer than the restraining order I once had on him ever allowed.
In that second of recognition I hated the judge, who decided four years without contact from him was enough for it to be lifted. I always knew it was nothing more than a threat, but I also knew that, with its protection, I could have him arrested if he ever came near me.
But that no longer mattered. What did matter was that he was standing at my door, and I was alone. His figure seemed to take up the bulk of the door frame, standing over six feet. He’d grown since I last saw him. Everything else was the same: brown hair, brown eyes, and a hatred for me.
After he spoke, it only took a fraction of a second for my arm to swing the door back in his face. Inches before the door seated, Adam’s arm and foot stopped any progression. He pushed back, hard, and I stumbled from the force.
I’d taken self-defense classes long ago, but they could never have prepared me for the emotional response I would have to seeing him again. A feeling of absolute dread, which I hadn’t felt in over ten years, took hold, clouding my mind, and I couldn’t remember anything.
He stepped inside and slammed the door behind him, his arm reaching out and locking the deadbolt. I searched around, frantic for something, anything I could use as a weapon or throw at him. Running was no good; he was standing between me and the only way out.
My panic rose, calling out Nathan’s name in my mind over and over again, as if he might hear my distress. I didn’t even have my phone on me, so there was no way to call for help. All of it was futile anyway because Adam was on a mission, and I knew he was unstoppable when he was determined to do something. He stepped toward me, and I fruitlessly stepped back.
“What are you doing here, Adam?” I was trying to stall what I could feel coming before I reminded him. “You’re not allowed to be anywhere near me.”
His eyes became slits, his muscles clenching, the hatred rolling off of him. I was crumpling inside against it, just as I did when I was younger.
“Oh, no, little sis. It’s been almost ten years since that stain was removed. However, this one,” he sneered, pointing to me, “still remains.”
I swallowed hard. “You need to leave.”
He laughed at me. “Leave? Oh, I think not. Do you have any idea the damage you caused, you little f**king bitch?”
My body shook as I inched back, but his eyes were trained on my every move.
“I was the victim.”
“You f**king asked for it,” he spat. “You know, in a small town, gossip spreads. Like wildfire. When I returned to school the Monday after the court ruling, everyone knew. You f**king aired our dirty laundry, made yourself out to be some f**king helpless little girl and me out to be a monster!”
He lashed out, his hand grabbing at the decorative vase on the entry table and hurtling it across the room. It shattered against the wall, and I jumped, my chest tightening. I was scared and saw no hope of the situation ending well. I owned a gun, but it did me no good thirty feet away in the bedroom with a lock on it and unloaded. There was no way I would have the time to get to it and get it prepped.
I sighed. “Always thinking with your cock.”
“Always thinking about your cunt,” he corrected me.
“Who’s cunt?” Andrew’s voice said before we saw him appear in our office.
“The one you need. Go find your own,” Nathan said and chucked the pen at him, the one he licked.
“Gross!” I said under my breath.
“It’s just a word for pu**y,” Nathan said, teasing me.
“The things you guys talk about during work hours.” Andrew rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Yeah, and you wish you had it.” Nathan chuckled and leaned back in his chair, looking pleased with himself.
“Is there a reason you’re here?” I asked Andrew. “I mean, I know you two are buddies again, but you know Nathan doesn’t really like you hanging around me a lot.”
Andrew winked, then closed the door. “I know. I just stopped by to tell bozo here you guys need to be more careful. Jennifer’s spreading rumors about you two.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned.
“And it’s not pretty,” Andrew added.
“That’s because it’s coming out of her. Pretty and Jennifer don’t mix,” Nathan said. He gripped the back of his neck.
“What’s she saying now?” I leaned forward in my seat.
“Actually, I phrased it wrong. She’s saying that you, Lila, have been coming on to Owen; that she’s pretty sure she saw you both kissing in your office. I think she’s trying to get you and Owen fired so she can have Nathan all to herself.” Andrew pointed at Nathan. “I’m thinking it’s because she’s caught on that you two are interested in each other, so she’s doing what she can to get rid of the competition.”
“Shit. She knows I’m interested? But Owen’s not even my usual type – I figured no one would pick up on the sexual tension,” Nathan deadpanned. “He’s not as tall and handsome as you are, Drew.” He batted his lashes like a dork.
They both laughed, but the knot in my stomach prevented me from doing more than smile a little. Shit. We were failing in the acting department. It was getting harder every day to keep from showing on my face exactly how much I adored Nathan and how much he meant to me.
A few long days later, I returned home after work and moved to the kitchen to see what I had available to make for dinner, knowing Nathan would be here soon. There was also a chance he would have Andrew in tow, so I needed to find something that was enough to feed four to five people. I pulled out some ingredients to make a salad and chicken to cook up. There was always something to make with chicken.
I was contemplating a side dish or two when I was interrupted by a knocking at the door. My brow scrunched in curiosity as to why Nathan was knocking.
“Why aren’t you using your key?” I asked as I walked to the door, shaking my head and smiling. His hands were probably just full of something.
My hand twisted the knob and swung the door open. I was about to tease him for not being able to open it on his own, or something to that effect, but was stopped by the person on the other side.
My smile faded, my eyes widened, and terror filled my being.
“Long time no see, sis,” Adam said from the other side of the threshold.
CHAPTER 18
Adam found me.
Adam was in my doorway, standing much closer than the restraining order I once had on him ever allowed.
In that second of recognition I hated the judge, who decided four years without contact from him was enough for it to be lifted. I always knew it was nothing more than a threat, but I also knew that, with its protection, I could have him arrested if he ever came near me.
But that no longer mattered. What did matter was that he was standing at my door, and I was alone. His figure seemed to take up the bulk of the door frame, standing over six feet. He’d grown since I last saw him. Everything else was the same: brown hair, brown eyes, and a hatred for me.
After he spoke, it only took a fraction of a second for my arm to swing the door back in his face. Inches before the door seated, Adam’s arm and foot stopped any progression. He pushed back, hard, and I stumbled from the force.
I’d taken self-defense classes long ago, but they could never have prepared me for the emotional response I would have to seeing him again. A feeling of absolute dread, which I hadn’t felt in over ten years, took hold, clouding my mind, and I couldn’t remember anything.
He stepped inside and slammed the door behind him, his arm reaching out and locking the deadbolt. I searched around, frantic for something, anything I could use as a weapon or throw at him. Running was no good; he was standing between me and the only way out.
My panic rose, calling out Nathan’s name in my mind over and over again, as if he might hear my distress. I didn’t even have my phone on me, so there was no way to call for help. All of it was futile anyway because Adam was on a mission, and I knew he was unstoppable when he was determined to do something. He stepped toward me, and I fruitlessly stepped back.
“What are you doing here, Adam?” I was trying to stall what I could feel coming before I reminded him. “You’re not allowed to be anywhere near me.”
His eyes became slits, his muscles clenching, the hatred rolling off of him. I was crumpling inside against it, just as I did when I was younger.
“Oh, no, little sis. It’s been almost ten years since that stain was removed. However, this one,” he sneered, pointing to me, “still remains.”
I swallowed hard. “You need to leave.”
He laughed at me. “Leave? Oh, I think not. Do you have any idea the damage you caused, you little f**king bitch?”
My body shook as I inched back, but his eyes were trained on my every move.
“I was the victim.”
“You f**king asked for it,” he spat. “You know, in a small town, gossip spreads. Like wildfire. When I returned to school the Monday after the court ruling, everyone knew. You f**king aired our dirty laundry, made yourself out to be some f**king helpless little girl and me out to be a monster!”
He lashed out, his hand grabbing at the decorative vase on the entry table and hurtling it across the room. It shattered against the wall, and I jumped, my chest tightening. I was scared and saw no hope of the situation ending well. I owned a gun, but it did me no good thirty feet away in the bedroom with a lock on it and unloaded. There was no way I would have the time to get to it and get it prepped.
