The loud howl gained the attention of a few others that were moving about, and one by one people began to emerge from the rooms, patients and employees each watching me with concerned looks.
“Chloe.” I looked up over my shoulder and found Dr. Andrews standing next to Holly. He was the nephew of our long-time dentist and I assumed already been charmed by Holly. The way he seemed disappointed as he stood at her side watching me as if I had done something major to cause a disturbance. “I think maybe you should go home for the day.”
Sure, asshole I’m fine, no need to check on me.
“Holly, are you okay?”
Really? You have got to be kidding me.
The smug look on her face as she ate up his attention was enough to make me puke. With the little pride I had left in me, I gathered up my strength, squared my shoulders, and walked away.
I wasn’t even sure how everything had gotten to the point that it had, but never had I ever felt so lost and confused.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Landon
Slowing to a stop, I rolled down my window and watched as Chloe pulled up next to me. My monster of a truck dwarfed her little Tacoma. Leaning out, I looked down, and the instant I saw her face, I knew something was wrong.
“Hey.” I wanted to reach out for her, but there was no way I would reach her. I also couldn’t open my door without smashing it right into hers. “You okay?”
“Please tell me that what she said wasn’t true. Then I don’t have to wonder why it was you felt the need to lie about something that was before us.” She didn’t even lift her head to look at me, but I didn’t need to see her eyes to know she was upset. It was all in her posture, the sadness of her frown.
“Kitten—”
“Don’t.” Her lips trembled, and my hand was already on the handle ready to take the chance of her getting pissed at me for denting her truck. “Just tell me.” She finally looked up at I felt like my heart was being squeezed so tightly. “It was only a kiss, right?”
Forget squeezing, it was more like it was being ripped out.
“There is no logical explanation as to why you would tell me the two of you only kissed if it was anything more than that. I mean, you didn’t know me. We weren’t together.”
I could lie and pretend that everything that I knew she had been told was nothing more than an untruth, but I also understood that it would only make an already bad situation worse.
“I was trying to prove to you that I wasn’t a bad guy. You were so sure that I was and—”
“So you lied about what you and Holly were?” The tone of her voice confirmed that she wasn’t going to accept much of anything in the form of an explanation from me. I’d lied or left off parts; however you wanted to look at it, I’d made my bed.
“Somehow telling the girl that you were trying to make an impression on that you were intimate with her mortal enemy seemed like a bad idea at the time.”
“Yes, lying is so much better.” Sarcasm oozed from her words and her glare. “The perfect way to set the stride for a relationship, what a joke.”
“Can we park and talk?”
“We’re talking now.” Looking down, removing her gaze from mine, I could already feel her pulling away.
“Yes, we are.” I don’t remember a time when I had ever been so scared. “But I want to touch you.” It was killing me not to see her eyes and feel her skin to mine.
“I think the fact that you can’t works much better for me.” Chloe paused. I could visibly see her take in a deep breath as if she was trying to calm herself. “How many times? And are you still?”
“What?” I wasn’t asking what she meant—it was more of a, is she fucking serious—but it didn’t register with Chloe. She was far too upset.
“Sleeping with Holly.” Again with a deep breath. “I need to know if I should get checked.”
“Hey.” When she didn’t take the time to look at me, I panicked. “Chloe!” The roar of my voice as I called out her name made her jerk in surprise. I noticed the way she winced and rubbed along her shoulder and arm. “What’s wrong?”
“I should go.” When she reached for her shifter, I undid my seatbelt and slid across the seat, jumping out of the passenger side. But by the time I rounded the bed, she was already pulling away as I reached out to slap her bedside. The contact stung my palm, but it didn’t compare to the pain in my chest.
Jumping in my truck, I shifted into drive, and after a big U-turn in the entrance of my apartment, I floored it to catch up with her.
I figured she would turn off, maybe drive to her place or even back to work since that was technically where she should have been. Only she continued to drive. I continued to follow.
When she made a left onto Parker Ave and continued to drive out of town, I knew where she was heading. Question was, did I slow and allow her the time to cool or did I continue to follow and suffer the wrath of her father the moment he saw she’s upset and found out it was because of me?
***
“Will you call her, please?” I was practically begging Maddison, but I needed her help. I was also very aware of the death stare I
