Rhythm of Us: Book 2 Of The Fated Hearts Series by Aimee Nicole Walker Page A

careful.”
    It was the closest thing to a heart-to-heart conversation that Van and I have ever had. “I appreciate your brotherly concern and your advice. I promise to be careful and take things slow.”
    Van and I talked about a few other things while I paid for dinner and made my way back to my hotel room. Alone. He ended the call when he reached his destination and needed to photograph the money shot. He promised to email the information on Drake Anderson to me later that night. I tossed my cellphone on my bed and took a long, hot shower while I mulled Van’s advice over in my head. I knew he was right to be cautious about Xavier. I had no clue what shit he’d gotten into, but there was no way I could walk away without trying. I wanted Xavier to be the one to tell me what happened; it would mean so much more than reading it in a report.
    I checked my phone as soon as I had slipped on my lounging pants and a t-shirt. I had missed two calls from Xavier while I was in the shower, but he didn’t leave a message either time. My heart started to race, because I knew he wouldn’t have called me to chat – he made that clear during our conversation earlier that morning. I called him back and held my breath while I waited for him to answer.
    “Hey, Ben,” he said in a whispered hush. “I’m sorry if I bothered you, but Ellie asked me to call you.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing now, but we had a little scare this evening. Ellie had some cramping and bleeding so I brought her to the ER. The doctor said she’s just fine and a little spotting and mild cramping is normal.” He sounded so relieved and tired. “We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat and it was the most amazing sound I’ve ever heard, Ben.” I could hear a hint of fear beneath the awe in his voice. I wished I had been there to provide him comfort or at least a shoulder to lean on, but we weren’t there yet.
    I smiled because it was the first unguarded thing he said to me. “I’m so glad you called and let me know what’s going on.” I felt a pearl of hope begin to form, but his next words obliterated my blossoming confidence.
    “Ellie decided to take the remainder of the week off to rest and she didn’t want you to worry when you came to the office and found her absent.”
    His emphasis that Ellie was the one who wanted him to call stung just a little bit, until I realized that Ellie could have easily called me in the morning to let me know what was going on. Was Ellie playing matchmaker by trying to push Xavier and I into communicating or was Xavier using her as an excuse to call me? I had hoped for the latter.
    “Did you hear back from your brother yet?”
    I smiled to myself, because I had my answer. “He was trailing a cheating spouse and said he’d email me the information tonight. I should be home tomorrow afternoon if you want to track this fucker down tomorrow night.”
    “Should be home?” I told Xavier about my fucked up day and it felt so good to have someone to talk to about it. “You must be really angry then,” he stated once I finished recounting the meeting from hell. I tried to place the tone of his voice, it ranged somewhere between curious and timid.
    “I was more disappointed than angry,” I answered honestly. “I hate getting embarrassed in front of clients by poor planning and execution.”
    “What are you going to do about it?” Xavier asked softly, almost hesitantly.
    I was certain there was more to Xavier’s question than what type of reprimand I had in mind for Drew. It felt more like a test than a question and I was desperate to pass. “Well, I’m going to be supervising his ad campaigns a lot closer and he won’t be permitted to pitch to clients on his own until he’s earned my trust again.”
    “So, no yelling or cussing him out?”
    “That’s not my style, Xavier.”
    “It’s not your style in your professional life, but what about your personal life?” Someone really did a number on this