miserable the next day. Or how I was going to get through another morning with my mother on my back. It doesn't matter. Either way, it would have been my body that John fished out of that dumpster today."
His expression turned hard. She couldn't blame him. A cold shiver went through her.
"The only reason that didn't happen is because you were there with me," she said.
His back was up against the archway. Deep lines were etched around the corners of his eyes. None of his tension faded. Couldn't he see that she was just trying to let him off the hook?
"I guess, I'm just trying to say thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry that I've put you in the position of having to look out for me."
He shook his head. "You don't know what you're saying."
Beth laughed. "No, I think I do. I know I've been a pain in the ass since the moment that you met me."
“You’re not so bad.”
“You’re sweet, but I know how I am,” she said.
He was quiet for a long moment. Beth didn’t push. Instead, she just sat in silence and waited. Waited for him to say something. Anything.
“You have dark circles under your eyes,” he finally said.
It wasn’t exactly the sentimental declaration she’d been hoping for.
“I’m a little tired,” she said. It was a lie. She was exhausted.
He nodded. His gaze was inscrutable. “You should take a nap before we have to go downstairs.”
Beth suppressed a laugh. “After everything that’s happened, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to feel safe enough to sleep again.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “Rest. I’ll stand guard.”
Beth nodded. Her eyes were drooping before she’d pulled a pillow out from under the bedspread. She didn’t think that she’d fall asleep, not with all the residual adrenaline pumping through her veins. But there wouldn’t be any harm in closing her eyes. Just for a few minutes.
***
Beth snapped her head up. Her eyes flew open as a terrible buzzing filled the room.
She twisted around in the sheets looking for the source. She found it on the bedside table. Her phone.
She snatched it up and looked down at the screen.
Her mother.
Beth hit the decline button. There was no way that she was awake enough to take that call right now.
Soft laughter came from the next room. Beth put down the phone and squinted, trying to get her tired eyes to focus on the form sitting several feet away.
“That thing has been going off practically non-stop since you fell asleep,” Alex said. She might not be able to see him clearly, but she’d recognize that voice anywhere. “I’m amazed it took this long to wake you up.”
Beth rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“How long have I been out?” she asked.
“A while.”
She checked her phone: it was six thirty-two.
Crap. No wonder the phone had been ringing off the hook. They were over a half hour late for Isobel’s cocktail reception. She had four missed calls—three from her mother—and six unread text messages.
Beth flew from the bed, clutching her phone. “Why did you let me sleep so long?” she shouted as she ran into the bathroom.
“You needed the rest,” came the answer, without a hint of apology. “Besides, you’re kind of cute when you’re asleep.”
Beth took stock of herself in the mirror. Now she knew he was making fun of her. Her clothes were terribly wrinkled. Her hair was matted on one side. And was that a line of dried drool on her cheek?
Of course it was. Heaven help her, she’d probably been snoring too.
Beth fired off a quick text to Isobel.
Sorry. Time got away from me. Be down in ten minutes.
She glanced at the smeared mascara under her eyes, and changed the ten to fifteen . She briefly considered sending the same text to her mother, but put the phone down on the counter.
Nineteen minutes later they were in the elevator. Beth checked her hair one last time in the polished steel wall panel. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t hideous either. As usual, a tight ponytail hid a
His expression turned hard. She couldn't blame him. A cold shiver went through her.
"The only reason that didn't happen is because you were there with me," she said.
His back was up against the archway. Deep lines were etched around the corners of his eyes. None of his tension faded. Couldn't he see that she was just trying to let him off the hook?
"I guess, I'm just trying to say thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry that I've put you in the position of having to look out for me."
He shook his head. "You don't know what you're saying."
Beth laughed. "No, I think I do. I know I've been a pain in the ass since the moment that you met me."
“You’re not so bad.”
“You’re sweet, but I know how I am,” she said.
He was quiet for a long moment. Beth didn’t push. Instead, she just sat in silence and waited. Waited for him to say something. Anything.
“You have dark circles under your eyes,” he finally said.
It wasn’t exactly the sentimental declaration she’d been hoping for.
“I’m a little tired,” she said. It was a lie. She was exhausted.
He nodded. His gaze was inscrutable. “You should take a nap before we have to go downstairs.”
Beth suppressed a laugh. “After everything that’s happened, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to feel safe enough to sleep again.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “Rest. I’ll stand guard.”
Beth nodded. Her eyes were drooping before she’d pulled a pillow out from under the bedspread. She didn’t think that she’d fall asleep, not with all the residual adrenaline pumping through her veins. But there wouldn’t be any harm in closing her eyes. Just for a few minutes.
***
Beth snapped her head up. Her eyes flew open as a terrible buzzing filled the room.
She twisted around in the sheets looking for the source. She found it on the bedside table. Her phone.
She snatched it up and looked down at the screen.
Her mother.
Beth hit the decline button. There was no way that she was awake enough to take that call right now.
Soft laughter came from the next room. Beth put down the phone and squinted, trying to get her tired eyes to focus on the form sitting several feet away.
“That thing has been going off practically non-stop since you fell asleep,” Alex said. She might not be able to see him clearly, but she’d recognize that voice anywhere. “I’m amazed it took this long to wake you up.”
Beth rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“How long have I been out?” she asked.
“A while.”
She checked her phone: it was six thirty-two.
Crap. No wonder the phone had been ringing off the hook. They were over a half hour late for Isobel’s cocktail reception. She had four missed calls—three from her mother—and six unread text messages.
Beth flew from the bed, clutching her phone. “Why did you let me sleep so long?” she shouted as she ran into the bathroom.
“You needed the rest,” came the answer, without a hint of apology. “Besides, you’re kind of cute when you’re asleep.”
Beth took stock of herself in the mirror. Now she knew he was making fun of her. Her clothes were terribly wrinkled. Her hair was matted on one side. And was that a line of dried drool on her cheek?
Of course it was. Heaven help her, she’d probably been snoring too.
Beth fired off a quick text to Isobel.
Sorry. Time got away from me. Be down in ten minutes.
She glanced at the smeared mascara under her eyes, and changed the ten to fifteen . She briefly considered sending the same text to her mother, but put the phone down on the counter.
Nineteen minutes later they were in the elevator. Beth checked her hair one last time in the polished steel wall panel. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t hideous either. As usual, a tight ponytail hid a
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