Page 20 of Your Worst Fear
My Doc Martin tapped restlessly on the hardwood floor as I stared at the empty seat across from me. To be fair, Henley had likely been busy when I’d texted him to meet me at this rundown country diner, but due to my mood, I was considering him an ass for making me wait. The restaurant was about an hour outside of Whiskey Ridge, enough distance away that I didn’t think anyone would catch us meeting in public.
I’d been careful so far, watching my surroundings like a fucking hawk. The pool hall had been a risk, but the ranch was clear for the most part, with how isolated it was. Out here, though? So long as no one followed me or him, we’d be fine.
Hopefully.
“Are you sure you don’t want to order?” the waiter, Ben, asked, refilling my water for a third time.
“I’m sure.” The boy didn’t deserve my coldness, but I was on edge and slightly annoyed. I’d tip him large and hope that made up for it.
Ben hesitated, pity lacing his features, before he made the smart decision and turned away without a word.
While I was mad at Henley for taking his sweet ass time, it at least gave me a minute to think. What was I going to tell him? That I’d gone behind his back and headed to Club Fourteen to try to speed things along, and ended up in a worse position than I was in before?
That’d only show him I was an idiot. Why did I care what he thought? I could do whatever the fuck I wanted. I didn’t need his approval first.
“At least you picked a table in the back so I wouldn’t be sniped through the window,” a familiar, grating voice said as the vacant chair across from me scraped noisily along the ground.
My eyes closed, and I hoped I had an ounce of patience buried somewhere deep inside me. I had a feeling this would be alongconversation.
Now that I thought about it, I should have eaten before he arrived so I’d be free to leave at any point, sans empty stomach.
Henley planted his ass—one Idefinitelyhadn’t stolen a glance at a time or two before—in the chair, sitting back and crossing his arms.
At least one of us was comfortable. I felt stiff as a fucking board.
“What’s the emergency?” heasked, bored.
I rolled my eyes, attempting to mimic his position. Could he see how worked up I was? “We need to try harder.”
He cocked a brow, like my urge to get this over with was unexpected. “Did something change?”
“No. I just have this feeling that if we keep taking our sweet time, they’re going to catch on.”Real convincing, Grace.
He studied me, eyes narrowing slightly. “Care to explain, or do I need to prepare for a round of twenty questions?”
My lips rolled together, patience dwindling at a dangerously fast pace. Why were men always so skeptical at the worst fucking times?
“It’s your life on the line if they get curious as to why you’re not dead yet,” I stated, deciding to keep the severity of the wholemy life is in danger, toobit to myself.
He didn’t so much as flinch, still inspecting me like he knew there was more.
“Your date’s here!” Ben said as he appeared again, a little too chipper.Read the room, kid.“Ready to order now?”
“Two cheeseburgers,” Henley stated, not bothering to look at him.
I glared at Henley. “What if I don’t want a cheeseburger?”
“We won’t make it through dinner, so it doesn’t matter what you want.”
He meant it as a threat—maybe?—but Ben clearly took it extremely sexually, if his flaming cheeks were anything to go by.
“Two cheeseburgers, coming right up,” Ben said,hurrying away to likely gossip with his coworkers about the sexually frustrated couple in the corner.
He had a lot to learn about chemistry.
“I have to use the restroom.” I stood, not bothering to wait for Henley to object. Out of the corner of my eye—because I refused to look at him as I passed—I noticed his fists clench and a muscle in his jaw feather.
He could be pissed all he wanted; I didn’t owe him a fucking thing. We had a deal, and if anything, he should take my urgency as a blessing. He wanted me dead, didn’t he? That would only get him closer to his goal much faster than originally anticipated.
