Page 21 of Your Worst Fear
I shoved through the bathroom door, relieving myself—because I really did need to pee after all that water—then staring at myself in the mirror.
While Henley was well aware of the timeline in which we needed to get this done, he didn’t seem to care. I was sure he was at home all day, playing cowboy with his buddies. He probably thought this was all a joke, not giving a shit that whatever way we played this, I had the most to lose. No matter the route, I ended up dead.
I ran my hands under the faucet, splashing cold water on my neck. I hadn’t realized my skin was so hot until now.
With my palms braced against the sink, I hung my head, counting my breaths. I’d get through this. There was no other option.
The door to the bathroom opened, but I didn’t move. I needed to ground myself before I had a full-blown panic attack in the middle of this restaurant. I had to look like I had my shit together in front of Henley. Otherwise, he’dthink I was weak and kill me sooner, taking the issue into his own hands.
He had friends who would back him—he didn’t need me.
I had…no one.
The sound of the lock clicking had a gasp catching in my throat. My head snapped up, hair catching on my bottom lip as I found Henley blocking the door.
“This is the women’s restroom,” I informed him. He probably couldn’t read.
His eyes roamed my body, and I hated how that look alone sucked the air from my lungs. I averted my gaze, focusing on the rust around the base of the faucet.
He ignored what I’d said, taking slow, deliberate steps. His boots echoed on the scuffed linoleum, echoing through the empty bathroom as if they were mocking the pounding of my heart.
His chest pressed against my back as he caged me in, his hands resting beside both of mine on the sink. “You’re acting a little flighty, Grace.” The tone in which he said it had me guessing he wanted me to explain why.
“It’s been a long day.” Vague, but it got the job done.
I was brilliant.
He stared at me in the dirty mirror, and I stared right back. “Care to tell me what you’ve been up to that made you call this emergency meeting at some shitty diner an hour outside of town?”
I challenged him, willing him to break eye contact first. Stubbornly, neither of us lookedaway.
“No.”
He sucked on his teeth, the sound provocative when it shouldn’t be. “That won’t do.”
My eyes narrowed in the reflection. “Do tell, Mr. Controlling. What would you rather I tell you? That my vibrator died in the middle of my morning masturbation session, and I had to stab a guy who thought I was a hooker?”
Nothing in him moved, yeteverythingdid. His muscles tensed, his jaw visibly clenching harder than before. His fingers dug into the sink so hard, I thought I heard the porcelain groan.
He was probably thinking,where the fuck do I start with that?And to that, I’d say,same, buddy.
“Did he touch you?”
Of course, that was the part he focused on. I’d rather tell him about my vibrator collection, and how I’d been too lazy to get up and grab another.
“I stabbed his hand for a reason.” My eyes dipped to my sheath digging into my stomach with each breath. “I would’ve left him stuck to the wall if I hadn’t used my favorite knife.”
Leaving Club Fourteen wearing this outfit was just asking for the sleazeballs not allowed inside to flock to me on the sidewalk. Usually, they made their disgusting remarks and left things alone when they didn’t receive a response, but this one was drunk—and probably high—and clearly didn’t learn to keep his hands to himself.
Henley’s gaze dipped, roaming over every inch of me for the second time tonight. “Where?”
I rolled my eyes, but a moment later, my breath stuck in my throat as he moved in a blink. His hand wrappedaround my neck, pressing me harder against him. It was a clear, unspoken threat. Why, I wasn’t sure.
Would I ever comprehend why Henley did half the shit he did?
I released the sink, steadily moving until my fingers grazed the upper part of my opposite arm. Maybe I couldn’t say where the man had touched me, but I could show him—especially if it meant getting his hand off me, because that alone was pulling all my attention and distracting me from the main purpose of our meeting here.
His eyes blazed, but when I moved to my breast? His entire body tensed, and everywhere we made contact, it felt as if he was scorching me.
