Page 128 of Aftershock
“Samantha, you’re making the poor girl nervous.” Becket’s eyes dart over to the corridor again.
While no one calls for them, he still looks antsy. He must love his job or the adrenaline, or both.
“I’m not.” She sounds conspiratorial, as if she wants me and her to pair up against Becket. Funny lady. I like her even more now. “Aren’t I?”
“Not at all,” I agree.
“I apologize, anyway.” A smile plays on her lips. “The thing is, he’s one of the best doctors we’ve ever worked with. I mean, yeah, sure, he’s this broody giant man who can take care of himself.”
When she pinches her lips together and pulls her eyebrows down, mimicking him, I can’t help but laugh.
“Did I get it right?”
“Yes, but also,” I add, still laughing, “Alaric does it better.”
“He does. Jokes aside.” Her warmer tone even gets Becket to stop peeking down the corridor and look at her. “Other than being surly, he’s a good man. Someone like him deserves to be loved, to have that person who makes him smile, who adores him for who he is. Like you.”
Hope and Alaric love me. The Griggs have always been good to me and promised that we’d stay in touch even after Hope and I moved out. Delany is satisfied with my work. I haven’t had anyone call me a disappointment or an embarrassment since Mom disappeared.
Nevertheless, it’s incredibly hard to take a compliment. A true challenge.
“I—um.” I rub the back of my neck.
Both their pagers chime simultaneously as I fumble for words.
“Got to go.” Samantha switches into work mode, her expression transforming right before my eyes. The smile lines are gone. Her jaw is pulled tight. I guess I won’t be able to steal so much as a glimpse of Alaric today. “It was great talking to you. Seriously.”
They’re already gone by the time I murmur, “You too.”
Me:I’m heading out. Can I see you before I go?
My phone stays quiet as Hope and I pull on our hoodies.
I’m still staring at the screen when she whispers, “Watch your head,” then slides the strap of my bag onto my shoulder.
“Thanks.” I do my best not to let sadness take over.
I know better than to mope about Alaric working overtime. Seven years ago, when I needed him, he was fully present. As he should be now.
But I’ve been missing him more than usual since my short break earlier. Enough that I’ve buried myself in work rather than leaving space for my mind to wander. Which means digging into facial recognition apps to figure out who the man in Alaric’s storage unit is will have to wait.
“Come on, come on. Let’s go hooome.” The excitement in Hope’s voice and the way she bounces on the balls of her feet snap me out of it. “I need to tighten up my business plan. And the recipes. I’ve been thinking about them all day. I have so many ideas I’m dying to try.”
Other than the dark circles under her eyes, she’s never looked more alive.
“Okay, okay.” Not wanting her to worry, I force a smile, take one last glance at my phone, and pocket it. “We’re leaving. We have the realtor emails to go over too.”
“Yes, exactly.” Hope’s eyes glimmer. “I have such a good feeling about this, Lil. The best.”
“Me too.”
I don’t finish the sentence before another feeling creeps up my spine.
“Lilith.”
My heart slams to a stop as I hear him. That low, deep voice that reverberates through my body. The one that fills my head with the most obscene images.
I turn around, expecting to find him by the doorway to the cafeteria, since he sounded a little far away.
