Page 31 of Once I Find You

“Language. There’s a woman here,” I remind him.

“My bad, I just got excited. Everyone needs a woman’s touch sometimes.” He elbows her softly with that stupid fucking smile.

“Alright, that’s enough,” I interject and push him back by putting myself between them. “I think you need to get going.”

“What? But I didn’t even get to say what I came to say,” she protests.

“We had a deal, remember?” I whisper, looking her in the eyes.

“But we didn’t even really have sex!”

Mason whistles behind me, a grin on his face. I click my tongue and turn back to her. “Layla, you know good and well⁠—"

“I’m sorry but…I just can’t do what you want. It’s not fair to me. You’re not even giving me a chance. Plus, if you want to bring up the deal then you should hold up your end and⁠—"

“Okay, that’s enough.” I groan, wiping my hand down my face. I’ve made a mess.

I have to think about how to go about this. She still knows too much. Maybe…no. That would be crazy. I can’t break into her apartment and kill all her data. Can I?

“Go upstairs,” I order Mason.

“No thanks, I’ve got more work to do.”

He says that, but he’s just fucking standing there like he has front row seats.

I sigh, turning to Layla. “You, upstairs.”

She happily listens though, smiling and waving sweetly at Mason as she finds the stairs and goes up. When I hear the door close, I turn to him.

“Wow, Kane. I didn’t know you had it in you!”

“It isn’t like that.”

“No? Then you wouldn’t mind if I went upstairs?”

This—

“Absolutely fucking not.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “Why are you lying to me anyway? What’s so wrong with her? She seems like a sweet thing.”

“Sweet? Sure. But I can’t seem to get rid of her. I told her no already but⁠—"

“You told her no? Jesus. Okay, let me hear it then. This better be good.”

I put my hand over my face as I speak. “Not now. I need to try to talk sense into her.” I turn to go upstairs.

“Kane?” I stop, and he continues. “Try to think about what you want for once.”

What I want?

“I don’t want anything.”

“You said you’d think about the diner conversation. Isn’t someone like her the perfect chance for you? Why can’t you just give in a little and see what happens?”

If only it was that simple.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN