Page 8 of More Bite than Bark

He hated seeing her like this.He ripped off the top of the box, lifted a slice, and slid the make shift plate under it, then handed it to her.

“Ta da!A plate.Now sit.Eat.”He tilted his head toward the bed.

Elle took the plate, but didn’t go to the bed to eat, instead she set the box top with her food on the desk beside the rest of the box, grabbed the wheeled chair provided for the desk and sat.

Hex waited until she’d taken her first bite, then spoke.

“You mind if I have some?”

She shook her head, hurried to swallow, then held on hand in front of her mouth while she spoke.

“Not at all.Go ahead.There’s no way I can eat all this.”She took another bite.

Hex lifted a slice from the box and took a bite, not worrying about a plate or anything else.

“How long you planning on hiding out here?”he asked once she’d finished her first slice and pulled a second onto her cardboard plate.

“I’m not hiding.I just need some time to think.”

“And you can’t think at home?”

She shook her head.“I told you, Michael has a key to my apartment.And at home, Mama can find me.”She let her head hang for a moment.“Oh.God.What have I done?”

Hex dropped one hand to her back and rubbed in small circles.

“If my opinion matters, you did the right thing.”He set his half-eaten slice of pizza back in the box, grabbed one from the stack of napkins that had come with the food and cleaned off his hands as he hunkered down onto his heels so they were eye to eye.“I know it’s scary, but the right thing isn’t always the easiest.You know that.I for one, am glad you couldn’t go through with it.”He reached up and cupped her cheeks in both of his hands, holding her gently but firmly as he met her gaze.“I won’t force you to do anything, but I want this chance with you, Elle.I want to have this baby, to raise it together.I want an us.But I want you happy, Elle.I want you happy more than I want anything else.So, whatever you decide, I’ll back you.I’ll be here for you no matter what, sugar.You just need to tell me what you want.”He stared into her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking, hope that she would choose him flaring in his chest.

Chapter Six

ElizabethstaredatKevin,wondering why she’d ever looked anywhere else.She had always loved him.Always.Even as a child.Then it had been different, more innocent, and carefree, but as they’d gotten older, what she felt for him had changed.It had matured as she had.She had watched from afar as he’d dated every cheerleader, every popular girl in school, then he’d joined the Army and left home.

She had finished high school and gone to college.She’d gone on with her life, even if every time she heard his name she clung to the warm way he made her feel, even if he had no clue.She’d heard that Kevin had come home, but she hadn’t seen him.She’d thought she might have one day but the stranger had been so different from the Kevin she’d known, she dismissed it as her mind playing tricks on her.Then things had gotten serious with Michael.He’d proposed and, at Mama’s urging, she’d accepted.She’d thought things were good.

Then one night she knew she had to see Kevin.She had to see him before she married Michael.Yeah, she’d been drinking, but only enough to lower her inhibitions.She’d taken an Uber out to the compound where she’d heard he lived, then asked around and knocked on his front door.

After that, Kevin had called, and sent more text than she knew what to do with, but guilt about what she’d done, and behind Michael’s back, had kept her from picking up or replying, even once.

And now she sat here, staring back at him as his words slowly sank into her brain.

“I won’t force you to do anything, but I want this chance with you, Elle.I want to have this baby.To raise it together.I want an us.But I want you to be happy, Elle.I want you happy more than I want anything else.So, whatever you decide, I’ll back you.I’ll be here for you no matter what, sugar.You just need to tell me what you want.”

She searched his face, one she knew as well as she knew her own, looking for any sign he wasn’t being completely honest with her.

“I—” She stopped and swallowed, not sure she could get the words out.“I want to try.I want this baby and I want you.”Her words were barely more than a whisper but since he was only inches away, there was no doubt he heard her.

“Thank you.”He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.“Finish eating, sugar.”Kevin pushed himself to his feet, picked his pizza up and took a bite.

She turned back to her plate and realized she hadn’t ordered anything to drink.

“Well, crap.”

“What?”

“I forgot to order anything to drink.”

“And I guess the whiskey I brought is out.I saw a vending machine next to the elevator, what do you want?”

She told him, he snagged the keycard she’d left in front of the TV and left, promising to be right back.She glanced around the room, wondering what she could do to keep busy because as nervous as she was now, there was no way she could sleep, or even sit still.