Wrapping Up_A Rainier Family Novel by Ashton Cade

Author:Ashton Cade [Cade, Ashton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-29T23:00:00+00:00

Eli

With a hot fudge sundae in front of me and a dollop of whipped cream on my finger, I feel slightly better.

“I know I shouldn’t have dessert before dinner,” I tell Garrett, sucking the whipped cream off my finger, “but I think I deserve it today.”

He makes a face and leans forward, concern etched in his brow. “Why? What’s wrong?”

I shrug, eyes flicking to the windows covered in his campaign signs. Sheryl’s is bustling right now, the dinner rush crowding into the little diner, a dozen conversations overlapping, filling the air with the garbled music of mixed voices.

“I’ve just been feeling off all day,” I admit.

“Thinking about what Clary said to you, aren’t you?” he asks, a hint of a growl in the back of his throat. I sigh. I hate that he can see right through me. I’m so happy to be here with him, and I just want to keep being happy. Is that so much to ask?

“Look, I told Clary where my priorities are,” he says.

“You did?” I ask him, heart in my throat, breath stuck in my chest. I don’t think he’s about to tell me to kick rocks, but I can’t help but be worried about it.

“Yeah, I did,” he says. “That’s you, Eli,” he says, voice thick with meaning, eyes shimmering at me, making my heart beat faster.

I don’t know how to respond. My chest is all fluttery, throat tight. I don’t know if I should be his priority, but I kind of like that I am.

“That doctor was giving me a weird feeling when I was waiting for you,” he says, making the ice cream stick in my throat, hot fudge gumming up my insides.

“Did he?”

Garrett nods. “He kept staring at me with this weird look. Did he give you any trouble?” I see the way Garrett’s hands tighten into fists, ready to come to my defense. It’s enough to make me practically swoon, but it’s also not something I can indulge in. As much as I love the idea of Garrett pummeling the smug doctor’s teeth in, I know that would only cause so many problems. For everyone.

“Nah, it’s all right,” I tell him. “He’s just weird,” I lie. He doesn’t need to know about the past between Dr. Peterson and me. He doesn’t need to know about the creepy vibe, the way I’m sure he’s trying to find a way to use it against me somehow.

I am kind of glad that I’m not the only one getting the vibe from Dr. Peterson, though. Maybe that means it’s all in my head. Maybe he’s just like this with everyone, and I need to stop taking it so personally just because we have a past neither of us has acknowledged.

Ugh.

“If he bothers you, I can take care of him,” Garrett says, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“Oh yeah? Gonna step in and be all macho? Beat him up for me?”

He chuckles. “If I need to.”

“Pretty sure Clary’s head would explode if you did that.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.