Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (27 page)

“Oh, God.”

Erik approached closer and I backed away, unable to look at him.

This can’t be. Why did Erik have that?

Was he the one behind it?

I heard Bobby and Adam in the background calling my name then say something to Erik but the only sound I heard was my heart pounding and the blood rushing in my ears. I let my tray drop to the table next to me then quickly turned on my heel, rushing past Abby, and right to the back room.

“Shit, oh shit, shit,
shit
.” I hissed pacing the room, running my hand through my hair. “Fuck, this can’t be happening,” I said to myself, probably looking like a crazy person talking to herself.

My head fell into the palm of my hands as I heard the door open and gently close. “Lexie,” Erik’s uncertain voice called out, “I don’t know–”

My back to him, I took a deep breath before I spoke. “Erik, please just take the box and go.” My voice came out shaky.

“It’s for you, I–”

“Erik I know, how could you, you’re–”

“Wait, it’s not from me. I found it sitting outside the bar –”

My head snapped up and I quickly spun around to look at him. “
What
?”

He looked at me, his brows furrowing together. “Yeah, it was just sitting in front of the door. Had your name on it, thought I’d bring it in for you.”

A cold shiver ran over my body as I looked at the box in his arms, the same one I had got last night. Not hesitating I walked over to him and ripped the white envelope off the top. Then turning around, my back facing him, I ripped it open and took out the familiar red card.

Written in black ink in the middle were the words, ‘Not Much Longer.’ The breath I’d been holding rushed out of me as I dropped the card causing it to flutter to the ground.

“What’s not much longer?” Erik asked from behind me. “And how did you know it was for you when I came in?”

“I need to get out of here.”

I scrambled to my locker, throwing it open grabbing my purse. “Will you drive me? Lukas brought me so I don’t have a car and he’s busy so I can’t call him to pick me up.”

“Sure.” Erik said as he bent over and picked the card up, “But aren’t you gonna open it?” he asked eyeing the box then me.

“A bottle of white wine and a box of chocolates, chocolate hedgehogs to be exact,” I told him motioning for him to open it.

I watched him rip the paper off, tossing it in the trash can, then lifted the lip and pulled back the paper looking at its contents then at me. “How’d you know?”

“It’s not the first box,” I said dryly, sliding my purse over my arm. “Can we go?” I asked impatiently.

He nodded, “What do I do with this?”

I looked from the box to him then at the trash can. “Trash,” I said turning and walking out of the back room.

I walked quickly up to the front, Bobby and Adam both looking my way as I approached. “Everything alright darlin’?” Bobby asked.

I looked between the two, “No, I’m suddenly not feeling well. Just kinda hit me,” I lied.

I hated lying; it seemed like all I did these days was lie.

“Is it okay if I take off?” I asked Adam, hoping I didn’t sound as desperate as I felt

Adam looked from me to Bobby, eyes churning with questions. Bobby firmly shook his head, “Yeah go on Lexie, and feel better. Do you want me to call Lukas?”

“No Erik’s taking me; Lukas said he was going to be swamped so I don’t wanna bother him.”

“I can take ya sweetheart, it’s no trouble,” Bobby piped in.

“Bobby its fine, Erik’s here and he’s going to see Mollie anyways, thanks though,” I said with a small smile.

Bobby opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Erik. “You ready to go Lex?” he asked and my head turned in his direction at hearing him call me Lex.

Lex? Lukas was the only person to call me Lex. Not even Mollie called me that.

It was almost special coming from him.

And hearing Erik call me it didn’t overly sit well.

I shook the thoughts from my head, “Yeah, I’m ready.” I turned back to the guys who were looking between us suspiciously. “Thanks again, Adam.” I said then turned, and walked towards the door with Erik following behind.

Once outside Erik lead the way to his car and held the door open to his four door Pontiac G6 for me. Wasn’t long after, that Erik was in the car and we were pulling away from Fisher’s and heading in the opposite direction of the house. “Erik, where are we going?”

“I thought we could go somewhere and talk about what the hell just happened,” he said his voice sounding agitated and hard.

“Erik, I think we should just go back to the house so I can talk to Moll–”

“Lex, just a cup of coffee then we’ll head
home,” he said sounding normal again. “Plus, you don’t look too well, and I don’t want bud to see you looking like you do.”

Guess he’s right. One cup won’t hurt.

I just nodded my head and sat in silence as we drove, heading to Bean’s– which happened to be close to the police station.

Where Lukas was.

“Hey welcome to Express My Bean’s,” a cheerful voice said bringing my attention to behind the counter. “What can I get started for you?”

“A medium non fat vanilla latte, light on the foam,” Erik said pausing, looking at the order board, “and a medium dark roast, room for cream and sugar.”

“How’d you know what I drink?” I asked surprised as he paid for our coffees.

“Mollie.”

No further explanation needed.

“Y’all can take a seat, I’ll be happy to bring your drinks on over when they’re done,” the bubbly blonde said with a genuine smile on her face.

I followed Erik to an empty table in the back corner and curled up in one of the big chairs as we waited for our coffees. Erik sat across from me, looking at me, studying me, trying to decide what to say to me first.

“So you and Lukas seem to have gotten pretty close lately.”

Is that a hint of resentment I hear?

“Yeah I guess so.” I said crossing my left leg over my right, my hands fidgeting in my lap.

He nodded his head a few times looking around the place, his jaw tight and clenched. “Be careful,” he warned.

My body jerked back, but it was so slight I was sure he didn’t see. “Be careful?” I repeated.

Be careful of what?

“Yeah, with Lukas,” he paused looking me directly in the eye before continuing, “be careful, he’s a player.” His eyes were slightly cold and hard, almost displeasing.

What the hell? This was a first; usually it was people warning me to stay away from him, not warning me about Lukas.

“Erik–”

“Here you guys go, one coffee– room for cream and sugar and one non fat vanilla latte,” the pretty blonde barista said as she placed our drinks down. “Anything else you need?” Her bright smile looked between the two of us.

“I think we’re good, thanks.” I smiled.

She was pretty, very pretty actually, and tall. Her long honey blonde hair pulled back in a tight pony with her bangs swept across to the side just enough to show off her bright baby blue eyes.

“I’m Whitney, so if you need anything else just holler,” she said before she turned and walked back to the counter, making me envious of her strut she unknowingly had.

I turned my attention back to Erik, who was sitting across from me surprisingly not watching our friendly coffee barista walk away but watching me, intensely focused on me.

“Erik, why did you call Lukas a player?” I asked then took a sip of my latte, which always tasted better than the last.

Much like Lukas.

“Do you really not know Lexie?” he asked with arched brows, his head slightly cocked to the side.

“Know what?”

He picked up the cream and sugar and stirred both in while contemplating, “He gets
what he wants from one then once someone better comes along he dumps her and throws her to the side like she was nothing.”

My body froze with my hand in mid air, my coffee cup inches away from my mouth. “Why would you say that?” I asked him, my voice lower then I meant for it to be.

“’Cause it’s true,” he shrugged his shoulders. “I can just tell and I just don’t wanna see you get hurt.”

Maybe I wasn’t wrong this whole time, maybe everyone else who
thought
they knew Lukas were the ones who were wrong.

I couldn’t deny the ache I felt inside hearing what Erik said, even if he just validated what I had been thinking to possibly be true.

“Well, it’s a good thing it’s just sex with Lukas, nobody can get hurt when its nothing but sex,” I told him, also trying to convince myself of the same thing.

His eyes flashed and his jaw clenched quickly, disappearing just as quickly as it happened, making me question what I thought I saw. He nodded, and then took a sip of his coffee, not saying anything else.

It was suddenly very quiet in an awkward kind of way. We eyed each other as I took a sip of my latte. The way I felt didn’t feel right, I don’t know if it was what Erik said and the fact it was about Lukas or if it was something else or a combination of both. The feeling was almost familiar yet unknown at the same time.

“I think we should go,” I said. “Mollie’s probably waiting for you.”

“Hold on, there’s one more thing I wanna talk to you about,” he said flatly.

I sat back with my latte in my hands, resting on my lap, “What’s that?” I asked.

“That box back at the bar.”

“What about it?”

“What’s going on? Why’d you toss it?” he asked sounding strange.

“I don’t think keeping gifts or whatever the hell they are, from a stalker is considered a good thing, do you?” I said snottier then I meant.

“Stalker?” he questioned surprised.

I nodded my head a few times. “At least that’s what I’m thinking, I don’t really know.”

“Do you know who it is?” he asked sipping his coffee.

“No, not for sure, maybe, I don’t know.” I told him confused.

His eyebrows rose to his hair line, “What does that mean?”

“It means,” I sighed. No one but people at work, Lukas and Mollie knew I was attacked, and of course the police. “I was attacked a few weeks ago outside, after work and the guy got away.”

“You were attacked?” he sat back taking it in.

“Yes, Lukas got there just in time, before anything could happen.” A shiver ran up my spine at the memory.

“And they don’t know who it was or anything?”

“No, well Lukas and the detectives down at the station say it was the guy who’s been attacking and raping those girls.” I paused to take a drink of my latte. “He stopped for a bit but then attacked me and been back at it since. I think that’s why Lukas has been so busy at work.”

“Yeah, sounds like that could be why. I had no idea you were attacked, I’m surprised Moll never told me,” he said like he was talking to himself.

“Not something I wanted shared.”

Erik leaned forward. “So how often do these gifts come?”

“This is only the second one. The first came last night.”

“So just the two boxes?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“Yeah, well no. Up until four days ago, I think, I was getting flowers delivered. Then they stopped and I thought that was it but then the boxes started.”

“And you think it’s whoever attacked you who’s now stalking you?” he asked.

Hearing him say it made it not sound right, almost like it didn’t make sense.

“Yeah I guess, I don’t know.” I didn’t know what to tell him, telling him anymore would lead to a conversation about Dex and telling Erik about my past.

And that was
not
an option.

“There’s something you’re not saying, I can see it.” His voice was suddenly warm and comforting, almost inviting me to just blurt everything out. “You’re unsure about it.”

I don’t know what it was, but he was making it easy to just open up and tell him about everything. But I couldn’t. Not necessarily because I didn’t want to or I was afraid but a lot of it had to do with Lukas.