Page 46 of The Obvious Check
“She says it isn’t permanent. That her apartment is getting fumigated, but I don’t believe her.”
“So you offered her a place to stay?”
I nod. “Yeah. I thought I might be able to convince her to stay longer. Maybe get a little more information out of her, but she bailed on me this morning after Madison came over. Claimedshe had some stuff to do, and her apartment would be free tonight. I’m almost certain it was a lie, though.”
Dash runs his hand down his face. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think she’s okay?”
I shake my head. “No. She’s tough and has clearly been through a lot, but she works for Luke, which is an immediate red flag. Something about the way she left today felt… off. Almost like she’s running from something.”
Dash quietly contemplates my predicament for a moment. Then he leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Maybe she just needs time to understand you’re not a threat. Some people don’t know how to accept help. The fact she agreed to come to your apartment at all shows she’s got some level of trust in you. Maybe you just need to keep building on that and eventually she’ll open up.”
I nod because it all sounds logical. I’m just an impatient asshole, and I know the gnawing feeling in my stomach won’t go until I can see with my own eyes.
“Cade,” Dash warns under his breath. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t push it with her.”
I raise my hands, laughing humorlessly. “Believe me, I can’t push anything with her. I don’t even know her number.”
His brows furrow. “How is that even possible? Aren’t you in the same study group? I thought that would be a requirement.”
I shake my head. “Nope. We meet at the same time every week. There’s never been a need to. Believe me, I suggested it enough times.”
“Are you going to try to talk to her again when we get back?”
I nod. “Oh, yeah.”
“Thought so. You’re like Stanley with a bone when you want something,” he jokes, and I laugh a little bit. The tension between us hasn’t vanished. Not completely, but something’sshifted. Maybe Scotty was right. Not that I’d ever let him know about it. “I really hope it works out for you, C. You deserve to be happy and if it’s with her, all the better.”
“Thanks,” I say, tipping my chin to the phone behind him. “Now I’d suggest you message my sister back before she calls me asking where you are.”
He looks over his shoulder at his phone and lets out a low chuckle. “She can wait another few minutes.”
“She can, but I’m exhausted, and I need to sleep before my head explodes thinking about Savannah.” I take my shoes off and relax against the headboard.
“She’ll come around. Timing is everything, just like on the ice. You need to pick your moment to strike with her.”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about the prospect of her sleeping arrangements tonight. Damn it. I wish she’d just let me help her. “Thanks for listening, D.”
Dash gives me a small smile. “Anytime, man. And thanks for being cool with me and Madison. I, uh, really like her.”
He shifts, uncomfortable with the words. That’s because I know he loves her.
“Yeah, I know,” I say, grabbing my gear and getting ready to call it a night. “Just don’t screw it up.”
Dash laughs, the tension finally breaking. “I’ll do my best.”
As I lie back on the bed, I feel a little lighter for talking things through with Dash. Things aren’t perfect between us, but at least I don’t feel like I’m carrying it all alone anymore, and maybe that’s the point. Maybe I need to remember that before I can save anyone else, I need to learn how to accept help myself.
The lights are off, the soft hum of the air conditioning filling the silence in the hotel room. I’m flat on my back, staring at the ceiling, willing my mind to shut the hell up for once.
It doesn’t.
I haven’t stopped thinking about Savannah in hours, not that I’ve tried that hard to stop. Honestly, I like thinking about her. Her in my shirt. Her in my home. In my fucking heart. She has it all and has no idea what to do with it. Or worse, she knows exactly what she has and is running from it because she thinks she doesn't deserve it. Doesn't deserve me. And that's the part that keeps me awake, staring at hotel ceilings and wondering how to convince her she's worth everything I want to give her.
Dash is on the other bed, his phone casting a faint glow across the room as he types away. His face is slack and he has this easy, stupid little smile on his face. I roll my eyes, knowing Madison is the reason for it.
