Page 59 of Love From the Ashes
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It was meant as one.”
I took a bite of my chowder, instantly grimacing. “Ooh, it’s still hot.” I took a sip of my water to cool off my burning tongue, turning my attention toward the bar while I swished the liquid around in my mouth. I froze, my glass slipping from my hand. It hit the table with a loud thud.
Reid grabbed my glass, setting it upright, his napkin covering the puddle of water as he tried to clean up the mess.
I barely noticed. The muscles in my throat had tightened, and I could hardly breathe. The room was slowly spinning as I tried to keep my eyes on the man sitting alone at the bar in a brown leather jacket, his head shaved at the sides and hair slicked back on top. His gaze was so intense it was as if he were burning a hole into my flesh.
“Sofie?” Reid said, glancing at me while he cleaned up the water. “The color has completely drained from your face. What’s wrong?”
“I swallowed wrong,” I said breathlessly, the words forced from my mouth. I wanted to curl up in Reid’s lap and hide.
“Do you need help? Should I get you more water?”
“No,” I whispered, my eyes feeling moist. I turned back to the bar, the seat now empty.
Our server suddenly appeared at Reid’s elbow. “Oops, it looks like we had a little accident. I’ve brought you a stack of paper napkins.” She placed them on the table, quietly backing away when Reid ignored her.
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” Reid said, continuing to clean up the mess.
“Yes, I’m sure.” My body shook as I nervously scanned the bar and dining area by the front door. I needed confirmation that the man had left.
“We should eat our lunch, so you don’t keep Della waiting. Aren’t you supposed to text her when we’ve finished?”
“Yes, that’s what she said.” Although that was our plan, I felt too scared to leave Reid’s side. I needed to send Della a text canceling our outing. She was hanging out at her brother’s apartment around the corner, so it wasn’t like my change in plans would screw up her day. I pulled my cell phone from my purse, intending to send the text when I got one from her first. I opened the message. Della was already waiting for me at the mall and wanted me to meet her at Barnes and Noble.
“Who is it?” Reid said.
“It’s Della. She’s across the street and wants me to meet her at the bookstore.”
“All right. Let me finish my sandwich, and I’ll walk you across the street.”
My appetite had disappeared, along with my desire to go shopping. I picked at my clam chowder, taking enough bites that it looked like I’d eaten something. I debated with myself over and over as I sat there. Should I tell Reid who the man was? Logically, I knew I should. But I was scared. Bribery, extortion, assault, drug dealing, theft, and human trafficking were all offenses he had under his belt. I knew the list went beyond that since he was Denny’s enforcer. The police just hadn’t caught him committing the others. Identifying this man meant revealing some of the darkest parts of my life, and I doubted Reid could stomach the truth. Everything had a cost, and with our relationship now at stake, I had to find out what that cost would be for the man to leave me alone.
Reid finished his sandwich and paid the bill. We bundled back up, and then Reid took me across the street. After entering the mall and taking the escalator upstairs, we walked down the main corridor until we reached the bookstore.
“There you are. I was getting worried you were going to bail on me,” Della said, teasing me. She was standing by the entrance.
“A little late, but I’m here,” I said, although I wished Reid and I were heading home instead. I wasn’t as safe as I needed to be, the situation making me feel like a wild rabbit in an open field surrounded by wolves. I had to make sure I stayed with Della. There was always more safety in numbers.
“Cool. I hope you’re ready to explore. I need to find a new pair of sunglasses and get some makeup.” Della looked over at Reid. “You’re welcome to join us. You might enjoy it.”
“Oh, no. I’ll pass. Shopping isn’t exactly my thing,” Reid said, laughing.
“Too bad. You’ll be missing out,” Della said, teasing him. “I’ll bring Sofie home afterward, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. Well, I’m going to leave you two to your fun. Sofie, I’ll see you at home later. Be careful, okay?”
“I will.” I forced a smile when Reid kissed me goodbye.
“Well, what’s first? Sunglasses for me or shirts for you?” Della said.
“Shirts for me. Let’s go to Madewell. They don’t have maternity clothes, but I might be able to find some loose-fitting tops that I can wear. We can look at sunglasses in the store across from it after that.”
“That’ll work.”
We went to Madewell, and just as I suspected, I found a long-sleeved denim shirt, two sweaters, and a blouse that fit over my stomach. From there, we checked out the shop across the corridor. Unable to find a pair of sunglasses Della liked, we went to another eyewear shop across the mall. After finding Della a cute pair she loved, we went to the cosmetics store next door.