Damaged (new adult romance) (Never Leave Me, #2) Read Free Page A

daydreaming about him. And yes, I filled Lisa and Grace in on all the details, eventually. They forgave him, but insisted I invite him over for dinner so they could get to know him better, which was code for, interrogation.
    Let’s face it, Lisa and Grace are really all I have and in all honesty, as much as they annoy me sometimes, I love that they care enough about me to want to make sure I’m not dating a creep who is going to hurt me.
    Finally, Monday morning came around. I nearly fell out of bed, I was moving so fast. In what seemed like ten seconds, I was showered, dressed and out the door, on my way to work. I figured the sooner I got to work, the sooner it would be lunch time. I wanted to see Reece more than anything!
    A few Metro stops later, I raced up the escalators and then dashed across the street. And right at th at moment, right at the moment my feet touched the other side of the street, my throat started closing, my stomach started hurting and my hands started shaking. I couldn’t move. I felt that if I moved even one step, my body would break and I’d crumble to the ground.
    There he was, just feet from me. My father. He was standing against the wall, underneath the railroad tracks, staring at his feet. Reality began to dance around me, taunting me, laughing at me, and calling me a stupid, stupid girl. Was it possible that Reece had actually pushed out every thought I had about my homeless father? Selfish of me to have allowed a guy, someone I hardly knew to make me forget about my real life.
    Damn my demons to Hell. How foolish of me to have even considered that a damaged soul could heal. I lowered my head in shame and urged my feet to walk. I’d not avoid him. If he recognized me, I’d face him and tell him who I was. No more hiding or running away.
    Biting my nails and very nearly hyperventilating, I took a step and then another. The closer I got to him, the more nervous I became. And there it was still poking fun at me: REALITY. I scratched the back of my neck and kept moving. He didn’t notice me. I walked right passed him and he didn’t say anything to me.
    “Hey!” I heard him yell.
    I didn’t stop.
    “Hey, come back!” he yelled.
    I stop, but don’t turn around. No, I’m not ready. I can’t do this. I can’t face him. I’m feeling lightheaded. I can’t breathe. I’m going to faint. OH MY GOD, my father knows who I am. He’s calling out to me. I’m sweating. Someone help me. Please, someone blink me out of here. NOW, someone help me, NOW.
    I swallow saliva and lick my lips. Then, I do it. I reach down inside of me, down to my very soul and I turn around. I see him talking to a woman. He’ s handing her a folder. She must have dropped it when she walked past him. It’s not me he was calling. I don’t have to talk to him today. I can put it off one more day, two days, maybe three. My lungs are filling with air again. I’m not shaking anymore. Today is going to be a fine day. A good day. A FAKE day. I can go on pretending I don’t have a homeless father. I can see Reece and talk to him and laugh with him and kiss him. All is well. Raise your head, turn back around and get your butt to work.
     
    ***
     
     
    Waiting for me in front of my desk, was Mr. Walker and some guy I had never seen before.
    “Perfect timing,” Mr. Walker said.
    “Good morning,” I said.
    “I want to introduce you to Thomas,” he said.
    Thomas extended a hand to me. “Call me Tom,” he said, showing off his dimples.
    “Today is his first day. He’s going to help us read manuscripts. I stole him from the Used-to- be-Big-but-Now-Sells-Nothing Literary Agency. Tom here has a great eye for what makes a good story. I want to grab him on his way up, before someone else does,” Mr. Walker said, winking at me.
    WHAT?! This blonde hair, blue-eyed guy is here to take my job, outshine me. Okay, wait a minute, settle down. You’re still only Mr. Walker’s assistant. Your job is to answer phones and schedule