Make Believe (Book #2, PRETEND SERIES)

Chapter 10: Six Days Earlier

“Yeah, just a couple of meetings about some new equipment.”

“Sounds good, well I’ll see you later. Love you.”

“Yeah, love you too,” I ended the call. I hated lying to her.

After asking Lisa to cancel and reschedule any appointments we had, I joined Leah in my car.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

* * *

After swinging by Leah’s apartment so that she could pick up some clothes, it took about fifteen minutes to get to the motel that I had in mind. Neither of us spoke again until we pulled up outside. It was not a particularly big place, but it would be fine for a couple of nights.

“You don’t have to do this,” she whispered as she avoided eye contact with me.

“I want to, come on.”

“I can’t hide forever, Aiden. He will find me, he always does.”

“Don’t worry about that right now, OK?”

“OK.”

I checked Leah in for three days at the motel, to give her some time to figure out what to do next. The room was not too bad for thirty dollars a night. It didn’t have much in it, just a single bed, a tall lamp and a dresser but it would do.

“This is so embarrassing,” she said once I closed the door behind us.

She sat down on the bed, placed her head in her hands, and took a deep breath. I took a couple of steps toward her before I sat down next to her. I placed my hand on her back.

“Hey, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” I reassured her.”

“You’re my boss. You shouldn’t have to be taking care of me.”

“I’m human first, then I’m your boss, and you’re not the first person I’ve taken care of in a situation like this,” I admitted.

“Really?” She turned her head slightly so she could see my face.

“My dad, he used to hit my mom.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” Suddenly I felt her shaking underneath my hand. “Hey, hey, it’s OK.”

“I’m just scared. I fell in love with someone like that so what does that say about me?”

“It says you are brave because you walked away.”

“But I’m not brave. That’s just it, I’m not,” she began crying and threw her head into my chest. I was a little lost as her hand wrapped around my neck, and she began crying more and more. I awkwardly patted her back, trying to calm her down. “Please stay for a bit, don’t leave me,” she whispered, her head still buried in my chest.

“OK, OK...”

* * *

It was not until my eyes fluttered open that I realized that I had fallen asleep. Shifting slightly, I noticed a hand lying on my chest. Looking down I discovered Leah lying in my arms and immediately jumped to my feet, waking her at the same time.

“What happened?” she asked sleepily.

“We must have fallen asleep. What time is it?” I asked pulling my phone out of my pocket to look myself. “Damn,” I grunted when I saw three missed calls from April. It had been four hours since I had brought Leah here. I cannot believe I let this happen. Panicking, I moved further away from Leah as I searched for April’s name in my phone.