Read Online Light Unshaken (Unveiled #2) by Crystal Walton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Crystal Walton
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use a little humor in your life.”
I replicated his grin. “That is why I keep you around.”
Ignoring my sarcasm, he whisked Jaycee into his arms. “I’m good for a few things.”
Oh, brother. Jaycee giggled, and I took my cue.
I could only handle seeing so much affection before I had to excuse myself from the premises.
“Have a great time, Jae. Drive safely.” I waved goodbye and headed back up the walkway to our apartment.
“Oh, Em,” she called. “I left you something in the bathroom. A little precautionary measure. You know, to keep you focused.”
No telling what that meant. Did I want to know?
Curiosity got the best of me. With only a few minutes before I had to leave, I stopped in the bathroom. A train of colored sticky notes lined the right-hand edge of the mirror, one underneath the other. YOUR DAILY PEP TALK , the first one read in all caps, followed by smaller print underneath it.
Read out loud :
I am courageous.
I am not alone.
I am loved.
I will make it through.
Leave it to Jaycee to make me laugh while getting teary-eyed at the same time. Precautionary measures? I shook my head but couldn’t blame her for being on guard after my brief exile into depression last year.
Following her instructions, I repeated each declaration out loud on my drive in to work. As ridiculous as I probably looked and sounded, professing the words made them a little easier to believe. At least, until the black Acura parked outside the center stoked a reminder of another fire waiting for me. I’d invited A. J. into the only thing besides Riley that held my heart.
chapter nine
Eclipsed
I glanced up from my desk toward the sunset sneaking through the office’s front window. The same cluster of guys A. J. and I’d seen weeks ago guarded the street corner across from the center like a pack of dogs defending their territory. The tallest one stared right at me. His expression tore through the window and held my lungs in a vice grip against my chair.
“Emma.”
My knees clanked into the bottom of my drawer. Biting back the pain, I turned right as Trey unhooked his jacket from the coat stand in the entryway.
“I’m really sorry I have to dip out early. More paperwork to sign.” He kept his tone light, but the burden of his divorce wore through.
My heart ached for him. I tucked the voicemail messages I’d written down earlier under my keyboard. He didn’t need to deal with bill collectors right now.
“As much as my attorney’s charging by the hour, you’d think he could get it all done in one shot.” He pressed down his coat collar. “You know the difference between a lawyer and a mosquito?”
I cocked my chin. “Same thing as the last five times you told this joke?”
He laughed his husky laugh. “Still true. I’m tellin’ ya, they’ll suck the life out of you.” He jostled his keys from his pocket. “You sure you’re good with closing up?”
“Yep.” I stole another glance behind me toward the window. No sign of the earlier loiterers. Nothing but a few pieces of loose trash blowing down the vacant street.
I ruffled through a pile of outstanding bills on my desk. “I just have this last stack of invoices to key, and then I’ll be heading out myself.”
A. J. stood on the outskirts of the room near the back door with his focus glued to his Nikes.
Trey looked from him to me and cleared his throat. I hadn’t expected A. J. to stay this long. I wasn’t about to ask him to stay after everyone else left.
Trey must’ve sensed my hesitation and apparently had no qualms speaking up for me. “A. J., you mind sticking around until Emma locks up?”
He raised his head, a toy soldier coming to life from a wooden pose. “I’m happy to stay and walk you to your car, Emma.”
I saw his lips move. Knew it was A. J.’s voice, but it sounded wrong. Too formal. Too obligatory. For his sake, I wanted to pretend I’d be fine on my own. Even more, I wished Riley were here instead.
A. J.
I replicated his grin. “That is why I keep you around.”
Ignoring my sarcasm, he whisked Jaycee into his arms. “I’m good for a few things.”
Oh, brother. Jaycee giggled, and I took my cue.
I could only handle seeing so much affection before I had to excuse myself from the premises.
“Have a great time, Jae. Drive safely.” I waved goodbye and headed back up the walkway to our apartment.
“Oh, Em,” she called. “I left you something in the bathroom. A little precautionary measure. You know, to keep you focused.”
No telling what that meant. Did I want to know?
Curiosity got the best of me. With only a few minutes before I had to leave, I stopped in the bathroom. A train of colored sticky notes lined the right-hand edge of the mirror, one underneath the other. YOUR DAILY PEP TALK , the first one read in all caps, followed by smaller print underneath it.
Read out loud :
I am courageous.
I am not alone.
I am loved.
I will make it through.
Leave it to Jaycee to make me laugh while getting teary-eyed at the same time. Precautionary measures? I shook my head but couldn’t blame her for being on guard after my brief exile into depression last year.
Following her instructions, I repeated each declaration out loud on my drive in to work. As ridiculous as I probably looked and sounded, professing the words made them a little easier to believe. At least, until the black Acura parked outside the center stoked a reminder of another fire waiting for me. I’d invited A. J. into the only thing besides Riley that held my heart.
chapter nine
Eclipsed
I glanced up from my desk toward the sunset sneaking through the office’s front window. The same cluster of guys A. J. and I’d seen weeks ago guarded the street corner across from the center like a pack of dogs defending their territory. The tallest one stared right at me. His expression tore through the window and held my lungs in a vice grip against my chair.
“Emma.”
My knees clanked into the bottom of my drawer. Biting back the pain, I turned right as Trey unhooked his jacket from the coat stand in the entryway.
“I’m really sorry I have to dip out early. More paperwork to sign.” He kept his tone light, but the burden of his divorce wore through.
My heart ached for him. I tucked the voicemail messages I’d written down earlier under my keyboard. He didn’t need to deal with bill collectors right now.
“As much as my attorney’s charging by the hour, you’d think he could get it all done in one shot.” He pressed down his coat collar. “You know the difference between a lawyer and a mosquito?”
I cocked my chin. “Same thing as the last five times you told this joke?”
He laughed his husky laugh. “Still true. I’m tellin’ ya, they’ll suck the life out of you.” He jostled his keys from his pocket. “You sure you’re good with closing up?”
“Yep.” I stole another glance behind me toward the window. No sign of the earlier loiterers. Nothing but a few pieces of loose trash blowing down the vacant street.
I ruffled through a pile of outstanding bills on my desk. “I just have this last stack of invoices to key, and then I’ll be heading out myself.”
A. J. stood on the outskirts of the room near the back door with his focus glued to his Nikes.
Trey looked from him to me and cleared his throat. I hadn’t expected A. J. to stay this long. I wasn’t about to ask him to stay after everyone else left.
Trey must’ve sensed my hesitation and apparently had no qualms speaking up for me. “A. J., you mind sticking around until Emma locks up?”
He raised his head, a toy soldier coming to life from a wooden pose. “I’m happy to stay and walk you to your car, Emma.”
I saw his lips move. Knew it was A. J.’s voice, but it sounded wrong. Too formal. Too obligatory. For his sake, I wanted to pretend I’d be fine on my own. Even more, I wished Riley were here instead.
A. J.
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