Chapter 6

Lance

I barely slept a wink, no idea why. Every time my eyes closed, I saw her face. Her being the good Lauren, not the evil one. Just the thought made me laugh. Anyway, I was up and ready to work. I'd made myself some coffee and just sat down at my desk. The first thing I did was look for a message I thought for sure would be waiting, but there was none. Good, I thought. Maybe she got the point. Maybe I'd be able to get through the day without having to see a reminder of her. That would be a nice change. I opened the stuff I needed on my screen and had the papers I'd been using next to me. My hand went through my hair, and I realized I really needed to get it cut. That shit was getting long. What was going on with me? I wasn't usually one to just let it all go, but there I was in sweats, no shirt, and morning messy hair. If I was lucky, maybe my family would leave me alone for the weekend as well. If so, I was going to work my ass off all weekend and finally make some progress. I wanted to beat her ass more than ever. That job was mine.

I'd just gotten deep into my work when I heard the knock at the door. If I ignored it, would they go away? That wasn't likely, my car was parked right out front.

“Fucking Sammie,” I grumbled as I got up from my chair and walked down the hall. “I'll never get rid of your ass.”

I unlocked the door, pulled it open, and walked away.

“What?” I snapped. “I'm trying to get some work done. I moved out to get away from your ass. You do know that, don't you?”

“Lance,” came in a whisper from behind me, and I instantly turned around with what I'm sure was shock written all over my face.

What the hell was she doing there, I wondered? How did she even know where I lived? Did I need to get one of those protection orders? I felt my chest shake at the thought as I held back a laugh.

Lauren stood outside of my apartment door looking nervous and unsure of herself. The woman before me was definitely not the confident, cocky woman I was used to dealing with, outside the bedroom that is. Shit! Get your mind out of the gutter, I silently scolded myself. It was so damn hard seeing her. Every time I saw her, I wanted to feel her beneath me.

“Lance,” she whispered again, pulling me back to reality.

I stood tall and put on the most confident look I could come up with.

“What are you doing here?” I asked with my voice deep.

That shit took work. The woman had me ready to throw her over my shoulder already. I was sure she was going to need her mouth full so she'd keep it quiet. Damn! Knock it off, I thought.

“I need to talk to you,” she said, as she moved from one foot to the next.

When her bottom lip moved between her teeth, I forced myself to pull my eyes away. Eric, I thought. Oh, and Jackson, I added in my head.

“So you drove here,” I said in a stern tone.

“You wouldn't talk to me,” she said.

“Well, you wasted your time and gas,” I said. “We have nothing to talk about.”

“Yes, we do,” she said with a bit more confidence than before, as she stepped through the door.

I saw her eyes move around my apartment as she waited for me to speak.

“Fine,” I snapped. “Say what you have to say and then go.”

She let out an aggravated breath and opened her mouth to speak.

“Listen,” she began.

My phone rang, cutting her off. I reached over to where it was on the counter and grabbed it.

“It's James, I have to take this,” I said.

When she narrowed her eyes at me, it took all I had not to laugh.

“He's my boss,” I said.

“Your boss?” she asked with sarcasm dripping from her words.

I shook my head and answered the phone.

“Lance,” he said without so much as a hello. “We're at the hospital.”

“What? Why?” I quickly asked. “Is it Jillian?”

“No,” he said. “It's Sammie. She was having some pain and other stuff. I brought her in. Your parents are on their way. I need you here, man.”

“I'm on my way,” I said and hung up the phone before he even had a chance to finish.

“We have to go,” I said.

“You're going to work?” Lauren asked.

“The hospital,” I said, as I took off for my room to grab a shirt and replace my sweats with jeans.

“Why?” she asked loudly. “Your boss needs you at the hospital.”

“For my sister,” I yelled out, as I quickly finished and walked back down the hall.

When I saw the confused look on her face, I realized how messed up it sounded.

“My boss is my brother-in-law,” I said. “He took my sister to the hospital. I have to get there before my parents.”

When I turned around and hurried down the hall to my office, she was right behind me. I turned off my laptop and walked back out of the room to find her in Jilly's doorway with a shocked expression on her face.

“You have a child?” she asked.

“What?” I asked. “No way! Are you serious? That's my niece's room. I'm only twenty-one. Come on. We need to hurry.”

“I'm not going,” she said, as she shook her head.

“You want to talk?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “But.”

“Then get your ass moving,” I demanded, cutting her off.

I pulled the door shut behind us and took off for my car.