The message I leave this time is short and sweet. “What the hell is going on?”
Chapter 53
Rocco
All the air leaves my lungs when I turn the corner and see Dexie standing in front of her building.
She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
It’s not the pink dress she’s wearing or the way her hair is pulled back into a ponytail.
It’s that face and the heart that beats inside that body.
The heart that owns me. It will always own me.
“Rocco.” My name snaps from her lips when she sees me approaching her.
Something shifts in her expression once she looks me over.
I look like hell.
Why wouldn’t I?
I’ve spent the past three days by my father’s side as he’s navigated a medical maze.
I’ve been home twice to shower and change clothes.
The short beard covering my jaw irritates the hell out of me, but shaving would take precious minutes away from my family.
“Dexie,” I say her name and something inside of me cracks in half.
I bite back the rush of emotions that threaten to break free.
“Are you all right?” Her brown eyes narrow, a look of concern blankets her expression.
“I’m fine,” I lie through my teeth. “How are you?”
“Confused,” she admits on a sigh. “Pissed off.”
At any other time, I’d use that to my advantage. An angry fuck with her would be intense. I’ve never seen her like this.
“What’s wrong?” I ask the question even though I know it sounds ridiculous.
What’s wrong? What the fuck is wrong with you, Rocco?
I chase away the annoying voice in my head with a hard swallow.
“We should talk about this in private.” Her hand gestures to the door of my building. “Can we go up to your place?”
My place. It’s where we made love and she fell asleep in my bathtub wrapped in my arms.
I open the door and motion for her to go first. She ascends the stairs in silence, her back rigid and her shoulders tense.
Once we reach my floor, I move in front of her to unlock my apartment door. I swing it open and she steps through before I do.
“I need to use the washroom,” she announces before she takes off down the hallway. Her heels click out a frantic beat.
I use the time to suck in a deep breath.