“T-That’s just not p-possible,” she stammered. “Clayton had a temper, but he wouldn’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.”
“You didn’t deserve it,” he growled. It was time she started seeing the truth for what it was. The man had been a piece of shit, a murdering son of a bitch.
“That was different.” She rubbed a finger over the bruise. “I argued with him over something stupid, trivial.”
“Doesn’t give him the right, Norah. It’s important that you tell me everything you know. You may not even realize it, but he may have told you something. Or perhaps you saw something without registering its importance. Anything at all, Norah.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“You were with him for two years. You had to have seen something. Do you seriously expect me to believe that you two spent that much time together and you know nothing? Even pillow talk would come in handy here.” He knew his voice had an edge, but he couldn’t hold in the frustration.
Her face flushed. “Clayton and I, we didn’t have that great of a relationship.” She paused, and he saw the tears in her eyes. “I was more of a prize for him. A way for him to show how much he cared about people. He was going to marry a girl who grew up on the streets and in the same shelters he supported.” She looked down at her feet. “We never even,” she paused again and wiped a tear that had begun to fall, “we didn’t have a physical relationship.”
Harley leaned back in his chair and folded his arms as the weight of what she had just told him sunk in. They had never had sex? In two years? Was she serious? One look at the embarrassment on her face and he knew she had been telling the truth. He had definitely not seen that coming.
He hated to admit it, but the man in him was glad that she hadn’t been with Matthews. He knew he didn’t have a right to feel that way, but there it was. The bastard hadn’t deserved her anyways, but he knew enough to know that when a woman was with a man for as long as they had been together and he never touched her, she would start to feel unworthy, self-conscious, and that in itself could cause all sorts of other emotional issues.
“I didn’t even stay with him.” She said it so quietly that he almost missed it. “I was always at my apartment. Not once did he ever come to my place.” She laughed angrily, and when she looked up, Harley saw the fire behind the tears in her eyes. “We were supposed to get married and he hadn’t ever even seen the inside of my apartment! Bastard!”
She yelled this time, and Harley was relieved to see that she seemed to be moving on past the shock of the recent events.
“I only saw the men because they stopped us outside of a children’s benefit last month. Clayton made me leave before they spoke about anything.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Am I a bad person for not being more upset, seeing as how the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with is dead?” She took a deep breath in and the fire smoldered.
“Not at all. He was a bastard.” The simplicity of his statement made her smile, and the sight was so beautiful Harley had to look away to keep from staring.
“So what are we doing here?” she asked as she looked around.
“Going to take a trip to see an old friend of mine.”
“Old friend?”
“He’s a good man, Norah, I promise. I wouldn’t risk you again. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
Once Harley climbed out of the car, Norah locked the doors. The level of anxiety she felt without him by her side both worried and intrigued her. How had she become so dependent on him in a matter of hours? Easy answer, she supposed. He had saved her life three times now.
She watched as he walked to the kiosk of the bus station, and then unlocked the doors when he turned to come back to the car.
“Next bus isn’t until eight tonight, but there’s a diner down the street. You hungry?”
“Starving, but not sure I’m appropriate for public.” She gestured to her gown.
“Let’s see what I can do about that.” He walked to the back of the car and she heard the trunk open. “Will this work?” He handed her a black jacket. Norah put it on and smiled. It must have belonged to one of those flirty blondes, because it was both tiny and expensive.
“Looks good as new.” He zipped the jacket up and then wrapped his arm around her. “Blending in,” he said, and Norah noticed his jaw had tightened.
She couldn’t help the disappointment she felt at the look on his face. She could tell he was not happy that he was touching her. What was so wrong with her that he was uncomfortable to be seen with his arm wrapped around her? Could it have been the same reason Clayton hadn’t ever been attracted to her?
Norah shrugged out from under his arm and walked into the diner. The scents of food wafted over her and made her stomach growl. She followed Harley over to a corner booth and slid in on the side facing the door. Harley slid in next to her and she eyed him, irritated.
“I don’t want my back to the door.”
“So let me out and I’ll sit over there.”
“Don’t want to sit by me?” he taunted.
“Just about as much as you wanted to have your arm around my shoulders.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hi, how are you two doing tonight?” A woman who Norah guessed was in her mid-fifties brought over two menus. “Can I start you two with some coffee?”
“Yes, please.” Norah smiled softly.
“Sounds good, thanks.”
The woman walked away and Harley opened a menu.
“What are you going to have?”
Norah stared at him. Was this the same man who only minutes before had looked disgusted because he had been touching her?
“Harley I can sit over there.” She pointed, and he shook his head.
“Not necessary.”
When he didn’t budge, Norah picked up a menu. She was starving, and refused to let his attitude interfere with getting some food.
* * *
Harley focused on the menu. He knew what he was having, but he continued to read because it was easier than looking at the woman sitting next to him. He had no doubt she had mistaken the look on his face for irritation towards her. What she failed to realize was that it was himself he was irritated with. He had no business being attracted to her, and yet here he was, sitting next to her in the booth, too damn stubborn to let her get up and move. Why? Because he liked being next to her.
After what had almost happened at her apartment and then immediately after with Tom, Harley had no intention of letting her out of his sight until this whole mess was all over. If he was lucky, he would manage to get away from her before things got too messy. That is, if they weren’t already.
“Here you go.” The woman set the coffees down in front of them and Norah practically wept and kissed her hand. “Know what you’re having?”
“Norah?”
She was surprised he had let her go first. Not only had Clayton never let her go first, but he very rarely ever let her even order for herself.