Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

The man reached out and grabbedher arm, and Devon froze.

“Where you think you’re goin’,baby?”

This wasn’t good.  Devon couldtell what would happen next.  This guy was already belligerently drunk even ifit was early in the evening.  The room was dark, and no one was going tointerfere.  It felt just like one of her dreams.

Wake up!  Wake up!  Wake up!she yelled in her head.

But she wasn’t waking up, andusually by this point, she was in that stupid bedroom with that stupid whitebed, face-planting into the stupid soft comforter.

The guy was just holding herarm.  However sinister he appeared, this was not like her dream.  This wasreality, and she had to face it.

Devon tried breathing in and outto keep from hyperventilating as she turned back toward the guy.  “Let me go,”she said softer than she would have liked.

“Oh, come on,” he said, tuggingher closer to him.

“Is there a problem?” Brennanasked, materializing out of thin air.

Devon released her breath as theguy loosened his grip on her arm.

“No concern of yours,” the guysaid.

“Mind letting my friend go, so wecan get to our seats?” Brennan asked, raising his eyebrows.

The guy carelessly flung her armback at her, and Devon immediately took a step away from him.  She massaged herarm where he had gripped her.  Her mind was racing.

That terrible voice from herdream spoke into her mind then.  “You thought you were safe, but you’llnever be safe.”

“Come on, Devon.”  Brennanushered her in front of him without pulling his gaze away from the guy.

She could tell Brennan didn’ttrust the guy not to swing on him or worse.

Devon had been approached bythese kinds of guys before, and they were all the same.  She tried to push theincident aside, but it kept creeping up on her.  Was she a walking targetfor these idiots?  Did people just find it funny to mess with her?  Shemust have looked as bad as she felt because Brennan pulled her up short.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked.

She wondered how many times hehad asked her that question and how many times she had denied anything waswrong.  It had been at least a dozen times a week since they had startedworking together.

This time, she didn’t have topretend.  She wasn’t okay.  The guy who had grabbed her was two or three times hersize.  He could have easily overpowered her, and he knew it.  She had seen theflash in eyes that said he had all the power.  He was reveling in herhelplessness, and that was scariest of all.

“No,” she finally said, shakingher head.  “I don’t particularly like being manhandled.”

“I don’t think many people do,”he said.

When a group walked past them,Brennan placed his hand on the small of her back, moving her to the side.  Herbody warmed at his touch, and she tried to push aside her growing attraction tohim.  She had spent too much time with him at work, and she didn’t need thisright now.

“Thanks for getting me out ofthere,” she said softly.

“Thanks for answering myquestion,” he replied with a smile unlike any she had ever seen from him.

Her cheeks heated, and she lookedaway.

“And for coming to my gig.”

She cleared her throat.  “You’vebeen telling me about it for weeks.  How could I miss it?”

“You’re sneaky.  I thought youwould find a way.”

“I’m not sneaky,” she saiddefensively.

“You’re proving me wrong,” hesaid, nudging her forward.  “Amy and Hannah are over here.  We couldn’t getanyone else out of work.”

“Sounds good.”

“Do you know if Hadley andGarrett are going to show?” he asked, glancing at her apprehensively.

“I think so.  Garrett told methey planned to,” she told him, wondering if she had said too much.

“Still not really talking toHadley?” he asked intuitively.

Yep, she had said too much.

“Oh look, I see Amy,” Devon said,ducking out from under his arm.

“About you answering questions,”Brennan muttered as he followed her.

Amy and Hannah seemed to be deepin discussion about something when Brennan and Devon walked up, but the womenwelcomed them to the table.  Devon took a seat next to Amy, and Brennan satnext to Devon.  She didn’t know when Hadley and Garrett would show up, so shewas left with just Brennan’s company.

When she realized Amy and Hannahwere going to continue ignoring her, Devon turned to Brennan.  “So, what areyou singing tonight?”

“I’ve opted for originals.”

“You write your own lyrics?” sheasked, surprised.

He hadn’t mentioned that part. It made her want to pull out her notebook.  With how busy she had been, shehadn’t had a chance to open it recently.  It made her heart hurt to think aboutthe last time she had written anything.  Lyrics had always come so naturally toher.  It was likely due to her parents’ profession even if she didn’t like toadmit it.  She still carried the notebook everywhere with her, but writing hadfallen to the wayside since she had taken the job at Jenn’s.

Brennan shrugged, like it wasn’ta big deal.  “Some.  They’re not great, but I’ve been particularly inspiredrecently.”

“That’s good,” she said, findingshe actually wanted to contribute to this conversation.  “I like when I feellike that…most of the time.”

“Me, too,” he said, looking herstraight in the eyes.

“Sometimes, it’s like ripping myheart out and writing with the blood.”  She clutched her chest.

“Sometimes, it’s like that,” heagreed.  “And other times, it’s like the sun only shines for you, every breathof oxygen was designed for you to breathe, and life has a new purpose.”

Devon swallowed and nodded. “Yeah,” she whispered.  “Sometimes, it’s like that, too.”

“But I like either as long assomeone feels the music.”

A pause followed in theconversation.  Devon didn’t know exactly what to say.  When her phone vibratedin her purse, it kept her from saying anything.  She pulled it out and stareddown at the message.  Reid.  He had only sent a message to her oncesince she had supposedly left for Paris.  Her heart sped up.  What if shegot caught?  How would she respond?

Taking a deep breath, she pulledup the text.

I know you won’t get thismessage for another month, but I’ve been missing you here.  I wish I could getin contact with you because I have free time.  Paris for a week sounds like adream.  Paris with you sounds even better.  Call me as soon as you