November Sky (Hardest Mistakes Book 2) by Dannielle Wicks Page B

off the floor. My legs are stiff from kneeling too long. I follow her out the door and lock it behind me.
     
    ***
     
    If I have to answer one more person when they ask me if I’m okay, I’m going to break something. I nearly curse when Fiona stops beside our desk and leans in close. I just know she’s going to ask too.
    “How are you, Kristian? Feeling better?” I open my mouth to give her the same answer I’ve been giving everyone else, but she stops me, holding up a finger. “Never mind, I don’t care. I’m just glad you’re back at work. Our meeting is in five minutes.” She strides away looking pleased with herself. I’m not even hurt by her comment, I’m just really confused. Bailey giggles from across the desk. I turn and glare at her. She covers her smile with her hand.
    Shaking my head, I gather up my notebook, papers, and pen. Bailey and I walk to the meeting room side by side. To anyone else, we look like two people who work together walking through our office, completely normal. To me, it’s too intimate. She’s walking too close, our hands are nearly brushing. I slow my steps slightly so we’re no longer side by side. She throws me a weird look over her shoulder as she enters the room. I gulp down any emotion I might be feeling and follow her through the glass doors.
    I try not to make it obvious that I’m waiting at the entrance for her to choose a seat before I sit across from her. Fiona stands at the head of the room and flicks off the lights, the projector screen coming to life and flashing statistics from the latest news polls. Fiona’s voice goes in one ear and out the other, nothing sinking in. I lift my head from my notebook slowly and gaze over at Bailey. She’s facing the front of the room, focused on whatever Fiona is saying, tapping her pen against her book. Someone makes a comment about something on the screen and she giggles along with the rest of the room. When she shakes her head and adjusts her glasses, her eyes meet mine and she freezes. I know I should look away, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to do it. She tilts her head, her mouth popping open slightly, a light blush shading her cheeks.
    “Mr. Reed?” My name snaps us both out of it. I jerk my gaze away from her and up to Fiona’s harsh face. “Nice of you to finally join us here on Earth.” She smirks and launches back into her speech.
    I quickly glance at Bailey, whose face is flushed a beautiful pink in embarrassment, before turning back to the projector screen.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 9
     
     
    KRISTIAN
     
    I push Bailey out of the way and reach for the plates on the shelf above her head.
    “If you can’t reach them properly, why do you put them up so high?”
    She grins, twisting back to the stove. “Why not?”
    I roll my eyes and place the plates on the counter beside her. Once she’s dished it all out, I take my plate to the table and dig in. The food is amazing; maybe she should be a chef, not a television producer.
    Bailey finally relents and takes back her bedroom, so I stretch out on her couch. It’s uncomfortable and my back hurts, but what else have I got? Jess destroyed my old bed. It’s getting easier to think about Jess without feeling lost.
     
    ***
     
    “Oh come on, it’ll be fun, Krissy,” Bailey whines from the kitchen. I roll my eyes and sit up on the sofa. She wants me to go with her to the market. I’m not sure if it’s really a good idea. It will be packed full of people and we’ll have to walk close together. “Please?” she begs, pushing her bottom lip out.
    “Fine,” I sigh and pull my shirt over my head.
    I have to rein in my frustration when another person hits my shoulder as they squeeze their way past me. I look down at Bailey. She grabs my hand tightly and presses herself into my side. This is much worse than just simply walking together.
    Her eyes shine up at me. “This is great.” She stands on her toes and looks out across the crowd.