him gone.
"Yeah, I guess that about covers it," Lex murmured.
I hated how dejected he sounded but that wasn't my fault. I'd actually started to enjoy his company the day before, so I felt like an even bigger asshole both for allowing him into my private world and for actually liking having him there. "Take care of yourself, Lex," I said as I stepped away from him and headed for my door. I heard him mumble something, but I couldn't make out what it was. I figured it was a reciprocal response either wishing me a good day or merely saying goodbye or something equally benign. I let myself into the house and called Brewer, but not surprisingly, the husky mix didn't respond. I left him sitting with Lex and shut the door behind me.
I placed the bottle on the kitchen table and then went to the cabinet to look for a glass. I snagged one and poured myself a hefty drink then lifted the glass to my lips. But I stupidly chose that moment to glance out the window. My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I watched Lex walking along my driveway, away from the house. A few things went through my head all at once.
First off, I wanted to stop the man and ask him what the hell he was thinking wandering down a driveway he didn't know out in the middle of nowhere. Did he seriously think he was going to be able to make it back to the cabin he was renting?
Second, my loyal dog had turned traitor and was accompanying Lex. But I couldn't exactly be upset about that. Actually, it was the only bright spot. I knew Brewer wouldn’t let anything happen to Lex. I didn't really understand my dog's fascination with the young man, but since I couldn't explain my own, I figured who was I to judge?
And lastly, as pissed as I was at Lex, I wasn't happy to see him walking away. He was doing exactly what I'd told him to, but it still felt like some kind of strange rejection. I lifted the glass again but as soon as the liquid touched my lips, I found myself looking out the damn window once more. "Fuck," I growled and practically slammed the glass down on the table.
Since I hadn't taken the time to work my jacket off or remove my boots, it took just a handful of seconds to get back outside and into my truck. It took about the same amount of time to catch up to Lex because he was walking slowly, carefully putting one foot in front of the other. He had one hand stretched out before him just a bit and the other was on Brewer's head. Not surprisingly, he stopped when I pulled my truck up next to him.
"Gideon?" Lex asked in confusion. I was already climbing out of the truck. I grabbed his arm, though I kept my grip gentle as I led him around the front of the truck, making sure not to go too fast because I didn't want him to trip or slip. He repeated my name, still clearly not sure what was going on, but he didn't resist me at all. I wanted to think it was because he trusted me a little, but I knew that wasn't true. He’d proven as much the day before when he'd accused me of snooping around to find out who he was.
I yanked open the passenger side door and said, "I'm taking you home. You have as long as it takes for us to get there to explain what the fuck happened yesterday." I didn't give Lex a chance to respond before I slammed the door shut and stomped around the front of the truck. I wanted to kick my own ass for having given in to this man yet again. I tried to tell myself I was just giving him a ride home so he wouldn't freeze to death on my stoop, but it was impossible to deny the fact that I really did want to know why he’d turned on me like he had.
I got back into the truck and threw it in gear. I waited only long enough for Brewer to jump in the back and then I took off. I expected Lex to launch into a long-winded explanation, but he merely sat as still as a stone in the passenger seat. I almost reminded him that his time was