He blinked, several times, but she couldn’t read his expression. What was he thinking? It unnerved her. Those blue eyes always had a way of looking right through a person.
“Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
Confused, she watched him get up. “I’m not sure what I have in the fridge, but if you’re hungry…”
“No.” He stopped her. “Let’s go out to eat. There’s a diner a few blocks over. It’s not busy, which means the food is probably shit, but there won’t be any crowds.”
“I can’t…”
He grabbed her hands, and the wash of panic started to recede. “I’m not asking you to go face a whole room full of people, Becca. I’m asking you to come get some food with me. I know it’ll be hard, but I think your doctor is right. You need to face this. You’re too beautiful a person to hide yourself away and be scared. I’ll be with you, and if it gets bad, I promise I will bring you right back.”
“I don’t know, Dimitri.” Why would he ask her to do this, especially after she’d just bared her soul and her deepest fears to him?
“Will you try, Krasivaya? Please?”
“What does that mean?”
“After all these years, you honestly think I’m going to tell you?” He grinned, and that damn dimple came out. “Now, get your ass up, get dressed, and let’s go eat.”
Without giving her time to protest, he left, closing the door behind him.
What the hell was she going to do?
Chapter Four
She’d taken a shower, dried and straightened her hair, all with the hope of buying herself as much time as she could. Not that she’d get out of this. Dimitri could be a stubborn ass when he wanted. What she’d often seen as cute and endearing was now messing with her, personally, and she didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
Throwing on a pair of old jeans and her favorite blue sweater, she ventured out into the living room. She found him on her couch, eyes closed and breathing evenly. Sleeping. The bastard was sleeping. He’d gone and messed with her head, and here he was, snoozing away as if he had not a care in the world.
She walked right up to him and shoved him. “Wake up, asshole.”
He blinked, yawning. “Sorry. I haven’t slept since you sent me that text. Ready to go?”
Normally, she’d call bullshit, but he did look tired, so maybe he wasn’t lying. Maybe he hadn’t slept since she’d quit. Or at least not well.
“I’m still not sure about this, D.”
“I am.” He rolled his shoulders. “If I can get my sorry ass on a plane for you, then you can get your sorry ass to breakfast for me.”
Becca watched with growing trepidation as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The smell of stale beer and pot wafted in, but she paid it no mind. She was used to the scent.
Could she do it? Could she step outside? All those people, crowding around her…why was he asking her to do this, dammit?
He held out his hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Just take my hand. It’ll be fine. I promise.”
Why did he have to look at her like that? Like everything that could possibly hurt her would be erased if she only trusted him? It was how he’d managed to blindside her in high school too. The more she thought about his high-handed tactics, the more infuriated she became.
“Don’t you give a shit about how this makes me feel, Dimitri? You’re supposed to be my best friend, and yet you’re pushing me to do something you know might cause a full-blown attack. I get that anxiety is something you don’t know much about, but I’m telling you, I can’t do this. Why can’t you accept that? Don’t you love me enough to love me the way I am?”
“I do love you, Becca, just the way you are. Never doubt that. Why am I asking you out to breakfast after witnessing what just happened to you? It’s not to hurt you or embarrass you, babe. It’s to help you. I couldn’t help you when you needed me back in high school, but I’ll be damned if I don’t do it now. I’m guessing you’ll never get the courage to go out on your own, so while I’m here, we’re going out together. I know you’re terrified, but your doctor is probably right. You need to do this, so I’m not going to let you do it