Foreseen: Lex (The Four Book 2)

by Sloane Kennedy

  But it didn't last long because all of a sudden, I was being walked backwards until my back hit the truck. I could tell Gideon had caged me in with his body and arms because I felt them. I had a moment of panic when I thought maybe he was angry about having had to talk me down during my panic attack, but then Gideon said, "Are you reneging on your promise to buy me a cup of coffee, Parker?" The use of my last name and the way he asked the question made it clear that he wasn't at all angry. At least not in the way I’d thought.

  "No," I said.

  "Good. Because I'm thirsty." I was sure Gideon leaned in a bit more because I could smell the mintiness of his breath. "And if you ever say shit about me being embarrassed by you, friends or not, we’re going to have an issue. Do you hear me?"

  It was all I could do not to smile. Clearly, running Gideon off was not something that would be an easy task. I didn't know what I’d done to deserve his attention, but I gladly grabbed onto it and held it for as long as I could. "Yes, Callahan, I hear you." I brought my hand up to my forehead in a mock salute. Two minutes earlier, I’d barely been able to breathe and now here I was, feeling almost human again because of the man in front of me. Nothing about him made sense, but maybe it didn't need to.

  "Just for that, brat, you’re buying me a croissant. And no, I'm not putting out."

  I found myself laughing at his comment as he pulled me forward and looped my arm through his so he could guide me across the street. As we walked, he began explaining the layout of Merv's. He also called out every divot and piece of debris in my path to make sure I didn't trip. If there were any eyes on us as we crossed the street, I no longer cared.

  Once inside the store, people began greeting Gideon. Several called him "Mouse." When I began laughing, Gideon threatened to introduce me to Mr. Mulvaney who apparently had a tendency to spit when he spoke. I forgot all about feeling embarrassed about my condition until one particular younger woman that stopped us to talk to Gideon—actually, talk was the wrong word, because she was clearly flirting with him—took notice of me and said, "Oh dear, who's this poor fella here? Can't you see, honey?"

  "Why no, Delia, he can’t," Gideon responded. "So no need to worry about blinding him with that jacket you’re wearing."

  I found myself smiling at the sarcasm in Gideon's voice, but Delia clearly didn't get it because she said, "Ain't it just the prettiest thing you ever saw? These are genuine rhinestones." Her Southern accent sounded very much rehearsed and while I had no clue what she looked like, I would've been able to smell her from a mile away. She might as well have bathed in Chanel perfume. My assistant wore the same fragrance but understood the concept of less is more. From what Gideon had said about the woman’s choice of outerwear, she didn't share that same sensibility. Either way, Gideon had taken one for the team because Delia promptly forgot all about me and began flirting with Gideon again.

  "Will I be seeing you at the pancake breakfast at the firehouse next Sunday?" Delia asked.

  "No," Gideon said simply and then took my arm to lead me away. The clicking of heels on linoleum meant that his abruptness hadn't done the trick. I felt bad that we couldn’t move any quicker because Delia had no trouble keeping up with us.

  "But I've already bought you a ticket. If you don't go, I'll have to return it and get my fifteen dollars back," she whined.

  "That money benefits the firehouse, Delia," Gideon said. "They use the proceeds to buy much-needed fire equipment."

  "So you'll come," Delia said excitedly, completely missing the point. I heard Gideon growl under his breath and I could easily imagine the words that would come out of his mouth next. I'd already determined that Gideon didn't have much patience for foolishness.

  I nearly crossed my arms so I could stand back and just listen to whatever he was gonna go off on her with, so I was completely unprepared when he said, "Sorry, Delia, Lex and I already have plans."

  "We do?" I said in surprise at the same time that Delia said, "Lex? Lex who?"

  I absently wondered if the woman had long nails because the way she said my name made me want to cover my face so she wouldn't scratch my eyes out. I actually found myself smiling at my own ridiculous joke.

  “Lex Luthor,” Gideon said to Delia. To me he firmly insisted, “We do. Don't you remember?"

  I shook my head. "No, no, I don't."

  "So, you're free," Delia quickly interjected.

  "No, I'm not free. Lex, we really need to get your memory checked. Remember, you asked me to show you how to ice fish before the lakes around here thaw too much?"

  "Um, no… the only thing I remember you mentioning is that I should meet Mr. Mulvaney so he could spi—"

  "So, yeah, Delia, Lex and I have plans to go ice fishing on Sunday."

  I nearly began to laugh when Gideon squeezed my arm hard. Not hard enough to hurt, but to send a message.

  "Right, ice fishing," I said. "I've always wanted to see fish swimming in… the ice. Well, not see, literally," I added, barely able to restrain myself. "But Gideon here has promised to describe them to me."

  "He's going to describe fish to you?" Delia asked in confusion.

  "Yes," Gideon and I said at the same exact time. "Because the fish here in Maine are known to be more… colorful than the ones from… where Lex comes from," Gideon clarified.

  "That's right," I agreed. "Gideon tells me your fish are… gray?"

  "And brown," Gideon added. "So you see, Delia, I just can't make it for pancakes on Sunday. You should give that ticket to someone else."

  "But Gideon," Delia said with a pout in her voice before pushing herself between me and Gideon. "I was so looking forward to our date." The way the woman purred, I figured she was likely rubbing herself all over Gideon. I was actually glad I couldn't see that particular display. If I could have walked away, I would have. As it was, I was feeling pretty salty. It was the only explanation for what I said next.

  "Gideon, weren’t you just telling me that Mr. Mulvaney was looking for a date for that event?" I tried to keep a straight face as Delia, and probably Gideon too, turned their attention to me. Delia let out a little huff, and then she was saying something, finally, in a softer voice. I was kind of glad I couldn't hear what she had to say to Gideon.

  "Sorry, Delia," Gideon responded. "I don't know what to tell you." Then he was back at my side and slipping my hand through his arm. As much as I would've liked to have called it a win, I knew it wasn't. Gideon was merely using me to escape the clinging Delia, but not exactly in the way I would've liked. I let him lead me away from the woman, trying very hard to shake off the lingering jealousy I was feeling. I knew nothing about Gideon and Delia's relationship. For all I knew, they could have currently been in some kind of physical relationship and Delia was trying to turn it into something more. I wondered if it was a question I could ask now that we were in the friend zone. But when I opened my mouth, I instantly snapped it shut again. It wasn't worth the risk of losing him. I still had a few weeks at the cabin and the idea of spending them completely by myself no longer appealed to me like it had when I’d booked the place.

  "Fish are more colorful here?" I asked with a laugh.

  "Shut up," Gideon sniped. "I'm not good under pressure."

  I laughed again. "I think she bought it," I offered. Gideon told me to shut up again, which just had me laughing harder. By the time we reached the part of the store that sold groceries, I was feeling more relaxed and was able to focus when Gideon began explaining the layout of the place. He took his time walking me through each department and encouraged me to feel the different areas like the refrigerated and freezer sections to get my bearings. We spent nearly thirty minutes exploring the sections before we even began to shop. Gideon helped me pick out the different kinds of food I wanted and reminded me to use my other senses when it came to things like smelling the fruits and vegetables.

  The mere act of being able to identify some broccoli had been like I'd scored a touchdown. Again, it was a far cry from the life I’
d lived, but it was yet another task I could do alone. Even if I always needed someone to escort me to the store, which I didn't think I would, there were still other parts of me that were working well enough to help me do things like buy food.

  By the time we reached the checkout line, the grocery cart was heavy with items. As we waited our turn, I remembered something I hadn't mentioned to Gideon. I turned to him and said, "I actually need some wound cream."

  "Why? Did you hurt yourself? Is it your feet? Did the cuts from the glass get infected?" The barrage of questions had me smiling and I found myself reaching out to put my hand on Gideon's arm. I was surprised when I actually hit the mark, though I got his forearm rather than his bicep.

  "Yes, it's for the cuts on my feet, but they're not infected. I've been treating them every day this week just to be on the safe side, but I ran out of the wound cream that I brought with me. It's just a precaution," I said.

  "Oh, okay," he said. He sounded relieved.

  It's the friend-obligation thing, I reminded myself.

  "Are you okay with staying here while I run to get it?" Gideon asked.

  Since we were next in line, I figured I could handle it, so I said, "Yeah, I'm good."

  "Okay, I'll be right back." Then Gideon was gone and I was left alone with the cart. I kept my fingers on it so I wouldn't lose my bearings. I could hear the cashier and the patron ahead of me talking, so I knew the woman was done checking out. Gideon and I had already laid out our items on the belt, so I moved the cart forward when the cashier, a young-sounding kid, greeted me. To my surprise, he didn't seem to even notice my condition because he quickly scanned the groceries and then asked me if I had any coupons. There were no questions about whether or not I was really blind, and he didn't do that thing where he spoke overly loud as if I couldn’t hear him if he spoke normally.

  "No," I said. "But my friend went to get one more item. Some wound cream from aisle seven," I added. I knew I was rambling a bit, because surely the kid didn't care what item I was waiting for.

  "Aisle seven?" the kid said.

  Then another voice, that of an older man, said, "I’d better go look for him." He sounded exasperated. "That boy done lived here most of his life. Stanley Goldfinch told me last week that he saw Mouse lingering in that aisle. That boy’s up to no good, I tell ya. He knows aisle seven ain’t where we keep the creams."

  "It's not?" I asked in surprise. I wasn't sure who the guy was, but he spoke with an air of authority. And he clearly knew Gideon. Maybe Gideon had just gotten the aisle number wrong when he’d mentioned that he’d been looking at Merv's for cream a week earlier.

  "No, aisle seven is where we keep—" the kid began to say, but then the older man coughed loudly.

  "It's where we keep the napkins for the ladies. And other unmentionables," the older man said in a near whisper.

  I must've looked as confused as I felt because the kid said, "Grandpa's talking about tampons and condoms."

  "Kenny!" the older man yelled.

  "What?" the kid asked. "They don't call them napkins and unmentionables anymore, Grandpa Merv. I suppose you could call them rubbers—"

  I tuned out the arguing pair as I considered what Gideon had said. He’d specifically told me aisle seven was where the creams were, but he’d obviously lied about that. The question was, why? I supposed he could have been embarrassed about buying feminine products for a woman in his life. But my gut was telling me that hadn’t been the section of aisle seven he’d been looking at.

  Which left the condom section.

  All the pleasure I'd experienced during the foray into town with Gideon got sucked out at once and I felt a little dizzy as I realized what Gideon's perusal of aisle seven really meant. The knowledge that he was having sex with someone shouldn't have been a surprise, and maybe it wasn't exactly. But it was damn disappointing, even though it probably shouldn't have been.

  So much for not letting my emotions get too wrapped up in the sexy man who’d come to my rescue more than once already.

  The man I was now firmly entrenched in the friend zone with.

  Great.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gideon

  "You sure you're okay?"

  "Yeah, I'm good," Lex murmured. "Just a little tired."

  I knew he was lying. I just didn't know if I should call him on it. When we’d been checking out, he'd been smiling and his cheeks had been flushed with color, proof of his excitement. He’d clearly seen his journey through the grocery store as a win, but something had happened from the time I'd gone to get the antibiotic cream to when I’d gotten back and all the items had been bagged up.

  I’d thought maybe Kenny had said something to upset Lex, but when he’d said goodbye to Lex, I hadn't heard anything to hint that there had been any kind of confrontation between them. Merv had been standing nearby as well, but I hadn't seen any evidence of him saying something to Lex either because Lex had bid him farewell too.

  Which left me as the culprit.

  I tried to think back to anything I'd said or done that might have upset him. "Lex, I only went to get the cream because I knew it would be faster. I didn't mean to insinuate that you couldn't do it."

  I glanced at Lex as I drove, but he didn't look at me when he responded. "I'm not upset about the cream. Honestly, Gideon, I'm just tired. I guess besides being just really bad, Merv's coffee must've been decaf."

  I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but his voice was so flat that there was no way he could've pulled it off. "Yeah, that's probably what it is," I said.

  Unlike the drive into town, the drive home was done in absolute silence. When we got back to Lex's cabin, I helped him inside and then unloaded the groceries. "Is there some way you want them sorted?" I asked.

  I half expected him to tell me he didn't need my help, but to my surprise he just said, "No, it doesn't really matter." Then he turned his back on me and disappeared into the living room, leaving me to put the groceries away. I worked quickly to organize them in both the refrigerator and the cabinets, making a mental note to myself to research how blind people handled situations like these. I assumed maybe they used labels with braille on them to keep track of where things were, but surely there were some people out there who were in the early stages like Lex and had figured out workarounds so they could still live somewhat independently.

  By the time I was finished, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Did he expect me to leave? My eyes fell on the one item I hadn't put away.

  The antibiotic cream.

  I grabbed it and went to the living room. Lex was lying down on the couch, which was covered with blankets and pillows. Was he still sleeping down here?

  Lex's eyes were closed, but I could tell from his breathing that he wasn't asleep.

  "You want me to fix you something to eat?" I asked. I really wanted to know what his blood sugar was, but it was none of my business. He’d been living for a long time with his disease and knew how to take care of himself. I gathered from his comments about having four overprotective older brothers that he wasn't looking for someone else to monitor everything he put it in his mouth or the different numbers that gave him a picture of what his body needed at any given time.

  "No, thank you. Thanks for the ride."

  It was definitely a dismissal. I couldn't help but be a little bit frustrated by his behavior. This was why I didn't like having friends. They were just too much goddamn work. Or I simply wasn't someone that people found it easy to be friends with.

  "Lex, would you mind if I took a look at your feet? I'm sure they’re fine, but I know how dangerous it can be if a cut—"

  "Fine," Lex interrupted as he sat up. He began pulling his socks off and then he was ripping at the bandages around his feet. His moves were jerky and rushed.

  So he was definitely pissed about something.

  When his feet were bare, he stuck them out so they were resting on the coffee table in front of the couch. I moved closer to him and sat
down on the table, then eased his feet onto my lap. I hoped and prayed that there wouldn't be those little zaps of electricity when I touched his skin, but even with his feet, the sensation was still there. I'd never been a feet man, but Lex's were gorgeous. How far gone was I that I thought feet could be good looking?

  I carefully lifted one foot up so I could examine it more closely. I thought I heard Lex inhale sharply, but I couldn't be sure. I looked at him and saw that he was staring straight ahead. His face was pulled into a mask of unreadable emotion. I looked back down at the bottom of his foot and ran my thumb along the healing cut on the ball. I was relieved to not see any signs of infection. I knew I should reach for the wound cream and dress his foot, but it was like my mind and body had separated and my body was doing whatever the hell it felt like. My fingers traced a line up the inside of his foot until I was able to close them around his ankle. Lex was tense but quiet. When I looked up again, I saw him watching me.

  Though I knew he technically wasn't really watching me.

  His skin was warm and soft. My fingers were just centimeters from where the body hair on his leg started. I itched to touch it but knew I had no excuse to. As it was, I was being a bit too free with my examination of his foot. "This one looks good," I somehow grated out. I had to be careful with where I placed Lex's foot on my lap because my cock was hardening at an all-too-alarming rate.

  I worked quickly to bandage his foot and then I was checking the other. There were only tiny cuts on his other foot but I still liberally covered them with cream and bandaged them. When there was no excuse to hang on to Lex's foot any longer, I eased it back onto the floor. "They both look good. Everything is healing really well."

  "Thank you," Lex said, his voice sounding rough. I waited for him to say anything else, something that would give me an excuse to linger, but there was nothing.

  "Lex, please, if I did something…"

  "You didn't, Gideon. I just… I just have a lot on my mind."