Chapter 196
Gunner throws his hands up. “Fuck it. You’re both acting like someone died p>
My jaw tightens. Fuck! Sierra almost did.
I want to shout the words, but for some stupid fucking reason they will not leave my lips.
I grit my teeth, and stay quiet while Adrian exhales sharply, something bitter ghosting over his expression.
“What?” Gunner pushes. “Did someone die p>
“No,” Adrian says first. His voice is low, unreadable.
“Nothing happened,” I add.
Gunner looks between us, incredulous. “Bullshit. You’re both brooding like your goldfish drowned p>
Adrian leans back slowlu, shoulders stiff. His fingers tap against his knee, an unconscious tell I’ve seen hundreds of times when he’s unsettled.
“You good?” he asks me quietly.
The question hits too close. I give him a tight nod. His jaw clenches in response.
The atmosphere in the room thickens, and I can’t even tell where the hell it’s coming from.
Gunner narrows his eyes. “What the fuck happened with you two? This is unlike you p>
I pick up the bottle and pour myself another drink, downing half of it in one pull. My pulse is still pounding too hard, my head and heart being pulled in different directions.
Adrian forces a breath out, and answer. “Rough day p>
“Same, just like I told you a couple of minutes ago.” I mutter.
Gunner blinks. “You both had a rough day? What are the damn odds p>
Adrian’s body goes still, like he’s caught in some internal battle and weirdly I feel the same.
Gunner keeps studying us, but we both remain silent.
He eventually sighs, throwing his hands up. “Fine. Be cryptic. I fucking hate you both p>
Adrian almost smiles at that, but the expression dies quickly, buried under something dark. Something distracted. His thumb taps the side of his glass, a restless rhythm. He’s thinking about something or someone.
Adrian looks up then. His eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second and for the first time since I’ve known him, I see something hard behind his usually calm expression. 1
Gunner’s frustration spikes. “I swear, this feels like some weird therapy circle where everyone refuses to share p>
He paces the room dramatically.
Adrian sighs. “We’re fine, Gunner. Really p>
I grunt in agreement.
“Yeah?” Gunner snorts. “No shit. You look like someone punched you.
Adrian flinches and it’s so subtle most people would miss it. I don’t. He did get hit in the jaw hard.
My eyes sharpen on him. “What happened to your face p>
He touches the corner of his jaw as if only now realizing there’s a bruise forming. “Nothing p>
“Bullshit.” Gunner and I say at the same time.
“Fine” Adrian snaps. “I got into a fight, happy now p>
“What about you” Adrian turns to me. “Why do you have blood on your cuffs and knuckles p>
I look down at my hand, to find that I indeed have some blood. I guess I didn’t do a clean job at cleaning the blood.
I shrug. “I got into a fight p>
“Seriously?” Gunner grunts. “You are both lying p>
Neither of us denies it or confirms it. We just sit there in silence, both hiding whatever really happened.
After a moment, Gunner throws his hands up and walks to the kitchen. “Fine. Be secretive. I’m going to get more drinks. Maybe they’ll loosen whatever the hell is stuck up your asses p>
He disappears, muttering curses to himself.
The moment he’s out of hearing range, the room shifts.
We sit in silence for a long moment, the tension stretching until I’m sure we’re both going to snap. Fuck this is so unlike but for some weird reason, we both seem stuck on something.
us,
Finally, he speaks, low and almost hesitant.
“You ever feel like you almost lost something without realizing you cared that much?” 1
His words punch the air out of my lungs, making me stiffen.
He doesn’t look at me. He stares at the floor like he’s confessing to the universe instead of to me.
“Tonight made me think about a lot of things p>
My fingers curl into fists.
He’s talking about someone. Someone he almost lost. Someone he cares about.
A woman, and as far as I know, Adrian has never fallen in love with anyone and is currently not dating, yet his words point to a woman he feels protective of. Problem is, I don’t understand why I feel an ache in my chest.
I swallow and manage a small. “Yeah, I get that p>
Adrian finally lifts his gaze and the look in his eyes is something I’ve never seen on him before. It’s the look of a man who has decided something. And I hate how much that shakes me, even though I don’t understand it.
Gunner returns, oblivious, holding three bottles. “You two done being weird? Here, Drink and for the love of all babies, relax p>
We both take the beers. Both murmur thanks. Both hide our storms.
Gunner sits between us, completely unaware of the boulder that sits in my chest like a burning coal.
I lean back, staring at the ceiling, trying to think about anything other than Sierra and for the first time in years, I feel something unfamiliar, and unwelcome gnaw at me.
A feeling I can’t name. A feeling I don’t want to name. But it sounds like this:
Who is the hell was with her tonight? And why does the idea of another man saving, comforting and protecting her make me feel like I’m losing something I never let myself have?