could get
back to his chase, and she could start groveling to her boss for missing the
day’s work at the convention.
Mia sighed. Dammit. Real life was calling, and as much as
she hated to answer, she didn’t really have a choice.
Garrett started after Mia, her name angry on his lips, but
Trent’s hand on his shoulder made him pause.
“What are you doing, man?” Trent’s question came softly.
“Seriously, what’s going on with you? I haven’t seen you act like this over a
woman in a long—”
“Fuck off, Trent.” Garrett shrugged off his friend’s hand
and kept walking for the door. “I’m not about to let her walk out of here
unprotected. Ford might have more guys around, and I can’t let him see—”
“You like her.”
Garrett froze as if the floor was made of glue. He didn’t
breathe, his heart didn’t beat.
No, Trent was wrong.
“It’s okay, man. I can tell.”
“I just met her,” Garrett said angrily, whirling on his
friend. “You need to keep your goddamn opinions to yourself.”
Trent smiled wryly, stroking his dark beard. “She’s nice,
you know. It’s good. I like her; she’s got a temper on her just like you.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter how nice she is,” Garrett said,
throwing his hands up in the air. “She’s leaving. I’m taking her back to her
hotel and that’s the end of it. She’ll be glad she never has to look at me again.”
“It sounded like you guys were doing a helluva lot more than
looking at one another not that long ago.”
Shit. Garrett deflated, guilt rising in place of his
frustration. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I never should have gotten so
distracted, we might have—”
“It wouldn’t have changed shit, and you know that.” Trent
grabbed the handles of the closest duffel bag, throwing the long black strap
over his shoulder. The light-gray nylon stood out starkly against his fitted
black tee. “Ford wasn’t anywhere near when that asshole got in the way. This
just wasn’t our time, man, and you know it.”
“Trent?” Mia’s voice called up from the main floor of the
warehouse. “You going to let me out?”
Trent nodded toward the door. “Go ahead. I’m not
going to let her walk to the fucking bus stop in the dark either.”
Garrett stared at his friend. For a second, he saw the lanky
kid he’d first met fifteen years ago, in the cafeteria of his new high school.
His shaggy dark hair had nearly covered his eyes, his vintage Nirvana tee
hanging on his bony shoulders. It was almost as if the guy in front of him now,
muscled and compact like a bulldog, was a completely different person. But he
wasn’t. He was still quiet, kind, fiercely clever and even more loyal. The kind
of friend Garrett didn’t deserve and could never hope to repay for all he’d
done.
“Thanks,” Garrett said quietly before he turned to leave the
room.
Trent just laughed. “Get out of here.”
But as Garrett hurried down the stairs, he wasn’t quite
prepared for the look that Mia launched at him.
She stood by the bottom step, one hand on the railing while
the other was planted firmly on the flare of her hip. Her clothes were wrinkled
and dusty from the warehouse, her hair was wilder than ever and her green eyes
sized him up.
“Please let me out. I’m not interested in another argument
with you.”
“I don’t want to fight either,” Garret said matter-of-factly
as he took her hand and led her over to the bike. “That’s why it’ll be a lot
easier if you just shut up and get on my bike.”
She yanked her hand free of his grip. “I’m fine. I can get
back on my own. You have shit to take care of—”
“And part of that shit is you, so come on and let me do
this.” Garrett swung his leg over the bike, but Mia flew around and planted her
hands on the handlebars before he could roll the machine forward.
“I’m shit now, is that what you’re saying?”
Garret ran his hand over his close-cropped hair in
annoyance.
back to his chase, and she could start groveling to her boss for missing the
day’s work at the convention.
Mia sighed. Dammit. Real life was calling, and as much as
she hated to answer, she didn’t really have a choice.
Garrett started after Mia, her name angry on his lips, but
Trent’s hand on his shoulder made him pause.
“What are you doing, man?” Trent’s question came softly.
“Seriously, what’s going on with you? I haven’t seen you act like this over a
woman in a long—”
“Fuck off, Trent.” Garrett shrugged off his friend’s hand
and kept walking for the door. “I’m not about to let her walk out of here
unprotected. Ford might have more guys around, and I can’t let him see—”
“You like her.”
Garrett froze as if the floor was made of glue. He didn’t
breathe, his heart didn’t beat.
No, Trent was wrong.
“It’s okay, man. I can tell.”
“I just met her,” Garrett said angrily, whirling on his
friend. “You need to keep your goddamn opinions to yourself.”
Trent smiled wryly, stroking his dark beard. “She’s nice,
you know. It’s good. I like her; she’s got a temper on her just like you.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter how nice she is,” Garrett said,
throwing his hands up in the air. “She’s leaving. I’m taking her back to her
hotel and that’s the end of it. She’ll be glad she never has to look at me again.”
“It sounded like you guys were doing a helluva lot more than
looking at one another not that long ago.”
Shit. Garrett deflated, guilt rising in place of his
frustration. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I never should have gotten so
distracted, we might have—”
“It wouldn’t have changed shit, and you know that.” Trent
grabbed the handles of the closest duffel bag, throwing the long black strap
over his shoulder. The light-gray nylon stood out starkly against his fitted
black tee. “Ford wasn’t anywhere near when that asshole got in the way. This
just wasn’t our time, man, and you know it.”
“Trent?” Mia’s voice called up from the main floor of the
warehouse. “You going to let me out?”
Trent nodded toward the door. “Go ahead. I’m not
going to let her walk to the fucking bus stop in the dark either.”
Garrett stared at his friend. For a second, he saw the lanky
kid he’d first met fifteen years ago, in the cafeteria of his new high school.
His shaggy dark hair had nearly covered his eyes, his vintage Nirvana tee
hanging on his bony shoulders. It was almost as if the guy in front of him now,
muscled and compact like a bulldog, was a completely different person. But he
wasn’t. He was still quiet, kind, fiercely clever and even more loyal. The kind
of friend Garrett didn’t deserve and could never hope to repay for all he’d
done.
“Thanks,” Garrett said quietly before he turned to leave the
room.
Trent just laughed. “Get out of here.”
But as Garrett hurried down the stairs, he wasn’t quite
prepared for the look that Mia launched at him.
She stood by the bottom step, one hand on the railing while
the other was planted firmly on the flare of her hip. Her clothes were wrinkled
and dusty from the warehouse, her hair was wilder than ever and her green eyes
sized him up.
“Please let me out. I’m not interested in another argument
with you.”
“I don’t want to fight either,” Garret said matter-of-factly
as he took her hand and led her over to the bike. “That’s why it’ll be a lot
easier if you just shut up and get on my bike.”
She yanked her hand free of his grip. “I’m fine. I can get
back on my own. You have shit to take care of—”
“And part of that shit is you, so come on and let me do
this.” Garrett swung his leg over the bike, but Mia flew around and planted her
hands on the handlebars before he could roll the machine forward.
“I’m shit now, is that what you’re saying?”
Garret ran his hand over his close-cropped hair in
annoyance.
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