Page 79 of Addiction

“Why?”

“Because something tells me you need a friend. Even if you are acting like an asshole.”

He looks at me for the first time, and my heart expands. But as quickly as he locks eyes with me, he looks away.

“Welcome to the real me. Told you that you wouldn’t like him.”

“I never said I didn’t like him,” I admit.

His only response is to continue playing with the droplets on his glass.

“You two okay for a drink over here?” Ryan asks, wiping down the bar top.

“I think we are good, thanks,” I say.

As time ticks by, my idea to sit beside him in silence seems less and less like a good idea. I can’t settle on this unrest. I can’t go on as if nothing is going on between us, and more importantly, I can’t do anything if my appearance at the gym is making things difficult for him.

“Asher, we need to talk.”

“For fucks sake. So, you do want to say something.” he snaps. “As I said earlier, there is nothing to say.”

“I think there’s more to say than you are letting yourself believe, and if we are going to get past what is happening between us then we need to sort it out.”

“Nothing is happening between us, Wade.”

“If you believe that then you’re more naïve than I thought.” I lean toward him. “This connection between us is real, and you know it.”

He slams his glass down on the bar top and stands. “I can’t listen to this.”

“Because you know it’s true?”

“Because you’re talking shit.” He points at my face but his attempt to make me feel threatened fails. If anything, it only turns me on more because asshole or not, he’s fucking hot when he’s angry. Putting all that aside, his denial of what’s going on here only pisses me off as we seem to have gone from friends to enemies over a moment between us that I know he felt too.

“We are done here.”

“I’m leaving Resilience.” The words are out of my mouth as he goes to turn, and I’m just as shocked as he is.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard.”

“You’re leaving.”

“Yes.” I admit, hating every second of this because it’s the last thing I want.

“Why?”

“Because I think it’s for the best.”

“For whom?”

“Both of us. I think this past week is proof that we can’t work around each other. Feelings have got in the way.”

“There are no feelings!” he roars, causing the few people around us to turn our way.

I stand. “Us working together isn’t working and you’re not okay with it. Mark said you were originally pissed with the idea, and I should have listened to my gut.”

“Twilight was talking shit. I came to see you in the clinic for fucks sake. I said that I was fine with it.”