“I guess you have some sort of effect on him, LeCharles. He should be growling and barking so loud that he’d wake everyone else up here.”
“Pretty sure everyone else here is awake and doing drugs.”
Rose chuckled. She went into her room as I continued to pet Shiloh. Shiloh rolled over, let me rub his belly, and then got up and licked me. Then, as if remembering that his owner was elsewhere, he bolted for the bedroom.
I took that as my cue to leave when I heard something unexpected.
Rose was crying in her room.
And she wasn’t sniffling. She was fully bawling her eyes out like I had never heard her before. And we had had some really shitty, terrible arguments before.
A part of me ferociously yelled inside that I needed to get the hell out of there. Rose was having a moment, but she was safe. She had her dog to protect her. She did not need me there, and she probably did not want me there either.
And yet...
There was a small but noticeable part of me that was telling me to go comfort her. Be empathic. See what she was crying about. Be human.
But if I’m human to her, she’s going to think...
Think what? That you still care for her?
Because she’s right.
“Damnit,” I muttered to myself.
I took a step back, but then Shiloh appeared in the doorway to the bedroom and started whimpering, as if he wanted to guilt-trip me.
Fucking hell, no one wanted me to get out of this easily, huh? First, the Saints and Reapers did their thing without me. Then Rose had her worst moment yet. And now the damn dog was begging me to stay?
“Two minutes,” I mumbled to myself.
Like hell you’re going to do that.
I went to the door and saw Rose sitting on the edge of the bed, her back to me, her head hung low between her hands. I knocked gently.
“Rose,” I said, trying to keep my voice somewhat neutral.
But if Rose heard me, she didn’t say anything. She didn’t even acknowledge me. Perhaps I had misread the situation. Thank God.
I took two steps out.
“LeCharles, wait.”
Shit.I turned back around and slowly approached the door, resting my arm against it. She only looked up, not at me.
“Come.”
Her voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through everything else—the air conditioner, Shiloh walking to us, any of the noise outside. It was like the sound of her voice, no matter how soft or weak, would forever be heard by my ears.
Last chance to back out.
I did not.
I went over to the side of her bed and sat beside her. Immediately, her arms wrapped around me.
I shouldn’t have allowed that. I should have kept my distance on the edge of the bed. I should... I should... I should...
But I didn’t do any of those things.
