I love how he thinks we’re here to do something with the strippers and that he could somehow stop us if we were. Maverick moves past him, and I do the same, following my brother even though I really want to say something snarky to the bouncer. I don’t, and I like to think it’s because I’m maturing with age.
Or maybe it’s because all I want to do is get this shit over with, which I very much fucking want to do.
Following Maverick to the back of the club, I don’t even glance at the girls on stage. The music is playing, and I know they’re dancing, but I don’t really give a shit about them. I am here for one purpose and one purpose only: to bury and fuck over Goffredo Hagerty.
It’s my life’s fucking mission right now.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CIDNEY
Closing my eyes,I suck in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I don’t know what to do. I cleaned all day yesterday and talked with Justin. I don’t know if it was productive or not, but I think it was.
We ended with a hug, and he promised me that I could choose the person I want to date—to be with, and he wouldn’t stand in my way. Though he made it very clear that he would prefer I find someone professional, someone who wasn’t in the club. I assume he meant someone like George.
Thinking about George, I can’t help but smile. He was so very kind, but at the same time, we would have never fallen in love. We would have been comfortable and probably happy enough. He carries his own sadness, his own history. He would understand that I could never love him, because he could never love me. It was going to be a wonderful match.
But then… life happened.
The knock on the door takes me out of my thoughts. It doesn’t sound like Justin’s from yesterday. It’s a bit softer, atouch hesitant, but I recognize it just the same. I walk over to the door and check the peephole. It’s exactly who I thought it was.
Unlocking the door, I wrap my fingers around the knob, twisting it and tugging it open to see the man standing in front of me. My body aches for him. My lips beg to kiss his. But I don’t do anything. I stand still, watching him.
He doesn’t stay standing in silence in the hallway for long. He moves past me and into the apartment. Turning around, I close the door behind me and move closer toward him, but I stay far enough away. I’m not sure if I can be closer to him. I don’t know what I’ll feel.
I’m scared.
“I haven’t wanted to bother you. I know you’re going through a lot. I wanted to give you your space.”
The last thing I would ever want from Goose is space. But I understand why he is giving it to me. It’s been weeks. He walked away from me, then came back when I was attacked, and he’s stayed. I can only hope that he’s here for good, forever.
“I appreciate that,” I say instead of saying anything else. “You have no idea.”
“I’m working on the situation,” he murmurs.
“Situation?” I ask.
He lifts his gaze, and his eyes connect with mine. He watches me for a moment, neither of us speaking. My fingers itch to touch him, so I ball my hands into fists, digging my nails into my palms. The bite of pain is exactly what I need to remind me that I am not supposed to throw myself at him.
“Goffredo and the fact that he’s still breathing.”
My lips twitch into a smirk. I hate that asshole so much. The fact that Goose is working on whatever it is he’s working on, I want that to happen. I want Goffredo to stop breathing. That is the goal here. After what he did, he deserves nothing less.
“So you have a plan?” I ask.
“A good one,” he says, dipping his chin. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m working on it.”
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
He shakes his head slowly. His gaze is still on mine, and he holds his breath for a moment, then lets it out slowly. “No, I’m not. I will after it’s all done.”
“And then what?” I ask.
I’m trying not to probe too much or demand too much. But I want to know if he’s going to stay here with me. If he’s going to pack up his bike and leave again. I want to know if I should tell him that Justin and I have a truce, that I can be with the person I choose.
“Then we move forward.”
I open my mouth to ask him if we do that together or apart. But I don’t get the words out. He moves toward me, closing the distance between us. Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, I feel his touch.
