I stared down at the floor instead of Forge once Wayon was gone.Eye contact seemed too difficult.I was making this weird, but I didn’t know how to handle it.I was out of my depth.
“Pickles?”
Crap.He was calling me Pickles again.I was going to have to look at him and get this over with.
Lifting my head, I did my best to smile.“Yeah, so, that was … odd,” I said with a shrug.“He’s confused about things.”
Forge raised a single eyebrow.“Things being us?”
“Yeah,” I replied, wishing I’d just stayed in my room.
The corner of his mouth quirked.“I’d like to keep it that way.He’ll stop his flirting shit,” Forge replied.“Besides, he was in the room across from yours last night.He most likely heard us.”
If it were possible for my face to burst into flames, it would have.A hand shot up and covered my mouth as I stared at Forge in horror.He chuckled, watching me.
“You were a little loud, Pickles, not that I’m complaining.”
I was going to die right here on this spot.
“Relax,” he said soothingly, then stepped closer and ran his fingers through some of my hair.“It’s all good.No need to be all shy and embarrassed.We enjoyed ourselves.Fuck knows we both needed it.”He nodded his head toward the door.“I gotta go to a meeting, but when I get back, we’ll go swimming, yeah?”
Swimming.Okay, that sounded nice.
Maybe this was going to be fine after all.I just had to learn to go with it.He was right; I had needed last night.Not just because it had felt amazing, but because I hadn’t felt alone.Lost.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
There was nowhere else I’d rather be than with him.That might end up being a terrible thing, but it was my truth.
Thirty-One
Forge
Swimming.We can go swimming.Yeah, real fucking smart, Forge.
I blamed Wayon.He was making me do and say things that I shouldn’t.Walking into the kitchen to find them once again together had pissed me off.His leaving was the only reason I hadn’t acted like a enraged idiot.I didn’t want him near her.He was a psycho, and she was too damn sweet and innocent for his wacked-up shit.
It had taken all the willpower I hadn’t known I had to get out of her bed and leave this morning.She looked so damn confused too.That alone just about kept me there.But I’d been sane.Chosen the right thing for her and me.Keep it friendly.Sure, I’d had my face between her legs last night—NO!I couldn’t think about that.I would crack.Mess up.She didn’t deserve to be played with.
Oz turned the corner, coming the opposite way as me, although we were both headed to Bane’s office.There had been a meeting called with the Davidsons to finalize the details that had been started last night.They were leaving today, and for that, I was fucking thankful.
“After this, you need to tell me what is going on between you and Elsie,” he said, narrowing his gaze at me.
I had expected this.
“You want details of what happened in her room last night?”I asked with a smirk.“That’s a bit kinky for you, ain’t it, bro?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” he retorted.“Do you need a reminder why she is here?What she has been through?She’s not some chick you picked up at a club and can send home after a fuck.”
No shit.
“I’m aware.We’re friends.”
Oz let out a hard, humorless laugh.“Yeah.Sure you are.And I’m a damn priest.”
“No, that would be Jude,” I replied.
The door to the office opened as we both reached it.
