She nibbled her bottom lip, giving the question careful thought. “Like I’m a shitty shot still, but a more confident shitty shot?”
I laughed. “That’s good progress for day one. I just want you comfortable protecting yourself.”
She nodded. “I do feel better. Thank you.”
“You’ll get better with practice. Remember how terrible you were at shuffling cards?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I shuffled that deck until my hands were stained with red ink, but I finally got it perfect.”
“Exactly.” I pressed a kiss to her temple.
“You’re the best,” she sighed and wrapped me in a hug.
“I really am,” I shot back with a smile. “Hungry?”
“I could eat.” She pulled back and smiled up at me. “A juicy burger sounds like heaven.”
“Come on, I know just the place.” We grabbed the gear and handed it back to Rebel and Hades.
“How’d it go?” Rebel asked Macy.
She shrugged. “I’m not terrified anymore but I’m not confident I could hit anything human-sized.”
He grinned. “Then just make sure you have a shit-ton of bullets. Statistically, all the shots can’t miss the target.”
She laughed. “Thanks for the tip.”
I took her hand and we left Demon Head Guns together. Headed to dinner like a real couple.
I liked that shit a lot.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Macy
Ileaned back in my seat, full and warm and stupidly content, rubbing my hands over my stomach as we stepped out into the cool night air. “Best burger I’ve ever had,” I said, grinning at Drew. “Or maybe it was the bacon.”
He laughed, the sound was easy and unguarded. “Bacondoesmake everything better.”
I felt good. Better than good, actually. It was the kind of lightness that snuck up on you when you weren’t looking for it. The afternoon at the gun range with Drew had given me more than basic gun knowledge. I knew how to shoot a gun, sure, but it had given me something I hadn’t realized I was starving for.
Confidence.
It wasn’t bravado or just pretending to be confidence. It was real confidence, in myself and my ability to be something other than a burden, or someone to be protected. I stood a little taller when we left Demon Head Guns, and when we stepped inside the restaurant.
Dinner with Drew had helped too, the same way it always did. Sitting across from him, laughing with him as our knees touched under the table like giddy teenagers, felt normal. It was still a total trip to be here like this with Drew, even more so because we laughed and we ate as if the walls weren’t closing in around us.
“We should’ve gotten a burger to go,” I mused as we crossed the lot.
He took my hand in his, our palms pressed together. “We’re not too far to turn back.”
I burst out laughing. “No, I’m okay. But thanks.”
He shrugged, flashing that smile that reminded me so much of the boy he used to be. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.” Our gazes locked for so long that I almost missed the change in the air.
Drew’s gaze sharpened and his hand released mine. “Get behind me,” he ordered in a low voice.
