“You’re late,” Adrian said. “It’d be nice if you respected my time.”
“Sorry,” Gage sat down. “Got held up at Doc’s office.”
He could hear Adrian flipping through papers, then typing on the computer. The silence was deliberate, like punishment.
“Looks like it’s true,” Adrian said. “I guess congratulations are in order.”
Gage rotated the band on his finger. “You guessed right.”
Adrian let out an exasperated exhale.
Gage’s grin faded. “Is there a problem?”
“Nope,” Adrian snipped. “Over time, I’ve learned you have to let people make their own mistakes.”
A sharp heat flashed through Gage.
Scar was a lot of things, but a mistake wasn’t one of them.
Gage stood, and Adrian reached for his hand as if he had the right to try to stop him.
Gage yanked it away before he could touch him.
“I’m sorry.” Adrian took some of the bite out of his tone. “I just don’t wanna’ see you get hurt.”
“Scar would never hurt me.” He waited for his words to fully land. “While I appreciate your concern, Adrian. However, my personal relationships don’t need to be one of them.”
Tension sat in the room, heavy and ugly, but Gage still did the lesson.
Today was about real-time transit tracking and smartphone navigation. It was a practical drill to master, but Adrian was touching him too much and too often with a lot of unnecessary adjustments to his body that made his skintight.
At the end, Adrian tried to sound casual as if nothing had happened.
“How about we go out and get some practice in the field…? Maybe grab some dinner downtown.”
Joshua appeared in the doorway like a personal savior.
Gage stood. “No thank you. I already have dinner plans.”
He didn’t stay to feel how Adrian took the rejection.
He left the lab, thinking it might be time to request a new O&M specialist.
After his workout and sparring session with Valor and Zorion, Gage was starving.
He went to their dining hall, hoping Scar would be there, but Roz was the only one inside, already half finished with his baconburger.
“I’ll grab your dinner. Be right back,” Joshua said.
Gage dropped down in a chair, folded his cane, and set it on the table. After a few seconds of feeling Roz’s gaze, he raised his brow. “What?”
“I heard you’ve been cheesing like an idiot all day, but you come in here looking like someone just told you Scientology is making a comeback.” Roz wiped his mouth with a napkin. “So what’s wrong?”
Gage smiled despite himself. “Did you know Scar was gonna’ propose?”
“No, but I told him about Shannon.”
Gage went quiet.
