“Something tells me he can handle it,” Mac says as she sits down by Amelia. “He seems like a good one who wouldn’t cower from them.”
I laugh. “Yeah, he does. I mean, fuck, if August can be willing to bury the hatchet after Ash punches him, I think that would go just fine.”
There’s a knock at the door and I rise. “The pizza is quick tonight,” I comment, making my way over to the door.
I pull it open and there he stands.
August Cromwell.
Looking at me with wild, pleading eyes. He stands there in a pair of athletic shorts and a black T-shirt. I don’t think he’s ever looked sexier, expect maybe in that tux that he wore the other night.
“Hi,” he says, his voice soft and tentative. I see his hands move like they are itching to touch me, but he keeps them at his sides.
“Hi, what are you doing here?” I step out and look around. “The girls are still coming back from the game. Someone might see you.”
“Yeah, I don’t care about that,” August says. “I only want to see you. May I come in?”
I step to the side. “By all means.”
He enters the apartment and immediately sees Mac, Cassie and Amelia sitting around the living room, watching him.
“I’m sorry I’m interrupting girl’s night. But I need to need to talk to one girl in particular.” He sighs. “Girls, I know that you just got here but I really want to talk Hendrix alone, please.”
Mac is the first to stand up. “Sure, we can do that.” She turns to face me. “Do you want us to head to my apartment in case you need us?”
“She won’t need you,” August promises.
“Hendrix?” Cassie redirects the question back to me before walking over to Amelia to help her get back up.
“We’re just having girl’s night,” I say, shrugging.
“Can we talk for a bit, if you want to?” he asks.
“I do. I want to talk to you.”
“Then what’s wrong?” He steps closer to me, reaching his hands out like he’s ready to touch me but he won’t. “Should I go?”
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. “No, you can stay.” I turn to see that the girls are all watching me closely. “You guys can head to the bar or something if you want to. I think that’s where the guys went for the night.”
“It is,” August confirms. He then turns to my friends. “I’m not going to hurt her, I can promise you that. I just want to talk to her. We have so much to talk about.”
They all nod and begin filing out.
“Please call if you need us,” Mac says, giving my hand a squeeze before heading out the door with the rest of them.
“You missed the game,” I say, moving into the living room, where I take a seat on the couch.
“I did. I thought that I needed some space so I could clear my head.”
“And how did that work out for you?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “That was the hardest ninety minutes of my life. I missed being there with you and watching you play. Being up in the box—there is nothing like it.”
“Well, I’m sure that Maxwell will still let you hang out in the owner’s box, if you don’t have your own games to attend that night,” I say dryly.
“I’m sure he would. But Drew and I have a plan to work on things with him tomorrow. So, we’ll see what happens. But I’m not worried about him right now. I’m not worried about that right now. That is something that Drew and I will handle later. What I’m more worried about is you and me. Is there a you and me that I should still be worried about?” He swallows and lowers himself to the couch where I sit. “Please tell me that there is something left of you and me for me to be worried about.”
I smile at him and reach over to take one of his hands. “I think that there is always going to be a you and me. You and I are electric. There’s always something firing just below the surface where you and I are concerned. It’s either in the way that I hate you, or the way that you care about me no matter what. But something is always there, August.”
