Chapter Twenty-Nine
Atticus’s alarm went off at five thirty.He was already awake, having slept in fits and starts since Slade had interrupted a damn good dream.Not that he remembered what the dream was about, but he knew it had been good.But like every good dream he had, it usually faded without him being able to remember.
With too much to do, he hopped out of bed and headed for the shower.Rather than make a mental priority list of the things he needed to focus on when he got to HQ, Atticus found himself thinking about Slade.About the way the man had come into his room, geared up for a fight in the middle of the damn night.
Would it always be like that?If they somehow managed to get past whatever obstacle was in their way at the moment, would Slade always doubt their sincerity?Was it even possible to have a relationship if that were the case?
Atticus didn’t know the answer to any of those questions.He also didn’t know what he was supposed to do next.Although he was angry at Slade for constantly thinking the worst of him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to give it all up.Sure, he said casual was the best path for them, and he meant it.For the moment.But that didn’t mean they couldn’t look toward the future at some point.Once Slade had time to realize no one was out to get him.
Was there even a future for them?
Shutting off the water, Atticus grabbed the towel from the bar and rubbed it over his hair, removing the excess water before using it to dry off his body.When he was done, he secured it around his waist and moved to the sink.He wiped the mirror with his hand so he could see his reflection.He probably needed to shave, but he was skipping that step this morning.However, brushing his teeth was a must.
He took care of that, gargled some mouthwash for good measure, then ran a comb through his hair and styled it with his fingers before sauntering out of the bathroom.He was walking into his bedroom when he heard footsteps behind him.
“You went on a fuckin’ date with Archer last night?”
Atticus came up short by the pure fury in Slade’s tone.He slowly pivoted to face the man, noticing that his expression matched his harsh tone.
“What?”
“I just got a call that you and Archer were on a date.At Moonshiners.”
“A call?From who?”
“It doesn’t fuckin’ matter.You were on a date,” he accused.
Atticus took a deep breath.“It wasn’t a date.”
“The fuck it wasn’t.”
Taking a step forward, Atticus raised a hand to halt the tirade before it started.“I swear to—”
“Shut up,” Slade snapped.“Just shut up, Atticus.Carson might think you’re above lying, but I don’t.”
Okay, he’d tried being nice, but Slade was pushing.Atticus didn’t want to fight, but he would if it meant defending his actions.“What are you talkin’ about?”
Slade stared at him, his eyes flashing fury.“You’re really gonna tell me you weren’t at Moonshiners with Archer?Because I’ve got proof.”
Atticus had to step back to keep from getting smacked with Slade’s phone when the man thrust it his way.On the screen was a picture of him laughing while Archer sat across from him, a big grin on his face.
Someone had taken a picture of them?Who?And why?
“It wasn’t a fuckin’ date, Slade.When I got home last night, I wasn’t tired, so I invited Archer to get a drink.To talk.”
“Oh, yeah.I’m sure you talked.Sounds to me like y’all got all chummy while you were busy buyin’ his drinks.”
“Is that what you’re pissed about?Because I bought his drinks?”Atticus huffed a sigh and spun around.“Fuck, Slade.Get over yourself.”
Atticus went for the bag he’d left sitting on the dresser and grabbed the last pair of clean jeans he had in there.He grabbed underwear and socks, then proceeded to get dressed while Slade seethed behind him.
“You’re not even gonna try to explain it?”Slade asked when Atticus was buttoning his jeans.
“You won’t listen to me even if I do.”
“Try me.”
“There’s nothin’ to explain.We went to Moonshiners, had a couple of beers, a couple of shots, and we talked.”
