“We do have history, and it’s just that… history. It’s nothing more than a rather tragic tale of a girl in love with a man who never loved her. I’m not willing to give you an inch ever again no matter how much you tempt me, Sir.”
“Am I tempting you?” he asks with coy innocence, his breath finding my lips. Damn him. “I’m merely making a request for you to nix the formalities, nothing more.”
His body is touching mine now as my back presses against the railing and the glass. The heat of his touch forces a throbbing I can’t handle right now, and I see the numbers almost reaching my destination as they count backwards a little slower than I want them to.
“I’m sorry it pisses you off, but I see you as nothing more than my superior now, Captain Banner,” I snark, and the elevator dings out like the sound of my saving grace when it allows me to escape his steamy gaze.
What the hell is he trying to do to me? What the Hale is he trying to do rather? Stupid, arrogant, obnoxiously confusing, son of a bitch.
My inner rant is stunted when Grayson pops around the corner. I stumble slightly when I see him, and he tosses a set of keys in my direction to be caught by Hale behind me.
“I brought your car back,” he chirps.
“Thanks,” Hale grumbles while walking by me.
His arm grazes mine as he passes, and his eyes catch mine for a brief moment before he skulks away.
“Please tell me you’re not back with that guy,” Grayson murmurs in distaste once Hale is just out of earshot.
I have to take a minute to compose myself and stop trembling before answering, “No. We’re not together at all. What are you doing here?”
“I came to get you guys. I talked to Commander Jude earlier, and he said you’d be coming home today. I thought I would just come grab you up before they convinced you to stay another day.”
I laugh a little before asking, “Why are you in such a hurry to get me back?”
“Captain Hawkins and Angelica had a falling out, but she won’t tell me what it was about. She’s barely spoken to me since shortly after her change, and I’m not sure why. I want you to talk to her.”
“Oh,” I say with surprise. “Yeah. I’ll talk to her, but I don’t know she’ll confide in me anymore than you. The two of you have a much stronger connection than she and anyone else. I’ll try though.”
“That’s all I’m asking,” he sighs. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I was going to go grab some phones, but I suppose it can wait. Let’s go get Brazen.”
“Good. The sooner she talks to someone, the better.”
Angelica and Nicholas have an incredibly close relationship, so I can’t imagine why she would suddenly be angry with him. Her bond with Grayson should make her feel as though she’s able to trust him, so why not tell him? I suppose my mini vacation is over.
The dust inside Hershian twists like miniature cyclones with ankle-high altitude as the contradicting winds violently collide from every angle. I smile when I see the tiny twisters trying to pick up items far too heavy for their grasps, and then I see Angelica sitting near the pool.
The water sloshes as the strong winds attack it with a dusty coat, but she doesn’t even flinch when the wind sprays her with the pool’s mist. Her eyes look to be drained of life as she stares insipidly at the tired, cracked concrete beneath her.
I gingerly make my way over to her, but she doesn’t acknowledge my approach. I’m confused as to how to speak to a girl having parental issues considering I myself have never had to deal with such a thing. Brazen would be better at this. Why in the hell didn’t I enlist him for this detail?
“Angelica?” I softly prompt, and she sighs out upon hearing my voice while cutting her eyes farther away.
“Grayson sent you, didn’t he?” she mumbles, and I can tell she’s been crying something terrible.
“He did, and your father seemed pretty worried about you too,” I murmur gently while taking a seat beside her.
“My father,” she scoffs. “How dare he send you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I retort.
“Nothing, Araya. I promise you don’t want to know. I’ll be fine, I just need a minute. I already told Grayson I’d talk to him when I was ready. Do you not ever just need a minute to yourself to work through something?” she whimpers.
I sigh out understandingly, and then I lean back.
“Quite often actually. You have something I never did though, and that’s a father who loves you enough to help you through things,” I counter.
