“You think I don’t love you?” Angelica’s broken voice says with a shattered tone as she suddenly appears from out of nowhere.
All eyes move to the other end of the hall where she stands in a white dress and dripping tears.
“Angelica,” Grayson gasps.
“You think I don’t love you because I’m not a forgotten?” she painfully releases.
Grayson looks away to hide his own tears, and she rushes over to fall to his side.
“I’m sorry,” she chokes out through more tears. “I’m so sorry.”
She throws herself on him, and her lips cover his. He hesitates momentarily before pulling her into his arms, and I see the need and desire as he grips her to his body. I wipe my own tears away as I stare at the reconciliation, and then my eyes drift over to Hale as he slowly stands back up. He stares at Angelica and Grayson as if he’s envious, and then his eyes meet mine for the first time in the hallway. His mouth opens slightly before closing again. He straightens his tie, and then he focuses his attention on Clay as he walks toward us.
“Ready for interrogations?” he asks.
“We were on our way there when we stumbled upon the hallway fallout,” Clay murmurs softly.
“Sorry. I couldn’t let him leave though. Let’s just get started. I’ll take the ones Araya can’t handle right now, and you can check my blood later.”
“I’ve actually got several men on the Hershian interrogations, so Araya can focus on the main threats. I need you to help me be her observer because Nicholas is working with the others. I think it could be because he trusts Araya where as he doesn’t know the rest. I’ll be in and out of the viewing box due to calls, so you’ll be her main observer. I’ll check both of your blood later.”
“Fine,” Hale says very formally, and then he starts walking very briskly down the hall after avoiding any further eye contact with me.
“You okay?” Clay asks softly.
“No,” I whimper, and he takes my hand in his.
“I envy you, Araya. I’ve never found my counter half. My savage rarely ever appears, and it hasn’t ever lured them out. Apparently their’s doesn’t call for me. Either that or they’re already dead. Very few get to experience the connection you and Hale have, and then you have Brazen. I’ve only ever loved one person completely, and as you know, I lost them. I haven’t loved someone since, and I’ve never been in your situation of loving two. I can’t advise you who to choose, but I do know Hale is not incapable of love because he loves the fuck out of you. I’m sick of the bullshit. He-”
“Commander Jude, Sir,” a man says while saluting.
Clay sighs and shifts uncomfortably while turning to face the man, and he salutes dismissively while murmuring, “Yes?”
“Langlin Region, Commander Berricks, is on line four for you when you have a moment.”
“Fine. I’ll take it in Araya’s office,” he mumbles while walking through my small office door.
I’m a little embarrassed at the mounds of paperwork sitting on my desktop, and Clay takes a seat behind my desk as I shut the door to give him privacy. My stomach churns as I turn the door to the viewing box to see Hale sitting down reading the file on the man behind the glass.
“What am I trying to get him to confess to?” I ask with a hoarse tone, clearing my throat immediately after.
“Trafficking blood that hasn’t been processed by our labs. It’s potent, but it’s really a misdemeanor. I should probably pass this one on to another officer. Your skills would be wasted on this one,” he murmurs while keeping his eyes glued to the paper.
I take a deep breath, and then I very slowly make my way over to sit on the tabletop as my leg dangles beside him. He does his best to pretend not to notice, and I lean back to interrogate him rather than the suspect.
“So we’re not going to talk about all that?”
“Talk about what, Araya? The fact Grayson tried to leave Angelica, or what I said to make him stay? Neither are important right now, and I just want to get this damn day over with. I haven’t even had any coffee yet,” he grouses, and I stand up to walk over to the corner where the coffee has just finished brewing.
I smile as I pour him a cup, and then I add just a sprinkle of sugar before returning.
“There’s your coffee,” I sardonically retort.
He half smirks, and then shakes his head while looking back at the file.
“Does it hurt you to see me with Brazen? I only assumed it didn’t since you’re the one who pushed me to get back with him. Then you told me you cheated on me. Why do I feel like I’m being held in the dark? You don’t act like a guy that cheated. You don’t act like a guy who doesn’t love me… so tell me what is really going on,” I prompt.
“Araya, I fucked up again. That’s all you need to know. Alex is real. You’ve seen her. I’m not making this up. I said what I had to in order to stall Grayson,” he growls out angrily, pushing my emotional rollercoaster up and over the steepest hill - gravity sinking into my chest as I plummet to my death.
