Hollywood chimes in, “And me.”
Blade smirks, unfazed by their sudden outburst.“And you’ll get it.After Hannah.”He shoots them a look, letting them know there’s no arguing.
The food arrives, and my eyes widen when I see what Blade has ordered.Not only does he have a pizza for me, but he also ordered himself a massive burger loaded with all the fixings, a side of fries, and chicken wings.It’s a feast.
“Dig in,” Blade says with a grin, motioning to the spread of food.
I glance from the pizza to his towering meal.“I thought you were going to help me eat my pizza?”
His brows furrow in confusion, and he nods.“I will.”
I point to his food.“But you’ve got all that.”
Blade nods again, unfazed.“Yeah.”
I look at all the food on the table, and it hits me—there’s enough here to feed the whole bar.
I can’t help but ask, “Do you always eat this much?”
Before Blade can answer, Ranger chimes in with a straight face, “I don’t.I’m trying to watch my figure.”
The table erupts into laughter, and Blade leans in closer, his voice playful but serious.“I have a high metabolism, and I haven’t eaten much today.”
I take a bite of my pizza, savoring the cheesy goodness as Blade picks up his burger, diving into his meal with a kind of focused hunger that makes me smile.We settle into a comfortable silence, each of us enjoying the food, but now and then, our eyes meet, and I can’t help but feel the spark of connection.
I finish my third slice, wiping my hands on the napkin.“I’m done,” I announce, leaning back in my chair and stretching slightly, feeling pleasantly full.
Blade looks at me, his brow raised in concern.“Are you sure?”
I nod, but there’s a hint of a smile on my lips.“Yeah.I can’t eat anymore.”
Without missing a beat, he reaches over and grabs my remaining slices, effortlessly finishing them as if there was never a doubt.
The night winds down, and before long, it’s time to leave.I stand up and walk around the table, giving each of the men a hug.Some of them are stiff, unsure how to respond, but others pull me in tightly, almost too tightly, making it feel as though they don’t want to let go.There’s a sense of protectiveness in the way they hold me, and I feel a warmth spread through me as I move from one to the next.
When I reach Blade, he pulls me in, his arms wrapping around me as if I’ve become a part of something bigger.He squeezes me close, just long enough to make my heart skip a beat, then lets go, his hand resting briefly on my back.
“Thanks for tonight,” I say softly.
“Anytime, Hannah,” Blade replies, his voice low and comforting.
He walks me out to his truck, opening my door before we head off into the night.As we pull away from the bar, my eyes catch something in the side mirror, a flash of a familiar face.I blink, trying to make sense of it, but my heart sinks when I realize who it is.
Travis.
He’s standing outside, talking to someone, and for a moment, everything else fades away.Time rewinds to a place I thought I’d left behind.My stomach tightens, and I quickly look away, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling.
“Is everything okay?”Blade asks, his voice cutting through the silence as if sensing something’s off.
I nod, forcing a smile, but it fades quickly.“Yeah, just...well, I thought Travis would have left town.”
Blade doesn’t push me, but I feel the weight of his attention.The rest of the ride home is quiet, the only sound being the hum off the engine.
When we pull up in front of my house, I hesitate, my words stumbling out in a rush.“D-do you want to come in for a coffee?”
Blade glances at his watch, conflicted.“I can’t.I’ve got a job.”
Disappointment creeps into my voice.“Oh, someone’s run off the road?”
