“I couldn’t do it. I could not sit in that fucking theater for two hours knowing that I didn’t have my booze.” Another disgusted shake of his head. “The opening words hadn’t even finished scrolling up the screen before my hands started shaking and I got up and left. I had to.”
Christian let out a snort of derision. “That’s when I really started to look back and finally see it. I planned everything around my next drink. My life revolved around the shit. I wasn’t in control anymore.”
When he went quiet in some sort of self-reflection, Lily grew uncomfortable. She had no idea what to say and she wasn’t exactly the cheerleader type. Even when she went to her own support sessions she used it as more of a tool to satisfy her own needs rather than for its intended purpose, and while she may listen to what the other women said, she never actually approached them in commiseration or mutual support. That thought was sobering – no pun intended – since it kind of painted her as a parasite. Cringing, Lily contemplated just leaving for several pounding beats of her heart. In fact her hand was creeping back toward the doorknob when she heard Christian ask, “Do you like Neil Gaiman?”
The non sequitur left her blinking in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“American Gods?” She must have still looked confused since he moved to pick up a book that had been split open, spine up, on the unvarnished coffee table. Holding it up, he let her see the cover. “It’s a great book,” he went on. “I can lend it to you once I’m done. I was never much one for reading, but Rin gave it to me as a present and I have to admit that I’m really enjoying it.”
Ah, yes, his friendship with Rin Hayashi, Malsum Pass’ very own Kitsune. Lily’s stomach churned with an unfamiliar emotion, almost a choking sensation at the thought of Rin and Christian. What the hell was up with that? She liked Rin, and that bear was none of her concern. Not to mention that Rin was extremely happy with her mate, Mike. The reminder of the newly married couple had the strange feeling subsiding a bit, and Lily refused to examine it deeper, so she switched gears and thought about something else.
If you listened to gossip, the word about town was that Rin – tiny, couldn’t possibly weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet, fox shifter – had pulled the enormous, unconscious, and injured bear shifter out of a car wreck, dragged him into her own car, and got him safely back home. Lily was all for woman power, and proving strength beyond appearance, but there had to be at least a little exaggeration to the story – like maybe Christian had roused long enough to help her and gotten himself loaded into the vehicle…
“Do you want to borrow it when I’m done?”
The question had Lily snapping her mind back into focus. She wasn’t here to borrow a book. She wasn’t here to learn the bear’s sad sap story. She was here to get answers and that was it. She needed to ask the question and get the hell out of here before she got sucked into his drama and have him thinking that they were friends or confidants or whatever. Stiffening her spine, her voice sharper than she had intended, Lily barked out “Did I show up here last night?”
