"Yes, it's vital," said Singh, giving him a stern look.
Charlie returned it without the slightest hint of fear. He kept his arm around me, and it felt amazing.
What had I ever done to deserve his backup now? He wasn't one to go against the commissioner. He thought the sun shone out of Singh's ass.
But now Charlie was protecting me, holding me. I couldn't focus on anything else for the moment. I tried to remember to breathe. His touch was warm and light, friendly — friendlier than it had ever been before.
What had I done to deserve this? It was agony to keep my hands to myself and not touch him back.
"Charlie," said Sahil, and it sounded less like a reprimand and more like the expression of a friend's concern, as if he was trying to say, "Let me handle this for you."
"Sahil," Charlie responded in a slightly warning tone, as if to say, "Don't you dare."
They really were friends, weren't they? They were close in a way I never would be with either of them. I didn't mind not being the commissioner's friend. So fierce one minute, so sweet the next. Who needed that? But I did mind that I wasn't truly Charlie's friend. I would have liked that.
Singh regarded us both for a moment, his mouth tightening in a slightly prissy expression. His eyes on me were rather like a reptile's. I almost shivered at the coldness of his stare. I couldn't meet it for long.
Charlie's arm snugged a little tighter around my middle. "We're going to go now," he told Singh. "I'll talk to you later, Sahil."
"I'm still your boss, you know," Singh grumbled, but he didn't sound like he meant it. I'd never been in doubt about his favoritism towards Charlie, but it was still a big difference from how he spoke to me, how he looked at me. He'd been ready to flay me and kick me out of the program for the slightest disrespect, while Charlie could defy him to his face without consequence.
Right now, I was glad to have Charlie's protection. It was still odd to think of him being on my side against Singh, though. Or against anyone, really.
"I'll talk to you later, boss," said Charlie. He gave Singh an impish grin, and turned around to go, taking me with him.
I was putty in his hands. Or rather, with his arm around me.
I had to pull myself together.
I finally summoned the strength to pull free of him. "Thank you," I managed with as much dignity as I could muster. "But I was fine. You didn't have to rescue me."
"You admit it was a rescue, then." He gave me a look that, from anyone else, would have been flirtatious and teasing. "Are you saying Sahil is scary?"
I snorted. "Not to you. Clearly."
"Well, that's because he loves me," Charlie said in a soft, matter-of-fact way, as if it had been obvious forever. "Maybe not the way I first thought I wanted, but it's enough. He loves me more than anybody else who works for him. I'm sure of it."
I was, too. I hadn't thought that that would be a source of pride, but Charlie sounded so happy about it. He liked feeling special, wanted, loved.
My mouth had gone dry, because it sounded like he was saying that maybe, possibly, he'd moved on. That perhaps someone else might have a chance with him now.
Did he mean that? Could he?
I should ask for clarification. But I couldn't open my mouth. And if the answer was no, of course not, then I probably couldn't bear to hear it anyway.
He gave me a pat on the arm and said, "Anyway, you're all right now. I won't let him harass you about me. We're cool. He doesn't have to tell you off for my sake."
"Ah, it was...only sort of about that." I winced. "I dared to question why he wasn't sending us out more lately. The team, that is."
"You second-guessed the boss? Dude, you deserve whatever you would've gotten." He tapped his knuckles against my shoulder lightly, like a high-five punch.
He wasteasingme.
I winced. "So, you're okay with our not going out on missions more lately?"
"Yes. I mean, I trust Sahil completely — unlike some people. Stay out of trouble, now. I don't want to have to rescue you again." And he turned and started away.
"Wait." I touched his wrist, imploring him to stay. "Do you mean you trust Sahil completely and you don't trust me completely, or that I don't trust Sahil enough?"
