Page 56 of Falling for Fury
“Finds what out?”
“Nothing,” Caleb, Matt, and I respond in unison. Ethan gives us a confused look but drops the subject. Sensing the need for some privacy, Ethan puts his beer down and nods to the direction of the bathroom, leaving the three of us alone.
“You know she should find out from you more than she should hear it from me.” I tell Matt.
“I’m on strict instructions from Ava to not mention a thing.”
“Ava fucking knows? I thought this was a need to know basis, you know, considering the whole, ‘If anyone finds out the deal is dead’ thing happening?” Caleb grumbles.
“I had to tell her. She’s my fucking wife, and it involves her. She needed to know why we weren’t seeing her family in the near future, or until this gets handled properly. I still haven’t figured out how to address the very angry elephant in that room.”
“You know, for an engineer, you’re pretty stupid. That is not how that saying works… Wait, who is the elephant and what room?” Caleb asks.
“Fuck’s sake, this isn’t important right now. Addy won’t hear anything from me. She will find out when everyone else does. She’ll understand there isn’t anything I can do. My hands are tied.”
Matt shakes his head with a smile, like he knows something I don’t, before he says quietly to himself more than to anyone else. “Oh, Karvelas, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
She won’t hate me. She will understand, I’m sure of it.
Fuck, I hope she understands.
“Anyway,” I make to move on, bringing Ethan back in as he returns, “I am more scared about JJ finding out about us, to be honest.”
“He knows?” Matt looks completely shocked.
“JJ is her brother, right? How did you fucking his sister come into a conversation?” Caleb’s amusement causes a wave of protectiveness to erupt at his words. Fucking wasn’t quite what that felt like, and the word feels too impersonal for what we did.
“Easy, pal. Obviously, I didn’t tell Jessie anything about… what happened was he said something to Addison, it upset her, and he might have caught me gawking a few times at the café, and his expression was… exposing.”
Matt laughs. “Well, good luck with that. I am married to Ava, and Jessie still gives me grief. He takes protective brother to a new level.” Well, I might just avoid him for a while, I think. “So how serious are you, then?”
“Boring! It doesn’t need to be serious, Matt. Can’t the man have fun?” Caleb scolds Matt before taking a huge swig of his beer.
“Sure, he can have fun. With anyone but Addison.” This bubble wrap opinion he has of Addy is grating on my last nerve.
“What is your deal? Why do you treat her like she is a fragile piece of glass about to smash into pieces?” I tried, and failed, to leave the anger out of my tone. Ethan and Caleb share an awkward look as Matt levels me with an intense stare.
“Because, Karvelas, I was there when she did break into a million pieces—both times. And I am not sure she has completely put herself together again, and then you took interest, and I am worried about how quickly she will fall apart again.” Matt throws his beer back, slams the glass on the table, and looks at Ethan and Caleb. “I’m going to get some air. See you guys later.” Before he stalks off. Ethan and Caleb drag their eyes to me, looking a mix between shocked and pitying me.
“Fuck’s sake.” Not off to a great start.
“Rage Cage?” Addison’s tone is judgy as she levels me with a plain stare.
“Don’t knock it until you try it.” I give her my lopsided grin, hoping I can tease her into agreeing.
“What kind of date is this?” And damn if my heart doesn’t lurch at her agreeing this is a date. I take a step closer to her, looping my arm around her shoulders to drag her into my side.
“This is what a first date is meant to be. Not some half-assed restaurant filled with the wanna-be’s of NYC.” She rolls her eyes at me, but I continue. “This is where I came after my dad died to blow off steam. I come here every now and then, when the time calls for it. It is extremely cathartic.”
“I’m sorry. About your dad.” The emotion in her eyes is sincere, but doesn’t hold any of the pity most people level me with. It’s refreshing, and yet it makes me look to my feet. Clearing my throat, I shrug.
“I’m okay now. I miss him, and it still hurts like hell when I think about him, probably always will, but the anger isn’t there so much anymore.” I look back to her eyes, and I see all the questions, but as if she knows I could spare no more, she looks back at the entrance, bringing her arm to wrap around my waist.
“So you’re all healed up and perfect because you threw some shit at walls?”
I chuckle and look back down at her, my tongue going dry at the smile spread out on her face. I can’t even stop myself, I lean down and place a soft kiss to her lips. Needing to soak up all that joy and absorb it into my body.
“I can’t believe I get to just kiss you when I want.” She smacks my chest and chuckles as she leaves our embrace and heads for the front door.