Page 74 of Nitro

He and Spike would arrive at Olaf’s territory in a few hours. I silently wished them well.

There were no messages from Marc. Perhaps he was running late, or maybe he was having second thoughts too.

The minutes ticked by, and just as I was beginning to doubt whether Marc would show up, the bell above the door chimed.

I looked up to see him entering, and our eyes locked for a fleeting moment.

There was an unspoken understanding that we needed to do this.

"Hey," I greeted, a tentative smile on my lips.

"Hey," Marc replied, returning the gesture as he approached the table.

Marc’s expression was a mix of uncertainty and something else—perhaps regret.

He slid into the chair opposite me, and there was a moment of awkward silence.

"Look," Marc began, breaking the silence, "we need to talk about what happened. We can't keep avoiding each other, Tommy.”

"I know,” I ventured, still unsure how to begin.

“I shouldn't have lost my temper like that,” Marc admitted.

"It's not just that," I said, my gaze unwavering. "We've got to address everything—the note, the argument, and whatever's been going on between us."

Marc sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Tommy, I messed up. I shouldn't have let my anger cloud my judgment,” Marc said.

I appreciated the admission, but there was still so much more we needed to unpack.

“You’re my big brother, maybe I shouldn’t have kept secrets from you,” I said.

“Tommy, I need to understand what's going on with you. You've been distant, and I can't help if you don't let me in,” Marc pointed out.

I hesitated before finally meeting his eyes. "It's complicated, Marc,” I said.

"Try me," Marc urged. "We can't rebuild our relationship if you keep shutting me out."

I swallowed, then fingered the menu.

"Let's order something first," I suggested.

Marc nodded.

"You still like mocha lattes?" he asked with a small smile after we ordered at the cashier and returned to our table with two coffees and a blueberry cheesecake.

"I'm still fond of them," I said. I took a deep breath. "Let's start with something simple. How have you been? Is your PI business going well?"

Marc nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, the PI business is keeping me busy. Some challenging cases, you know? But it pays the bills." His gaze softened, and I could sense a genuine interest in reconnecting.

“What about you? How's life been treating you?" Marc asked.

I fidgeted with the handle of my coffee cup, a familiar nervous habit.

"Life has been... eventful, to say the least. Nitro and me, we’re doing great, better than great.” I paused, gathering my thoughts.

“That’s wonderful, Tommy. I can genuinely see he makes you happy,” Marc said.