“Huddle Hope’s dead.We can’t progress in See It Through.Our whole damn point for being here.Helena is ready to hand me my ass and when she finds out—”
“SIT isn’t up to me,” he said, saying each letter.“It’s the panel’s choice.Completely.Nothing to do with me.”
“And when they figure out we know each other?You don’t think your subordinates will want to impress you?Charm you by choosing your friend?”
“Not after what they saw downstairs,” he said.“It’s not like we get along.”
“I don’t even like you,” she said, dropping onto the bench beside him.“You’re a jerk.”
“Yeah?”he said, leaning over to nudge her body with his.“You’re a hothead.”
“Not the first time I’ve been told that today… This seat is cold.”
He straightened to take off his jacket.When she took her back from the rest, he swept it around her shoulders.As she threaded her arms into the sleeves, he sank into a relaxed pose with an exhale.
For a score of seconds, they sat in silence.He opened his hand, presenting it to her.Should she?This was Hotshot.Jackass extraordinaire, but her Hotshot.Slapping her palm to his, their fingers interlinked as his knuckles dropped to her thigh.
“You were never curious?”
“Never enough to hoodwink you,” she said, not that it was within her power.“This was a really shitty thing to do.”
“Guess I owe you… one trivial… or two.”
Except their identities were no secret.Where they lived, what they looked like, it was all available now.They didn’t have to restrict themselves to trivial.
Meeting.Knowing the truth of each other.It opened doors she’d never considered.They could call each other “friend.”In life, in real life, they could look each other in the eye and judge veracity.Did he argue with her because he believed his position or just to be aggravating?Probably the latter.She’d been guilty of that too.
His trivial questions usually related to what she wore.Her habits.Sexual and otherwise.Typically, she’d answer without disguising being unimpressed.They played with each other.Played up qualities to provoke the counterpoint in their opponent.
“You own Huddle,” she said.“You created it.”
“Neither of those were questions.”
“I want to know when you knew you were coming here,” she said, setting her unapologetic glare on his profile.“When did you know for sure you were coming here to look for me?”
“This morning.”
“Bullshit,” she exclaimed, throwing his hand back to his lap, shooting to her feet.“You knew before today!”
“I talked myself into it and out of it a dozen times,” he said, then frowned.“I don’t apologize for who I am or the decisions I make.I came here to lay eyes on you.I came here because it wasn’t enough to be in the dark anymore.”
“And it didn’t occur to you to talk to me about it?”
“To get your permission?”He scoffed.“No, Radley, it didn’t occur to me.Shit, how can you talk to someone every day and not know them at all?”
“Me?”she yelped.“I know you.I know you all too well.I know you’re arrogant.Selfish.Small-minded—”
“Intelligent.Witty.Ruthless,” he said, surging to his feet in front of her.“You know who I am, Radley.You’ve known it since the beginning.You always knew I was capable of a move like this… I’m capable of anything when it comes to getting what I want.Now you know who I am, you can see exactly the lengths I’ll go to.I succeed.When I want it, I don’t stop until it’s mine.”
“This decision wasn’t yours, Hotshot,” she said, prodding his chest.“Wedecide aboutourfriendship.We.Together.”
“And if I’d talked to you about it, you’d have run and hid.You hid behind that screen, behind that headset, becauseI’m the first guy to encourage that goddamn attitude.I’m not afraid of it.”He stepped closer, forcing her to crane her neck.Damn his height.“I came here to meet you.You, Roux Radley.I have never, and will never, ask you to apologize for being you.Don’t ask me to do it.”
She wanted to growl at him, to curse and argue, except there was a problem… he was right.
The ferocity in his gaze was just like he said, unapologetic… and something else… Fuck, he turned her on.The arrogant asshole.Overbearing.Domineering.Stimulating.Stirring.This friendship was going to be unique.He got her endorphins rushing, her temperature rising.There was need.A desire for triumph.For battle.
“So that’s how this friendship works?We do whatever the hell we like whenever we like?Damn everyone else?”
