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ChapterEighteen
WADE
The past twoweeks have been long, but mostly enjoyable. The team had a tournament, and I stayed home. I’ve never resented my job more than when I had to watch my girl get on a plane when her stalker still hasn’t been found.
I knew she would be safe as long as she stayed with the group, but it was an excruciating three days. The stalker has been quiet.
Earlier this week, a letter showed up in Bernadette’s mailbox. It was from him, and it said that he enjoyed meeting her, and maybe next time, she’ll let him buy her that drink. All the progress she was making on not being paranoid is now gone. She thinks I don’t notice how she looks over her shoulder constantly, but I do. She’s jumpy. Loud noises catch her off guard. I don’t fully understand why, but I just wrap my arm around her and tell her it’s okay.
Link’s friend Ryker Stone has been working hard at tracking the fucker down. He’s done a good job at covering his tracks, but I’m hoping this white hat hacker is better.
I’ve had to buckle down at work. The first week after The Bar incident, I missed a lot of work. I’ve cut out early a lot of the days but have had to refocus myself at work. My job is still important, and I’m still looking good for that promotion I was promised months ago, so I don’t want to lose the momentum I’ve been gaining. At the same time, I’ve realized there is more to life than work. I’ve tried so hard not to hover and let myself get caught up in trying to protect her. I promised her weeks ago that I would back off, and I have for the most part. She must have talked to the girls, because they eventually did as well. I hate her being by herself for long periods, but life must go on.
I haven’t talked to Dex about my relationship with Bernadette. Truthfully, I don’t know where we stand. We haven’t labeled anything. Maybe we should. It’s well past time. Simon saw us making out outside our apartment, and he hasn’t said a thing to me about it. That threw me for a loop, for sure.
Which is why I’m confused that I seem to be dwelling on that little factoid as I pull out cartons of fried rice and sushi, placing them on the table in front of me.
“Can we forgo the plates and just eat out of the cartons tonight? I’m not feeling dirty dishes.” Bernadette giggles.
“Absolutely. I grabbed some chopstick so I can be entertained as I watch you try to use them as you eat the sushi.” I smile at her, and her bottom lip pops out in a pout.
“Yes, I know one would think as a gamer using chop sticks would be easy. Yet, in this case my brain, fingers and the sticks don’t mesh well.”
“I know. But it sure is cute watching you try.” I open up the carton that has her favorite spicy tuna in it.
We eat in silence for a few minutes. She opts to pick up the roll with her fingers instead. I grin and shake my head.
“Penny for your thoughts?” she asks after a few more minutes of silence.
My brows furrow. “Huh?”
“Your mind is hard at work thinking about something. I can read it all over your face.” She points her fork toward me.
I swallow the roll I just stole from her carton before telling her what’s on my mind.
“Before that night at The Bar, you were pretty mad at me. I was being a tool about not telling anyone about us, and you wanted me to stop hiding.”
She nods solemnly, wanting me to get to the point.
“Well, I feel like I owe you an explanation as to why I didn’t want to tell everyone we were seeing each other.”
She tilts her head to the side. “I would love an explanation.”
“So, remember when we met?” I put my fork down, not really hungry anymore.
The sides of her lips tip up. “Yeah, you bought me fried pickles.”
I smirk. “Yeah, but more like fast forward a little. It was a week or so after we first met—”
She shakes her head and interrupts me. “You mean when you told me I was too young for you, and that we weren’t going to be anything other than friends?”
I sigh. “Yeah, that.”
She bristles a little at the memory. Not my best moment—the moment when I had to friend-zone her. “Well, I went home for a family dinner shortly before that, and Dex and Link were talking about how amazing you were. I asked some questions, and they told me you were off limits.”
Confused, she straightens in her seat.
I forge ahead. “They said you were too important to the team for any of them to screw around with, so they all made a pact that you were off limits. Apparently, that extended to me.”
