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“This was about five years ago, she’s not a rookie anymore.”
“Oh, good,” Topaz said as her toes splayed wide then came to a perfect point. “What was the debate?”
“Huh?”
“You were debating music, what was it.”
“Classics,” he said. “Grunge, rock, R & B, then MJ came on and was singing ‘Don’t blame it on the Boogie.’”
“Don’t blame it on the sunshine, moonlight,” Topaz sang absently. “Sorry, it’s pretty impossible to not sing that song.”
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “In a way. I was dancing, putting out my best moves—”
“I’ve never seen you dance,” she mused. “Not once, you’re a corner guy.”
“Yeah, well I’m sure the moves are still there somewhere, but I did this slide, the wind blew and the box exploded.”
Coldness crept through the cab of the truck as he tried to be fine with what had happened. The pain, sharp, quick. The blast sending him flying in his mind, but really it was his leg being taken out from under him that dropped his ass like a sack of potatoes.
"The cabin,” she breathed and he inhaled sharply. “Oh my god, I thought if they die, someone will come looking, I never—”
He held up her hand to silence her.
“No, I’m so—you must hate Brick.” She shook her head.
“You’re not the only reason I live with Hollywood and Free instead of on the compound.” A shudder tore through him from the memory of the random blasts Brick sets off. “He really needs a long sit down with Doc on his issues. There are better ways to blow off steam then—”
“Wait,” she said turning to him. “You stay off the ranch because of me?”
He cut his eyes at her then refocused on the road ahead. What did she expect? Every time he was around, she was cold, rude, mean. No one wanted to feel unwanted, and she’d been the only one to make him feel that way with the Steels. But her hatred had been so visceral, so deep he didn’t see any reason to increase their interactions.
“You understand now?” she asked meekly, her body pressed so tight to the door he wondered if she would become a part of it. “I never hated you Onyx. Everything I did was because…I couldn’t…in the cabin when they—” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
With a stretch, he was able to put his arm around her shoulder and pull her to him. She snuggled tight to his chest and cried as he kept her tucked under his arm like a bird under his wing. The world hadn’t been all sunshine and lollipops for her and he knew, in her own way, the cruelty she’d shown him had been from a place of caring. Maybe not for him in particular, but men in general. Ones she’d touched and now were gone.
