AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You should see the other fucker.”
“Why? Where’s he?”
“Shallow grave.”
Apollo laughed. “Job well done, then.”
“Job done,” was the only agreement Valen seemed willing to make.
“Stitches?” Apollo asked.
“Couple, probably. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” He sank back in the chair. “I just want to fucking relax.”
“Tough one?”
“Fucker wouldn’t stay down.”
Apollo leaned over and passed him the bottle of whiskey he had beside him. Valen took it from him with a nod, but Valen’s eyes were on me.
“Your dad charging extra?” Apollo asked.
“If he doesn’t, I will,” Valen said, finally taking his eyes off me.
“Who was it for?”
“You know I’m not meant to talk about it.”
“Come on,” Apollo coaxed. “It’s me.”
“And Miss Vanguard.”
“Oh, Miss Vanguard,” Apollo laughed mockingly. “Youcancall her Harlow.”
Valen took a long swig of the bottle. “That’s not my place and you know it.”
Apollo scoffed. “All that shit’s years away.”
“For you, maybe.”
Apollo seemed to recognise that Valen wasn’t in a mood for light-hearted teasing. He didn’t poke him further, just let him be and we all settled in to watch the movie. But, it seemed, Apollo’s night had been tainted. Not long after, he stretched dramatically and yawned.
“I might pack it in,” he said. “You in for the rest of the night, Valk?”
Valen only nodded.
Apollo kissed my hair and slid out from under me. “Night, Harlow.”
“Night, Apollo.”
He gave me a smile, spared a concerned look for his friend, then headed off to bed.
Valen and I sat in silence for the next half hour or more until the movie finished, like we were both too polite to interrupt the other one. Only, we both knew that neither of us were that polite. Not with each other.
When the credits rolled, we still didn’t move. Finally, when the silence was making my skin crawl, I cleared my throat.
“I guess I’ll... Uh, also...” I said pathetically, then got up to leave.
Before I was out of the room, Valen had me pinned to the wall. His eyes were stormier than I’d ever seen, like proper turmoil raged inside him. I wasn’t naïve enough to think it was all over little old me.
