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“While I’m in a stage between happiness and hunger, who wants to see if Orion is still here?” I ask.
Turner snorts. “You didn’t forget, I see? I really enjoyed the way you tore into him, it definitely made my dick hard. Hang out, and I’ll go find him. I didn’t see another car, but that doesn’t mean much,” he tells me.
It’s true, if someone dropped him off, he wouldn’t have a car.
“Okay,” I tell him with a smile. The food is giving me an energy boost, but I know it’s only temporary.
Turner strides out of the room, and Derek joins me to snack as he chats with me, as if he’s afraid I’ll fall asleep at the table.
He’s not entirely wrong, once my belly is full, I probably will crash.
Heavy boots sound in the hallway, and I glance over my shoulder.
“He’s coming,” Derek reassures me. “Give him hell, but play fair.”
I take a deep breath, nodding. No blows under the belt. I have so many questions, but I’m also angry he was going to leave Derek.
His insistence to keep me at arm’s length means something, but I don’t want to make assumptions.
Orion steps into the kitchen, eyes sweeping the area. It’s the habit of someone used to being in control, knowing what will happen before it does, a predator. Except… he’s not in control and I can see the faint twitching of his fingers.
It’s a tell, even though it’s slight. I glance away from his hands, because I don’t think he’d appreciate me noticing it.
“I’m still here,” Orion grunts and Derek hides a smile between his hands as he takes a bite of cracker and cheese.
“So I see,” I mutter. Taking a sip of water, I sit back on my stool as I think about where to go from here. Orion’s green eyes take me in from where he stands.
“Are you sure you want to do this tonight? You look a little… tired,” he says, forehead furrowed.
Roark snorts as he continues to make what looks like chicken alfredo. God, that man spoils me. My stomach grumbles again, and I grab a piece of prosciutto to quiet it, taking a bite.
“Piece of advice,” Roark says with a small smile, “maybe don’t state the obvious to Lenny. She’s allowed to be a little tired today, and look it as well. Drawing attention to it doesn’t bode well to your continued health.”
“You sound like Tesa and her mother now,” Turner says. He’s so damn quiet, I didn’t hear him, and I shift in surprise.
It says something about how used to him I am that he didn’t scare the shit out of me.
“I love them and their poisonous ways,” I laugh. “Cutting to the chase, I am tired, but I want to talk to you before I go to bed. I don’t want to be afraid of you, and I’m sorry I freaked out in the woods. I won’t go back.”
Orion walks forward to lean on the counter. Turner grunts his displeasure at how close he is to me, but it’s half hearted.
“You don’t need to apologize to me, little—” He stops abruptly as three growls fill the room. “Fuck, Lennon! I know your damn name, but using it is too personal. I don’t know how to explain that you’re under my skin and I’m trying to dig you out,” Orion confesses.
“You don’t know me, though. We went to high school together, but I don’t remember seeing you a lot. I tried to stay away from the football team whenever I could,” I tell him, no longer hungry as I start to pull apart the meat.
“Yeah, about that. I’m sorry for not doing more back then. I saw it happening before I graduated, and I didn’t stop it. I wish now I had,” he says, grimacing. “I was a little wrapped up in other things, and there was no one to protect you. One fucking person should have stepped up, and I’m disgusted at the contrary.”
Derek sighs, and I know he’s drowning in memories. I drop my food onto the plate, and squeeze his hand.
Swallowing hard, I nod. “I appreciate that, but it wasn’t your job to step in or stop it—”
“Do you remember the night after Maguire played us, and it was one of our last games before I graduated. I saw you running down the road, and I was driving home from…”
“Orion, stop editing your words. Just fucking tell her,” Derek explodes. “If this is going to work, you need to tell her. All of it.”
I sit back, rocked by the violence in his words.
“I’m a fucking serial killer,” Orion growls. “I have very little moral compass, but I hate rapists. I usually only killed when I was at an away game, but I couldn’t this time.” He blows out a breath and I look on, intrigued.
