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“Not that. Why did you clap? Do you hate him that much?”
“I don’t…I didn’t have a choice. There are certain expectations I have to live up to as a guard.”
“Expectations,” she huffed. “And if it had been me? What expectations would you live up to if it were me?”
He stepped closer, his chest pressed against her back, pinning her to the planters. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of the greenhouse where anyone could see. His presence engulfed her, dominated her entire being. She had to ignore the pulsing between her legs at his nearness.
“I would kill anyone who laid a hand on you.”
A hand grazed her arm, but she shook her head and spoke firmly. “Don’t.”
He took a step back, and she felt his absence immediately. She refused to meet his eyes again, afraid she might give in and let him in. He stood in silence, watching as she dug through the dirt. She didn’t even know what she was doing with her hands. She only knew that she had to keep busy or she might fall apart.
“I’m not giving up that easily. I’m not giving up on us,” he whispered before turning away.
This meant nothing. He meant nothing. He’ll get over it.
Even as she thought the words, she knew they weren’t true. He meant something and even if he could get over it, could she? She couldn’t tell if she was doing the right thing. Was the right thing supposed to hurt this much?
He left her alone for the rest of the day. But every time she looked his way, she found him watching her. He did an amazing job of masking his emotions. He was stone cold. No one except her would suspect the sadness and anger he was feeling right now. To everyone else, she was sure he looked like the usual Nik. Solemn and intimidating. Even Sam carried on chatting cordially while Nik listened, uninterested.
Ali jumped in the shower quickly after work, hoping to visit Eli before dinner. One of the guards was kind enough to open the cell for her, and she watched as he slept peacefully. But his snoring was unconvincing. He wasn’t actually asleep. He just didn’t want to be bothered by her. She couldn’t blame him. It would take some time to heal their friendship, but he was worth it and she was willing.
She sat down on the bed and held his hand. “How was your day? Mine was pretty uneventful. Especially without you. I didn’t realize just how boring work could be when your best friend is missing.”
The sound of his snoring stopped, and he just breathed heavily. Apparently, he was interested in what she had to say, even if he didn’t want to acknowledge her yet.
“Everyone misses you, actually. They’re all worried they’ll be forced to spread manure since you’re not there to do it. You’ve underestimated your value.”
She thought she saw the corners of his lips tug into a grin.
“I spoke to Nik today.”
Eli flinched, but kept his eyes closed.
“He’s not going to be a problem for you anymore. I’ll make sure of it.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he sank back into the bed.
Ali’s eyes burned again. God, how many times had she cried in the past few weeks? She inhaled through her nose and steeled herself. This was the last time she would cry. She was so sick of feeling weak; it was time to be strong. It’s what she promised her mother after all.
“I hope you feel better soon. I need my friend back. I can’t do this without you.” She leaned down and kissed him softly on the forehead, then left him alone for the evening. She’d get him to open up eventually. She just had to keep trying.
When she stepped out of the cell, she found Nik waiting once again. The man really didn’t give up. She and Nik were similar in that way. He was fighting for her while she fought for Eli. Which of them would break first?
She moved to step around him, but he blocked her path. “Just give me one minute, please.”
“Shh.” She glanced back at Eli’s cell, then crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to continue.
“I’m going to be out of town for a couple days. I just…I just wanted to let you know that. The timing couldn’t be worse.” He ran his hands through his hair, clearly struggling to get the words out. “I just don’t want you to think that it has something to do with you. You’re not pushing me away or anything. I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere. Maybe…maybe when I get back, we can fix this.”
She highly doubted he could fix this. Everything about her life was broken beyond repair.
He spun and took a few steps away, but abruptly stopped. Then he turned back to her and grabbed her cheeks, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. It took her breath away. His lips were so soft and inviting. Before she could second guess herself, she gripped his T-shirt and leaned into him.
Fuck. This is the opposite of getting over it. It hasn’t even been five minutes since I told Eli he didn’t have to worry about Nik anymore.
The thought of Eli was enough to break the kiss, and she pulled back from him. This wasn’t right.
