Page 201 of The Sidekick

“Hi, South,” I finally find words. “I was just about to call you.”

She tilts her head and doesn’t say a word.

I hold up my phone to show her that her contact info is pulled up and ready to go.

She nods and eyes the lump of waitress by the wall.

“Her?”

South’s voice is strange to other people but it’s a natural comfort to me. The muted tones that blend everything into an emotionless mumble other people strain to hear is a lullaby that helped me sleep for years.

“Not a problem,” I rush to tell her.

Her dead gaze returns to me, and I give her a small smile.

“I need your help with something.” I grimace and hold my hands up, ready to beg. I messed up not calling her. I know that. I just don’t know how badly she’s really taken the news. It’s not like she emotes enough for me to know and I’m afraid to ask. I don’t want my Southie walking away.

“I’m in.”

She doesn’t even hesitate. Even after my screw up she’s still ready and willing to watch my back.

If I asked South to dig a ten-foot hole the only question she would ask before she got started would be, “Who’s going in it?”

“I love you, Southie,” I tell her helplessly and throw my arms around her.

She embraces me warmly and strokes a hand over my head in comfort. She may not ever feel the emotion to say it back to me but I know it’s in there somewhere. No one can convince me otherwise.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Asher

The bar is slow when I walk in. A quarter of the tables are filled, and the dance floor is empty despite the loud music.

Instead of walking to the counter, I try to go into the back hallway myself. I know where Tera is, and I want to see her now.

Getting that picture was a gut punch in the middle of a bad day. Everything turned around in a second as soon as I opened it. The blush on her cheeks. Her impish grin. The bun and the darkened marks on her neck proudly displayed. This woman is going to kill me one hard-on at a time.

I’m almost in the hallway, eager to get there and not paying attention when a woman slides into my path with a concerned expression.

“Can I help you?” She asks sweetly.

I don’t give her a facial reaction, but inside, I’m cursing her. It’s the woman from last night that was hanging around the office. Does she not remember me?

“I’m here to see Tera,” I tell her calmly.

“You know where she is?” Her face becomes concerned, and she glances around warily.

I arch a brow, already done with the dramatics.

“Yeah,” I reply blandly.

She seems surprised. “She really is your girlfriend, then?”

I told her that yesterday.

“I… I don’t know how to tell you this,” she places a hand on my bare arm and leans into my personal space. The normal skin-crawling reaction I get from being touched kicks in, and I have to pretend it’s fine. All I really want to do is fling her hand off me and push her out of my way.

“I think she’s in the back with Max right now. I, um, think they’re… you know. Busy.”

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