Page 25 of Always Been You
She doesn’t wait for an answer, turning and heading for the door, with Aria following close behind.
Lauren rises last, taking a moment to glance at me before she speaks. Her voice is quiet, her words deliberate. “You were never a coward before, Eddie. Don’t let that change now.” She taps my shoulder as she leaves, her words lingering in the silence she leaves behind.
Dash is the only one left, leaning back in his chair as he swirls the last of his drink, his steady gaze pinning me in place.
“If you wish to pursue Lawliss, I wouldn’t be against it. Heaven knows she deserves better,” he says, his tone calm and measured, the earlier fear and anxiety gone. “But if you hurt her? I can’t promise who I’ll become.”
The weight of his words hangs heavy, but I don’t respond. He stands and brushes past me without another word.
“You know Dash isn’t an ordinary man, right?” Josh comments from the corner, breaking the silence. I nod, my thoughts already elsewhere.
“But they’re right, you know,” Josh adds after a moment.
“Not another comment. Let’s go,” I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. He doesn’t press, just rises and follows me out.
By the time we make it downstairs, the bar has quieted, its usual hum tapering off as the crowd thins.
“Drive,” I say abruptly, tossing my keys to Josh.
Josh arches a brow but catches them without comment. “Where to?”
Scanning the street, I spot Lawliss at the bus stop near the bar, walking toward a dark alley.
“Follow her,” I mutter, already heading for the passenger side of the car.
Josh doesn’t argue. The car hums to life, and we roll forward, trailing Lawliss as she moves under the flickering streetlights. She walks slowly like she’s lost in thought, her head slightly bowed, her steps deliberate.
“Lawliss,” I call out, my voice cutting through the stillness of the night.
She stops mid-step, her shoulders stiffening. When she turns, her gaze meets mine, her expression guarded. I don’t blame her. This is my fault. Instead of winning her over, I made her wary.
“Edmund?” she says, her voice cautious.
Josh slows and parks in front of her. With the window rolled down, I say, “Let me take you home,” my voice low and steady.
“No, thank you,” she responds curtly, turning away. As if on cue, thunder cracks through the sky.
With the weather on my side, I try again. “Please.”
For a moment, she doesn’t respond. Her eyes search mine, and then she nods, her shoulders relaxing just slightly.
“Okay,” she murmurs.
Relief washes over me. I get out and gesture toward the back seat, my chest loosening just enough to let me breathe when she sits. I slide in next to her, gesturing for Josh to drive.
“Thanks,” she mumbles, staring out the window.
I nod, giving Josh directions as the car glides through the quiet streets.
Chapter Twelve
Lawliss
I glance outside, the rain drizzling softly against the window, each drop blurring the world beyond into a restless haze. My thoughts drift, unbidden, to the tangled mess of my life.
What’s the most important thing in life? The question echoes like a ghost in my mind, its weight heavier than the storm outside. I’m afraid my best years are already gone, squandered in mistakes and half-measures.
What would have happened if Eddie had never left? If I’d never met Derrick? If I’d become a potter instead of a lawyer, or if I hadn’t run into Eddie in Florida?
