Page 53 of The Two Last Moments

Lark smirks at me. “We are. The chicken is amazing. You should try it.”

“It’s the dry rub,” Aiden says.

“You going to feed it to me, roomie?” I ask him tightly.

He doesn’t hesitate. He holds out a piece of chicken to me, and I swear he’s laughing, though his expression hasn’t changed.

I snatch the chicken from his fingers and pop it into my own mouth.

Okay, it’s really freaking good.

“We were talking about you,” Lark says, and a sliver of chicken goes the wrong way down my throat. I cough to dislodge it, my eyes watering.

“I didn’t say anything bad,” Quinn says.

Aidan shrugs. “I did.” He’s got a hint of a smile, the only indication that he’s kidding. At least I’m pretty sure he’s kidding.

Lark grabs another piece of chicken. “Aiden said his family’s catering business might be able to give me a job.”

“We can always use servers,” he says.

Aidan is a chef for his mom’s catering company. The Shelbornes are all good people. Aiden’s older brother is a drug enforcement agent, and his younger sister is a cop with West Oaks PD. Same with her husband. If I was going to trust anyone with Lark, the Shelborne family would be near the top of the list.

But there’s this ragey feeling inside of me that wants to insist,fuck no.

“We can discuss it.”

Lark glares. “Why do you think you get a say?”

“Like I said earlier. The only job you should worry about right now is getting better.”

Lark’s jaw sets, and she turns away from me. “Anybody else need a beer? Quinn, Aiden?”

“I could go for one,” Aiden says. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Lark storms off, her green dress fluttering around her legs as I watch her go.

Quinn pats me on the shoulder. “You have my sympathies.”

“What?”

“You’ve got it bad for that girl, and you have no idea how to handle it.”

Aiden doesn’t add anything, but his lifted eyebrow says he agrees.

“I’m trying to keep her safe.” I know, I’m a broken record. “I want to do what’s best for her.” If I repeat it enough, I’ll get it through my head.

“Ever think of lettingherdecide that?” Quinn asks.

My jaw sets as I watch Lark on the other side of the yard. She’s pulling away from me. I feel it. Usually, if someone doesn’t want to be in my life, then I don’t fight it. I let them go.

But everything with Lark has been different since the moment I held her in my arms and pulled her from danger.

For the first time, I want to hold on.

* * *

I drive us home,while Lark stares out her window.

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