Page 13 of Guarding the Shadows
“Just that this guy Lance matters more now, right?”
She sighed, unfolded her legs and stood up. “Like I said, he matters because he’s always present.”
I huffed out a breath, was about to reach out and pull her into my arms, but at the last minute I clasped my hands behind my neck to restrain myself from doing that. “And I’m not.” I narrowed my eyes. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Gwen, but it appeared that I obviously didn’t. With that realization, I decided right then, no matter what I felt about her, I’d claw back my pride and let her go.
“You didn’t even give me the chance to talk this out. But, if that’s what you want, there’s nothing else to say. Or maybe there is just one more thing. Have a nice life, but I think one day you’ll realize, you’ve made a huge mistake.”
10
THREE MONTHS LATER
Raff
“Nice to see you sober for a change,” Bodhi muttered while he pushed my apartment door open and made his way past me.
“I’m always sober for work,” I reminded him. “What time is it?” I asked, squinting past him at the bright sunshine that shone through the hallway window.
“9:40 a.m.,” he replied, striding down my hallway and disappearing into my kitchen.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, sounding irritated by his forwardness.
“Part welfare check, part orders from the boss,” Bodhi replied. He picked up the electricity bill cancelation notification for Gwen’s place and read it. “At least you’ve stopped paying for that bitch,” he muttered after casting an eye over it.
“Hey,” I said, grabbing it out of his hand and crumpling it up in a ball. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
“Levi’s orders. He’s got a special job for us ... and he wants me to help straighten you out.”
“Straighten me out?”
“Dude, I’ve been checking in whenever you’ve not been at work. You’re letting her win, dude.”
“I wasn’t aware I was in a fucking competition. What am I supposed to do … just forget her? And anyway, what I do on my own time is my business,” I snapped in a gravelly tone.
“Oh, I’m all for privacy. And in normal circumstances, I’d give that to you … if you weren’t trying to drown yourself in a bottle every night.”
“I’m not,” I ground out.
“No? Fuck, Raff, go check yourself out in the mirror. Apart from the fact this place smells like a cross between a-a-a whisky distillery and a-a … two-star pizza restaurant and a sweaty jockstrap, you look like a shell of yourself. When was the last time you showered and shaved?” he stammered.
“I’m a single guy, isn’t this how I’m supposed to live? Who gives a fuck if I haven’t washed for a day or two?”
“Look, I get it. You were with Gwen a long time, and what you had with her—well a breakup like that, it must be hard to get over. At one time she was the other half of you, but she royally shafted you, my friend, and gave you the pleasure of paying for her while she did it. But one day you’ll accept that you dodged a bullet. She’s not worth your misery, dude. When was the last time you worked out?” he demanded, rolling his shoulders like he could barely contain his frustration.
“All you need to know is I turn up sober, do my job and what happens on my own time is none of your concern.”
Bodhi strode over toward me, placed his hands on my chest and pushed me down into a chair. “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Raff. We’re friends, and that makes you my fucking business.”
His rough shove didn’t faze me one bit. I’d been on the receiving end of that before. It was the fury that burned inhis usually expressionless eyes that made me sit up and pay attention.
“You need to get your ass in the shower and get some gym gear on, we’re taking a kick-boxing class.”
“You’re taking a kick-boxing class. I’m staying here.”
“Don’t piss me off. You’re coming to class with me or I’m moving in.”
I let out a hollow laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Me, ridiculous? Like I said, look in the mirror. Who would have thought a chick could reduce a battle-hardened guy like you into someone who looks like a moping, teenage girl who’s been dumped by her tenth-grade boyfriend.”
