Page 81 of Redemption
My brow furrows, and I offer a non-committal “Hmm.”
As an officer, we work pretty closely with the fire department on some of our calls, especially wrecks. For years, I’ve been able to tell you every guy that worked there. But the fire chief retired recently, and I heard a new guy was coming in from out of town. I haven’t had the chance to meet him yet, but if the way MJ glared at the back of his head is any indication, I’m not sure I’ll like him.
Although, I’m pretty sure MJ was glaring at me like that the day she came back into town, too, so really, who am I to judge?
With her arm still around my waist and mine slung around her shoulders, we take a right toward the mattresses. I hold my breath, praying she doesn’t realize she’s still letting me hold her because as soon as she does, she’ll pull away, and I’ve missed the way her shampoo fills my lungs with each step we take.
I might savor the moments I can rile her up and watch the heat creep up her neck into her eyes, but I’m also lost to moments like this, too—moments where I can bask in just the quietness of her presence. It’s moments like this that I made myself believe I didn’t deserve. I still don’t know that I deserve them, but MJ does. She deserves all the moments that leave her with that soft smile she’s wearing on her lips as we walk.
“What does ‘hmm’ mean?” MJ asks, pulling away just enough to let me see all of her face. I tighten my hold on her shoulders, afraid that she’s pulling away, but she stays right where she is, a constant weight in my arms that feels right.
“Nothing. Just hmm,” I say, pleading innocence.
Her brows flatten. “Don’t pretend I don’t know what every single one of your grunts means. I learned to translate barbarian a long time ago.”
My lips tick up.
“Fine. Tell me what happened when you met him to make you look at him like he is enemy number one when I’m the man usually holding that title.”
MJ throws her head back, her hair tickling my arm as it falls down her back, and laughs. I could spend a hundred lifetimes watching her like this.
“First, you’ve never been my enemy—gotten on my last nerve? Sure. My enemy? Never. Not even when you broke my heart.”
Her words aren’t sharp. They are filled with the laughter that bubbled out of her seconds before, but they pierce my skin anyway.
Dipping my head, I meet her gaze, and in it, I see a lifetime of disappointment hidden behind a woman who had to learn to be strong for herself. “I would have rather ripped my own heart out than to have broken yours. I’m sorry I was so lost in my guilt and grief that I let you slip through my fingers.”
Her hand finds the scruff on my cheek, fingernails scraping against my skin. I close my eyes, getting lost in this feeling—getting lost in her.
“I was lost too, Hayes. I still am. But I’m not too blind to realize I broke you, too. We both made mistakes, but I’m glad we can be friends.”
I hide my wince behind a smile.
Friends.
I hate that word, but if it’s all she can ever offer me, I’ll gladly take it just to keep her in my life.
“Are you avoiding the question?” I ask, poking her in the ribs to ease some of the pain in my chest that word inflicts.
She smiles again. “Maybe.”
Before she realizes what’s happening, I spin her so her chest is pressed against mine. My hand stays on her lower back as I dip her back, my nose grazing hers. Her gasp is like music to my ears, so I repeat the motion just so I can hear it again.
“What about now? Are you going to avoid the question now?” I ask, and everywhere my breath fans over her face, goosebumps appear.
Fire and light and laughter all dance in her eyes.
Her lips tilt up in a mischievous smirk. Her chest rises, brushing against me as she starts to answer, but a male voice interrupts.
“Well, isn’t this a cozy scene?”
MJ is still dipped in my arms, both my arms wrapped around her when I lift my head to take in the interruption.
The man from earlier stands at the front of the aisle, and when I meet his stare, he smirks at me. My jaw locks.
“Here I was thinking we had something special, darlin’,” the guy says, winking at MJ.
My nostrils flare as I lift MJ so she’s standing upright and tuck her to my side. I never let my gaze leave the man in front of me as I place a chaste kiss on her cheek.
