Page 28 of Always a Chance
He touched the sides of his head where the hair was buzzed and then ran his fingers through the longer strands on top. His hand dropped back to his side as he looked away. “Why didn’t you just ask me, Tal?”
“I don’t—”
“For the interview.”
“Oh.” That. I wasn’t sure how he knew or why no panic came. Instead, there was instant relief. “Would you have agreed to it?”
He didn’t answer, running a finger along the spines on my bookshelf. “No romance books.”
There were plenty of romance books on those shelves, just fantasy romance. I couldn’t tell him an entire shelf in my New York loft was filled with Trinity’s books end to end, some duplicates. “I haven’t exactly lived here in a while.”
He drew his hand back at the reminder of the last ten years. “Yeah, I know.” The mask he’d perfected fell away, and I read every emotion on his face the way I used to. Johnny was sad, but it was more than that. There was a current of fear in him. The realization had my own guard dropping.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not—”
“Don’t nothing me, Johnny Kelly.” I stepped forward and reached for his hand, trying to ignore how soft it felt in mine. He smelled of the ocean and sunscreen, a scent that had once been my favorite because it was so fully him. “Come on.” I led him to sit on the edge of the mattress and dropped down next to him. We’d had so many conversations right here, sharing all our hopes and dreams, fears and worries.
His lips twitched into a smile. “You sounded like my Talia right then.”
His Talia. I wanted to say I’d never belonged to anyone, but maybe that was the wrong phrasing. We hadn’t belonged to each other, but we had belongedwitheach other. That was what being a best friend meant. We were the best when we were together. “I haven’t been that girl in a long time.” Foot-in-mouth syndrome was a real thing.
“Yeah, I know. You’re right.” He slipped his hand from mine and spread it flat on his thigh. “I also know you still hate me.”
My breath lodged in my throat, but I managed to nod.
“Good, just so we’re clear.” He coughed. “I, uh…” His fingers pulled at the back of his neck. “I need a favor.”
My eyebrows shot up. “From me?”
“I called your paper.”
Paper was an odd word for a news source going completely digital. “I see.”
“They told me you were here to interview me. I knew there had to be a reason you returned, but I wouldn’t have guessed…”
“That it had to do with you? Me neither.” I sighed. “Look, Johnny, I know you don’t do interviews. For good reason. I never told anyone at my work, or anywhere else, who Trinity really is, and I promise I won’t. I don’t know why I thought you’d do this for me.” I couldn’t tell him why I really needed this, that my job depended on it, on him. How pathetic would that look?
He turned, hitching his knee onto the bed to face me. “That’s the thing, Tal. I want to do it. The interview. I need to.”
“Why?”
“I have… reasons.”
He didn’t owe me those reasons. I knew that, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“Talia!” My dad’s voice roared through the house, making me jump to my feet. Johnny stood more slowly, the weight of his words still on him.
Without another glance, I headed for the hall and into the living room, where Gianna and Aidan sat with playing cards spread before them. My dad stood over them, glaring at a cowering Aidan. When Dad lifted his eyes, they locked on me.
“Talia, explain to me why you left your sister alone with a strange boy.”
“He’s not strange, Daddy.” Gianna rolled her eyes.
I stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. “Aidan is a friend. I only stepped away for a moment.”
That didn’t lessen his anger.
