Page 30 of Ice
“Not when Micro’s jerking off, no.”
I saw Reacher mutter something near Micro’s ear, and he nodded, waving a hand. The next moment, all hell broke loose, and it started with Alicia letting out a loud ‘what the fuck!’.
Lissa
Leavinghimwassohard, and spending the rest of the day not thinking about him was even harder, especially when he didn’t even message to make an appointment. After everything we’d shared when I visited him, I thought that he’d at least message me. The more hours that passed without any contact with him, the angrier I became, because would it really kill him to message me? Even just once? Especially after the way he teased, and hit on me. He was definitely hitting on me, right?
He definitely let me in on his biggest secret. The reason for his addiction, and the reason for everything bad that had happened to him, and I felt like it hadn’t just been a breakthrough in terms of his therapy, but also that it had brought us closer. Shown his trust in me. Was he now starting to second guess all of that?
I tried to keep busy, doing things around the house that I’d planned to do, before I put it all on the back burner, to prioritise him. Ice. Should his name have been a warning to me that he would go cold on me?
Then the worse thought hit. What if he was in pain again? What if he was suffering in silence with that damn shoulder injury? What if he couldn’t text me, because he was in so much pain that he couldn’t pick up his phone? What if he needed me, and I was sitting here cursing his name for ignoring me?
Dammit. I picked up my phone several times to try messaging him throughout the evening, and each time something held me back from contacting him. I was getting too close. I had to back off.
Instead, I must have worked my way through a whole bottle of red wine, while I argued with myself through the evening. Andso, when I finally felt my mind clear, as the alcohol chased away all of my inhibitions and arguments, somehow I suddenly felt that it was desperately urgent. Not to message him, or even call him, but to see him.
Was I sober enough to drive? Did I feel like I’d had too much? Legally, I had, but I didn’t feel drunk. Just desperate to make sure he was okay, and not laying there suffering, and in pain, wishing for someone to rescue him.
And that’s what made me pick up my car keys.
Fourteen
She’dleanedoverMicro’sshoulder, to see what he was watching, right before Reacher dragged her away, yelling at him to shut that shit off, or something like that.
But he was missing the point, because something was wrong. Micro and Alicia both looked stunned, and they also both glanced at Has-Been, who’d turned to watch the drama, with an amused grin on his face.
“What’s going on?” Reacher asked, his voice gruff and frustrated.
“Take a look at what he’s watching.”
“I don’t want to see what sick, fucked-up porn that asshole watches,” Reacher replied to her, but she was adamant.
“You need to see it, Reacher. Trust me.” She glanced at Has-Been again, as Micro lifted his phone to Reacher. He stared at it for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh, and then he cursed.
“Is that… What the fuck?”
Then he too looked at Has-Been.
“Sounds interesting,” Tommy muttered to me, as we both watched.
“Something wrong?” Has-Been stood up, wondering why all eyes were on him.
“Couldn’t stay away, man? Wanted back in the biz, huh?” Micro’s snarky comment was followed up by Reacher’s hand slapping the back of his head.
“You’re a porn star now?” Reacher was frowning at Has, who looked as confused as I felt.
“What the fuck are you people on about?”
“Oh, Jesus,” Reacher groaned and handed him Micro’s phone, which was thankfully silenced, so we didn’t have to hear whatever the fuck was going on in the video.
Has-Been cursed, the blood draining from his face as he watched the small screen.
“Where the fuck did you get this?”
He was glaring at Micro, who in turn, stood up and glared right back.
“It’s all over the fucking internet, dickhead. You didn’t think to warn us, so we could avoid seeing your cock in some bitch’s ass?”
