Page 34 of Fight or Flight
“Really?” Paxton asks incredulously. “When was the last time they called a meeting an hour before it was supposed to start?”
“When we had that security briefing.” Kyle shoots Paxton a quick look and pushes the door to the stairwell open. “Maybe this has something to do with that?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Paxton says, but he still doesn’t look convinced.
It’s true that house meetings are usually scheduled days, if not weeks, in advance, and we’ve only had a handful of same-day meetings in the years we’ve been members, but an impromptu house meeting isn’t something I have the bandwidth or the energy to care about right now.
What I’m concerned about is that I’m going to have to face Jace again, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.
It’s been almost a week since the incident in my room, and I’ve spent most of that time confused as fuck and trying to wrap my head around what happened. I still don’t know how we went from fighting to rubbing off on each other, but we did. I can’t erase it, and I definitely can’t forget it. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with it.
Jace being a guy isn’t the part that’s fucking with me. It’s the fact that he’sJace, the person who pisses me off more than anyone ever has.
Would I have enjoyed it with anyone else? And would it have even happened if I hadn’t been in one of my reckless moods?
And why, out of all the guys in the world, did it have to happen with him?
The slamming of the stairwell door behind us shakes me free from my reverie, and I push those thoughts to the back of my head as we head toward the stairs that will take us to the basement. The last thing I need is for anyone to notice how distracted I am and start asking questions I’m not ready to answer.
I wait as Kyle taps his ID on the sensor to open the door, and the three of us hurry down the stairs and toward the main meeting room that’s just past the house pool.
We catch up to a few other brothers in the hallway and file into the room one after the other, making sure to tap our IDs on the door sensor to log our presence at the meeting.
About half the guys are already there, and my eyes cut around the room as I search out the one face I don’t want to see. Thankfully it looks like none of the Hawthornes have arrived yet, and I relax slightly as I claim one of the plush chairs next to the one Paxton has sprawled out on.
The meeting room is just as ridiculous and extra as the rest of the house, with its low lighting, black padded walls that are apparently for extra soundproofing, and the raised dais surrounded by a semicircle of extra plush stadium-like seats. The only good thing is that the chairs are comfortable, and the low lights make it easy to zone out without anyone noticing.
I only half listen as the guys around me talk in hushed voices. Even though there aren’t any cameras or recording devices in the room, everyone always whispers when we’re in here.
A familiar laugh draws my attention to the door, and I swing my head toward it before I can stop myself as Jax, Jace, and Killian come into the room.
My throat tightens as I watch them tap their IDs, and I’m just tearing my eyes from the trio when Jace slides his gaze from his brother to me, instantly seeking me out like he knew exactly where I was.
I freeze as our gazes lock. Is he going to be a dick about things? He hasn’t told anyone what happened, at least not as far as I know. Is he waiting to make a scene?
I brace for some sort of reaction from him, but he just shoots me a smirky grin that makes my stomach do that flip-flopping thing again and follows his brother to a group of empty chairs on the other side of the room.
He doesn’t spare me another glance as he and Killian start talking quietly about something, and I hastily drop my gaze to the floor, my cheeks flushing hotly.
Am I blushing? I can’t remember the last time I blushed. What the actual hell?
“You okay?” Paxton asks quietly.
“What?” I jump and whirl toward him.
He shoots me a strange look. “Are you okay? You look weird.”
“Thanks,” I say dryly. “That’s exactly what a guy wants to hear.”
He bumps his arm against mine and grins. “Just keeping it real with you. But seriously, are you okay? You look a little flushed.”
“Fine,” I say quickly.
“Okay, if you say so.” He shoots me another look and turns back to Kyle.
Dan slides into the chair on my other side and gives me an upnod. “How’s it going?”
Fantastic. I’m totally not freaking out about being in the same room as the guy I rubbed off on last week. The same guy who happens to be the closest thing I’ve ever had to an archnemesis.
