Page 43 of Freeing Hawk
I dressed, keeping an eye on her. After another kiss, I hurried toward the door, stopping only to do as she asked.
Chapter 9
Hawk
Sleep came and went. The pills Angel had gotten for me worked like a charm. The headache subsided before I could fall asleep. Still, I was left awake while Angel snoozing beside me, his arm wrapped around me. I caressed up his muscular arm, then down again.
I traced my fingers over one scar then another. Though I was curious about how he’d gotten them, I was sure they were the side-effects of war.
I dragged a finger up his neck, along his cheekbone and then up to his ear. Enthralled, I turned my finger around to stroke the side of his face with my knuckle, loving the warm roughness of his stubble.
“Are you real?” I whispered. “How are you real?”
No answer came. Instead, he exhaled and shimmied closer to me. He tightened his arm around me, and I smiled. The safety I felt there stunned me, and that was a part of why I was awake.
Just after one, I snuck out of the bed, pull the sheets up to his shoulders and kissed his head. I grabbed my phone and crept from the room and called Eris.
“Hawk?” She called.
I’d definitely interrupted her sleep. Knowing this made me fell terrible. But I needed my best friend at this moment. I needed someone to tell me that I wasn’t crazy, that I wasn’t a slut.
“Hey, I’m sorry but I needed to talk to someone.”
“You’re with Angel…”
“A female.”
She laughed. “Hang on.”
“Is that Hawk?” Ghoul’s voice was soft on the other end. “Is she okay?”
“Yes, baby. She just needs a friend right now. Go back to sleep.”
“Wake me if anything.”
Eris promised she would and there was a brief moment of silence before she came back on the line. “Okay, talk to me.”
“What did it feel like when you were falling in love with Ghoul?” I asked her, picking up one of the hotel keys and letting myself out in the hall.”
“Um—I didn’t even realize I was falling in love with him.” Eris admitted. “I mean, I was trying to find out who killed Tin and he was there. Suddenly, I looked up and my heart broke every time I thought of losing him.”
“Oh.” She looked down the hall, both ways, then sat on the floor across from their suite. “Can I confess something to you?”
“Sure.”
“I think I’m falling for Angel.” I lowered my voice. “I mean, I just met the man. But he’s—we’ve slept together, and you know how some men wouldn’t want to talk about it or even acknowledge it? Not Angel.”
“Well, maybe he’s one of the good ones.”
I made a sound in my throat.
“Would you be willing to move here to be with him?” Eris asked.
“Move? We haven’t even been on a date yet.” I protested.
“It’s a valid question.”
“When you get involved with someone there are feelings involved. And if you have no intention of moving here, maybe find out if he’s okay with moving to be with you.” Eris coughed. “If neither of you are willing to pull that trigger, do not aim this gun.”
