Page 83 of Random Encounter

Dustin nodded, and turned his attention to Harmony when she tugged his sleeve. “You’re supposed to forgive people when they’re sorry,” she whispered.

Dustin sighed. “Alana, watch your sister. I’m just going to be over there, but keep an eye on her.”

“Okay.” Alana pointed at Harmony’s screen and murmured something.

Dustin jerked his head toward a pair of vending machines, and I followed him. He leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed over his chest and attention on his nieces. “You don’t have to go. We’re hiring new people.”

I have to. The retort lodged in my throat. I didn’t have to—my reason for leaving was diminished and Adrienne proved there was still work for me at AcesPlayed. But she was both a different case and part of the reason I couldn’t completely abandon the idea of walking away.

She was okay. Graham looked pretty sure of that. But even the brief time where I thought I’d lost her… The feeling hadn’t hit me so hard with Dustin yet because I could still see him. Even mad at me, he didn’t feel gone.

“We don’t have to lose touch, even if I leave,” I said.

“Lose touch,” Dustin scoffed. “You still don’t… It’s okay, I didn’t get it either.”

“It?”

He scrubbed his face. “It feels weird to have this conversation now, but a text like the one you sent me, the fact that we’re here, drives home that sometimes there’s not a tomorrow. We’re lucky this time there is.”

I knew that all too well.

“I’m still pissed that you lied to me,” Dustin said. “But I don’t want you gone from my life. AcesPlayed, this game, is something I’ve searched for my entire life and didn’t know it until I found it. And so are you.”

Words lodged in my throat. I needed air. I turned away and Dustin grabbed my arm. “You don’t get to do that tonight,” he said. “You’re going to hear me out.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m tired of calling what you and I have friendship. I didn’t realize it before, and it’s as much my fault that it took so long as anyone’s. You and I… we’re more.”

The words should hurt to hear, but they sounded so good. Something was missing, though. “What about Adrienne?” He was so good with her. I was so happy with her. And with him. “You dropped everything for her.”

“So did you,” Dustin said. “She needs us. I need you. Here, with us. Yes, us. I want her too, but I have to start somewhere. I’m not going to miss the chance. And the instant she’s out here, I’m going to tell her something similar. Except, I’ve never said this before. Not in this context.”

I knew what was coming, even if I couldn’t articulate it, and it both terrified me and filled me with anticipation.

“Alana will be so heartbroken.” Dustin let out a shaky laugh. “I love you. I’d be devastated if I lost you.”

“I love you too.” I didn’t know which felt better, hearing the words or saying them. A huge weight lifted from my chest, and I felt like I could breathe, could think, more clearly than in ages.

I leaned in to brush my lips over his, the soft kiss hurting and healing at the same time. He pressed his mouth to mine, lingering before pulling away with a soft smile.

“Talk more later?” I asked.

“I’m holding you to that.”

I brushed a thumb over Dustin’s bottom lip, and moved so he could rejoin his nieces. I moved to face the room, and stayed where I was, watching the room. Watching Dustin as he went back to exchanging whispers with Alana and Harmony. I was an idiot. How did I ignore this for so long?

Was he right? Could I stay at AcesPlayed? Maybe we could create some sort of training position. I did that anyway, but it would be nice to make it official.

I’d worry about that later. For now, I needed to see Adrienne, get that confirmation she was okay and find out what happened. My thumbs hooked in my pockets, I drummed my fingers on my leg and tried not to stare too long at the clock on the far wall.

When the doors finally opened, and a nurse rolled Adrienne out in a wheelchair, I wanted to sprint across the room and pull Adrienne into a tight hug followed by a long kiss.

Given the bruises marring her face and the fact her arm was in a sling, I’d probably have to be more gentle than that. A glance at Dustin, and the ambivalence splayed on his face, he was probably dealing with similar thoughts.

The nurse looked at Graham. “You’re the brother?”

He nodded and joined them. He squeezed Adrienne’s good hand. “You’re all right?”

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