Exposé

13. Ava

13

Ava

A ria dragged me towards the bar as I leaned into her, the heavy thump, thump of the bass vibrating my soul. "Where do we start?"

"Try blending in first." She leaned over the makeshift bar and waved the bartender over. "Jack and Coke."

Aria held up two fingers, and the short man with a straight bar through his septum nodded.

It looks so painful.

"How long do you think this is going to take?"

Aria nudged me, and I glanced down at the drink in her hand, then took it. "To what? Have a good time? That all depends on you."

I snorted and leaned into her, then took a tentative sip, the liquid hitting my tongue like a slap.

The harsh, smoky burn of the whiskey mingled with the sickly sweet cola, creating a concoction that made my taste buds revolt.

" Ugh , God.”A grimace twisted my face, my lips pulling back. “This is why I stick to beer.”

I pushed the aftertaste aside and swallowed down the remaining drink. My nose wrinkled, my gag reflex firing as I set the cup down with a shudder.

"Another?"

I groaned and shook my head. "I have work to do, and I can't do it if I'm sloshed."

"Ava, you are twenty-five years old. There is no reason for this responsible talk. Come on, live a little."

Aria turned back to the plywood surface held up by two wooden casks. "Hey, can we get a vodka shot?"

"Oh God, Aria. Can't you make it something worthwhile?"

She snorted and shook her head. "This is a college rave. The only thing they have here is bottom-shelf vodka and watered-down beer. Don't expect anything better."

"But we just had a Jack and Coke…"

"I took a shot in the dark, and they had it. Do you want that instead?"

"No." The remnants of smoky timber left on my tongue had me scowling. "Let's just get this over with."

"Alright." Aria replaced her empty red solo cup with the plastic shot glasses left behind. "Here you go. Last one, enjoy."

Right.

I knocked back the shot, the liquid sharp and harsh like fire coursing down my throat. My eyes watered, and my belly burned as the medicinal aftertaste caused me to shiver. "Fucking hell, Aria." My whole body seized as I dropped the cup onto the bar top.

"I know, right?"

"Thank you for reminding me why I never do these things."

"Come on, let's assimilate."

"Why me?" I tipped my head back and groaned as she dragged me onto the floor where bodies writhed together, their hands swaying in the air. Beams of light sliced between them, their random neon-colored socks sticking out against the blackened cement floors. "Do you think he'll be here?"

Aria stopped at the edge of the crowd and turned, looking into the throng of people. "I know he is. It'd be a wasted opportunity if he wasn't."

Buzzing hit my brain, my lightweight system taking a beating on all fronts between the liquor coursing through my veins and the loud music violating my eardrum.

"I'll take this side. You take the other?" I pointed towards the back end of the warehouse, the furthest from the stage, where DJ Kabier stood, his hand pinning a headpiece to one ear while his other bounced in the air to the beat.

"Sounds good to me."

"Pay attention to your phone so I can find you."

She waved me off. "Yeah, yeah."

Aria's phone rang in her hands as I darted off to the right, my ankles loose in my high heels.

Assimilate.

Assimilate.

My arms moved in stiff up-and-down shifts against my ribcage to the music as I pushed through the people, their clothes glowing in the black light.

How does one assimilate?

A woman wore a black fishnet top, revealing a white glowing sports bra underneath. With a seductive touch, she slid her hands down the other woman's chest, her see-through spaghetti strap shirt adorned with small, bead-like candies. She put her hands in the air, waving them in time with the beat, their feet shuffling on the warehouse cement floor.

I tossed my hands towards my chest, mimicking the woman's motions, and moved forward. The bass dropped, and people screamed, their feet leaving the ground as they jumped to the pulse.

A man dressed in a white striped shirt spun around the support beam, his black painted eyes in sharp contrast to the bright whites as he rolled them back into his head while he spun.

What the hell was he on?

I bumped into a blonde wearing sunglasses inside, her cup in hand with plastic covering the open top and a straw sticking out of the center.

She twisted and wrapped her free arm around my neck, her hand covered in a single net glove. "I love your dress," she yelled in my ear.

"Thanks." I smiled as I tilted my chin upward.

"Where did you get it?"

Her breath reeked of booze, her hips crashing against mine as she swayed with her cup in the air.

"I don't remember." I frowned. "The internet, I think."

Whistles and screams broke out as the song changed. The blonde slipped her arm from my shoulder.

"Wait." I leaned into her as though giving her a hug. "Do you know where I can get something to pick me up?"

She pulled away, scanned my face with a megawatt smile, her lids heavy with drink. "Oh yeah. Look for Bomber." She pulled away and then disappeared between a shirtless man with a sloth hat on his head, the arms trailing down to his waist, and another wearing all plaid.

Bomber?

Who the hell was that?

I stood in the center of the room, scanning each individual and their unique appearance.

How do you tell a drug dealer apart from everyone?

Bomber could be anyone here.

I sucked in a deep breath through my nose, my shoulders dropping as I pushed through the throng towards the bar.

This is impossible.

After a few moments of staring into the crowd, I moved behind the bar and leaned against the wall, giving me a wide angle of the people jumping.

Thank God we're on a solid foundation.

An older man in a thick brown leather jacket with sheep's wool around the neck stood in the corner, his teeth glowing as he smiled at the short woman slapping his hand in a brief exchange. He leaned over her and spoke into her ear. She nodded, and their hands met again.

She scampered away from the man towards her gaggle of friends with an eager smile across her face.

The man glanced down at his hands, then tucked one into his pocket, his gaze jumping up, clashing with mine.

Spiders crawled over my flesh as he smiled and took one step towards me.

Bomber.

Duh, his jacket.

Bomber broke through the crowd like a surfer carving through a wave. My stomach knotted until he stood three paces away, his head tilting down as he stared back at me. "You need something?"

I swallowed the tightness in my throat, the liquor in my veins evaporating and taking my courage along with it. " Um ..."

"Yes?" He stepped closer.

"What do you have?"

"What do you need?" His eyes narrowed, and a slight smirk tugged against his lips.

"I don't know any of the street names." I crossed my arms, plumping up my breasts, my hair standing on end as though a thousand eyes judged me. "I'm kind of new to all of this."

"So you don't want anything?"

He turned, and I grabbed his arm, spinning him back towards me. "I didn't say that."

Bomber stepped closer, pinning me to the wall as though we were lovers, his arm plastered above the wall. "Then tell me what you want."

"Do you—"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any NeuraZene?"

He raised a brow. "Seems a little hardcore for someone who's never done this before."

I shrugged, my throat tightening. "I heard it was a trip."

"No. Sorry. I don't have it."

He walked away, and my stomach dropped.

Maybe he knows someone?

I rushed around him and pressed my hand to his chest, stopping his escape. "Are you sure?"

He grabbed my wrist and removed my touch. "I'm sure." Dropping his hold, he moved around me, and we shuffled again, my body stepping into his path.

"Please."

"You're too desperate for a noob."

I curled my upper lip and crossed my arms. "I'm not desperate."

"You stink with desperation."

He moved around me.

"Okay. Fine. I am," I yelled after him.

Bomber turned with a smug grin. "Why?"

Think, think, think.

"I made a bet with my friend. She said I couldn't do it."

"Is that right? Well, alright."

"Really?"

He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the corner we'd met. "On one condition."

I scowled. "What's the condition?"

"I watch you take it."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end—my stomach dropping. "No. I have to do it with her."

"Then bring her here."

I scanned the dance floor. "I don't know where she's at."

"Then no deal."

"Come on. Seriously?"

He raised a brow, his eyes narrowing. "Deadly."

My mind spun in circles as it recalled the side effects and the consequences of the experimental drug. "Do you make everyone do that?"

"Just you, sweetheart."

A wave of sweet perfume swept between us, mixed with a hit of skunky weed.

He's my only lead.

"Okay. Fine." My heart leapt into my throat as his slimy smile broadened.

"It's fifty bucks."

"For a single pill?"

He laughed, tipping his head back toward the warehouse ceiling.

"You're enjoying this too much, Bomber."

His shoulder rose in a sluggish response as his eyes collided with mine. "It's not every night I get this type of entertainment."

My upper lip curled. " Ugh. " I dipped my hand into my top, pulling out a few bills, counting out the right amount, and flicked them in his direction with my two fingers. "Here you go."

Bomber raised a brow and took the money from my fingers, counting it as though I were less trustworthy than the blonde I'd watched him make a deal with earlier.

He didn't count her money...

"It's all there. Don't be insulting."

He shook his head. "You can never be too careful."

"Whatever." I held open my palm, and he dug into his inner jacket. "Is that why you wear such a big jacket?"

He let out a short, derisive laugh and dropped a small white pill into my hand. "A deal's a deal." His head dipped down. "Take it."

My nostrils flared as I stared at the rounded square pill.

Fuck.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

"Bottoms up." I brought the pill to my mouth, the smooth surface touching my lips.

A large hand swiped across my vision and grabbed my wrist, another snatching the pill from my hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" The deep voice boomed over the pounding feet and bass speakers slamming against my chest.

My gaze flicked to my empty palm. "What gives—" I glanced up at the offender. "You?"

"Yeah, me."

"I knew you were a cop." Bomber backed away, his gaze flickering between us, then turned on his heels and bolted through the crowd.

"Wow. Thanks a lot." I pushed against his broad chest.

"I never pegged you as some rave junkie."

My jaw dropped as he turned away from me and skirted the edge of the crowd.

Did he just accuse me of being an addict?

I picked my jaw up off the floor and chased after him.

"You've got some nerve."

Nate scowled, his chiseled jaw clenching. "I do?"

I pressed my finger into his chest. "Not only did you cost me a lead, but then you accuse me of doing drugs?"

He towered over me, his white shirt glowing under the lights, his leather jacket tight against his shoulders. "So are you saying I made believe you were popping pills?"

I hung my head and shook it with a short exhale. "I wasn't going to swallow it. I was going to cheek it and run off."

He raised a brow. "Right."

"Look, you don't have to believe me, but I'm telling the truth." My hand slid down his shirt. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

His breath made my lashes flutter as he moved closer. "I'm a friend of the DJ."

I let out a sharp breath, arms tightening over my chest like a makeshift shield. "So you're more of a rave junkie than I am."

Nate glanced around us as he stepped in closer. "This is the first time I've been to one of his parties. It's not my style."

"I guess we have something else in common."

He gave a subtle shake of his head, his hand tucking into his pocket.

"I need that pill back."

"Why?"

"I want to run some tests on it."

"What for?"

"Nate, Goddammit, this isn't any of your business." I bit into my lip, avoiding eye contact as my fingers itched to tug at my hair. My heel bobbed against the ground as my stomach pinched. "But if you must know, it's for the story I'm working on."

"A story? What kind of story?"

"Look." I shook my head. "Can you give it back, please? It's not like I'm gonna hide in the bathroom and do lines." Are there even bathrooms here? "Besides, I don't want to be here just as much as you." My gaze roamed up his dark pants to his belt buckle, then charged straight to his examining eyes. I held out my open palm between us. "So, as soon as you hand it back, I'm going home."

Nate sighed and dug his hand into his pocket. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He slapped the pill into my hand, and I dropped it into my bra.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"Really?" He cocked a brow.

"Too soon?" I pulled my lip between my teeth, hiding the rising smirk.

Aria popped in beside me, her cheeks flushed as she held out her phone. "I've been on the phone this entire time with that big baby—" She dropped her phone to her side as her gaze fell on Nate. "Oh, umm. .." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I see you're busy here." She leaned into me, her hand gripping my forearm. "Did you get it?"

I nodded.

"I didn't know drug dealers were so good-looking."

An obnoxious snort filled the space between us as I laughed. "This is my... friend Nate. He's not a drug dealer."

Was he still my friend?

"Hi." He held out his hand, and Aria took his, shaking it.

"Hey. I'm Aria."

"Nice to meet you."

She held up her phone and glanced at me. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." I gave her a curt nod and turned to Nate. "Give me a minute."

His lips lifted in a lopsided smirk. "I'll be here." He shoved his hands into his pockets as I turned around to face Aria.

"What's going on?"

"Henry is what's going on. He has the man flu and wants me to bring him some soup from Panera."

"You're ditching me?" My gaze shot around the room filled with people younger than me.

"No... I mean, yes." She winced. "It's not like you’re by yourself." She raised her palm to Nate behind me. "You've got that slab of yumminess to take care of you."

I snorted. "Yeah, thanks. We'll see how that goes." I sighed and pulled her into a hug. "It's alright. Go. I've already got what I need, anyway."

"You sure? I can wait a little bit."

Tossing a quick look over my shoulder, Nate stood, his hands in his pockets, his eyes shuffling around the dance floor as if in search of something... or someone. I turned back to her with a nod. "I'm sure."

"I'll catch you at work tomorrow." She kissed my cheek and waved goodbye to Nate, who flashed her a smile.

"Looks like it's just you and me."

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" My arms hung straight by my side like stiff sticks. "Well, I'm going to—"

"Let's start over—" we said in unison.

I laughed and hung my head. "You go first."

"Do you want to dance?"

"Do you like to have your toes stepped on?"

He laughed and pulled his hands from his pockets, his fingers dipping between mine as he turned and led me onto the floor.

We settled in the center of the crowd near a pole where the possessed man had spun around, his creepy white eyes nowhere to be found.

"You're in luck."

"Is that right?" I beamed as I smiled up at him.

"I have steel-toed boots on."

"Product of the job?"

He stepped in closer and tucked our laced hands behind my back and pressed into me. "You could say that."

My heart raced, warmth pooling in my stomach and settling low.

Our lips brushed against one another, the music and dancers around us fading into the distance as our tongues swirled.

A heavy mass slammed into my back, pushing me into Nate, his back hitting the pole behind us with an oomf.

Bright white lights shot into the air, and the music scratched to a halt.

"RPD. We're shutting this down."

"Frick." I pulled away from Nate, but his hand held me tight.

"I know a way out. Come on."

People screamed in all directions, scattering like cockroaches in the sun as he pulled me toward a door behind the wooden stage.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place we won't get a ticket for trespassing."

My stomach flipped as I chuckled. "It wouldn't be the first time I was cited for it."

He opened the door and turned back to me with a raised brow. "A bit of a rebel, aren't you?"

The door shut behind us, locking us in a stairwell that led nowhere but up. "It's a hazard of the job." I shrugged as we took the steps, his hand tight around mine. "People don't like reporters."

Our feet pounded against the metal steps as thuds against the door sent my heart skittering into next week.

"I can see that."

"What about your friend?" I frowned as he cracked open the door at the top of the steps with ROOFTOP ACCESS printed in faded red letters in the center and peeked his head out, scanning the roof.

He opened the door all the way, scanning again, his hand tight in mine. "My friend?" He tugged me through the door, my heel hitting the threshold plate, then spun and let the door close quietly behind us.

"The DJ..."

"Oh, right."

I raised a brow.

"He'll be fine. He's used to this stuff."

"You forgot about him, didn't you?"

He winced as he tugged me toward the edge of the rooftop and peered down. "Guilty."

"Wow. Nate—"

My gut clenched as a cold sweat prickled up my spine.

That's a long way down.

"Give me some credit. I was too concerned about you."

Heat flushed my cheeks as I wet my lips. My skin tingled as he stepped away from the edge.

"We should hang out here for a while. They're watching the alleyway."

His sacrifice fled to the back of my mind. "How did you know about the roof access?"

Nate's feet shuffled against the pea gravel roof as he checked behind each silver box of old ducting. "I was here earlier. I knew all points of entry."

"Is that part of your military experience coming out?"

He frowned as he turned to me—the expression fleeting. "Situational awareness was ingrained in us."

I nodded and sat on a metal box, crossing my legs, my hands wrapped around my midsection as I kept a healthy distance from the edge of the building. "I get that. I seem to always be hypervigilant these days." Pulling out my phone, I checked my emails while he finished the rounds on the rooftop.

Nothing from FOIA.

Nothing from Mr. Anonymous.

Nothing from the Mayor.

Nate made his way back to me and plopped down beside me as I tucked my phone back into my dress.

"So this night took a turn."

I chuckled. "I can say with certainty I didn't plan on spending it on the rooftop."

He twisted his torso towards me. "How did you plan on spending the rest of your night?"

Leaning back, I pressed my hands into the smooth metal top and gazed down the length of my shimmering body, then glanced up to the city-diluted stars. "I don't know." I shrugged. "Maybe kick off these heels and watch some reruns." My chin scrunched as I pictured it. "On second thought, I'd probably be working with a beer in my hand."

Nate ran his hand down his shadow of a beard that never grew beyond a five o'clock length. "Sounds like me."

I chortled. "So, the beer in hand?"

"Yeah, that's it." He bobbed his finger and laughed, his smile broadening as he stared into my eyes, causing my stomach to take a flying leap off the building.

"Guess we're easy people."

Nate shifted beside me, his shoulder brushing mine as the cool night air swirled around us, carrying the faint aroma of his cologne. He leaned back, resting his weight on his palms, his fingers brushing against mine as they splayed across the metal surface. A ripple of heat surged through me, and my breath hitched as I pretended to study the skyline.

"It's a different view up here." His low, rumbling voice vibrated the air between us.

"It is." I exhaled and kicked off my heels. "Sometimes I get so caught up in the day-to-day, I forget to take in the beauty surrounding me."

"I know what you mean."

In my peripheral vision, Nate studied me, his intense, hooded eyes sending shivers up my thighs.

How was his presence so magnetic?

He pulled me in, drawing me closer without either of us having to move.

I bit my lip, heat rising to my cheeks. "You're going to cook me alive if you keep staring at me with those laser beams." I dropped my eyes to his, turning my head.

"It sounds cliché, but I can't help it." He leaned in, his hand cupping my face as his thumb caressed my cheekbone. "You're stunning."

My stomach pinched, and heat slapped my cheeks as though I'd sat beneath the sun all day. "Thank you." Air rushed from my lungs.

His lips brushed against mine, and I sank into him, giving in to the desire that had warmed me since our first kiss.

My fingers clutched his leather jacket, and a shiver wracked through my body as his hand slid down my side, clenching my hip.

Shouts down below pulled me away from him, cementing me in reality. I wiped my bottom lip with my finger. "Sorry, I..."

"No. It was too fast. I get it—"

"It's not that."

I took in the surrounding sight—us on the rooftop, cops down below... "Indecent exposure isn't a charge I'd like to add to my list."

"Who says we're going to be indecent?" A full smile pulled his lips from his perfect teeth, his dimples deepening.

"That's what a kiss like that leads to." Gooseflesh traveled up my body, causing me to shiver.

Nate shucked off his jacket and tossed it over my shoulders, his encompassing warmth and scent making me want to forego the hesitation, his eyes fixated on mine. "Do you ever regret your job?"

A wry smile crossed my face. "Okay, random."

He shrugged. "Sorry. A thought pops in my head, and sometimes my mouth blurts it out."

A lump formed in my throat as I mulled over the question. "Some days. But most days, no." I pulled his jacket tighter around my throat. "What about you? Do you regret the path you took?"

He sighed and glanced up at the dim stars. "Same as you, depends on the day." His jaw clenched, the muscle bulging beneath his facial hair. "But I guess when you're in too deep, there's no looking back. You have to keep going."

I hung my head and nodded. "Until it's too late to turn around."

Nate leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, as he looked at me. "Maybe that's why we're both here tonight on this rooftop—we're stuck somewhere between moving forward and turning back."

I shrugged. "Maybe."

Silent red and blue police lights bounced off the buildings around like a snoozed alarm clock.

If they caught me with the pill, a trespass charge would be the least of my worries.

Soft laughter bubbled up. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if things were... normal?"

Nate shook his head. "Normal's overrated."

I smiled as my hands shifted in my lap, my cheeks burning. "Spoken like someone who's never had it."

He raised a brow as he glanced at me and adjusted in his seat, his hands drumming against his thigh as though charged with too much energy. "What would normal look like for you?"

"Honestly?" I bit my lower lip as I looked up and away and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe... waking up without worrying about who's watching or what I might find at work that day."

"Paranoid?"

"A bit." I held my fingers together and laughed. "But seriously. I want to go home to someone who's... not part of the mess. You know?"

He nodded and leaned back on his hands. "Sounds nice."

I leaned into him, bumping his thigh with the back of my hand. "What about you? What's your vision of normal?"

His gaze dipped down my body and back up, our eyes clashing. "I like the sound of yours."Nate sat back up as if he couldn't make up his mind and pulled my hand into his. "I think it's okay to go now."

I frowned and pulled my eyes from him. "How do you know?"

"The lights." He stood and walked to the edge of the building, then back. "They're gone."

I popped off the metal box and slipped my heels back on, slapping the pea gravel from the bottom of my foot. "Thank God. I need a hot shower and sleep."

Maybe a cold shower and some more work...

"Come on, we can go down this way." He waved me towards the edge of the building, where a ladder stood up from the rim.

I huffed, flicking my hand with a shake of my head. "Um… No. I don't do heights, remember?" Pushing to my feet, I strode back toward the rooftop access door. "I'll go out this way."

"This is faster." He stalked up behind me.

"And more deadly. I'll take my chances with the stairs and cops."

Nate raked his hands down his jawline, glanced over his shoulder, then moved in front of me. "Okay, let me go first, then. Just in case there are some stragglers."

"Is that what you're worried about? A couple of blitzed-out college kids?"

"That or cops." He tucked his hand in mine and led me down the stairs, my heels clapping against the cement. "We wouldn't want to sully your pristine reputation."

" Please .”I laughed. “The officers in this department know my reputation very well. And it's far from pristine."

We reached the bottom of the stairs, and he cracked open the heavy metal door, then peeked his head around the corner as he had done with the rooftop access. "It's clear."

He pulled me through, and my stomach swirled as we kicked our way through empty water bottles and solo cups, then out through the front entrance. "I didn't think tonight would end like this..." I glanced around me, the alleyway still reeking of mildew and rot.

He squeezed my hand. "Is that a good surprise or a bad one?"

My teeth bit into my inner lip as we walked towards the parking spaces across the street, our heads turning left and right as we checked for traffic.

Traffic in the middle of the night?

"It's definitely a good one."

"Same." He glanced down at me as we stepped into the parking lot, his dark eyes boring into me as though he'd touched my most sensitive spaces. "Where are you parked?"

I swallowed, tearing my gaze from his broad shoulders, and glanced around the lot, then pointed. "There."

"Smart. Parking under the light."

Shrugging, we shuffled forward and stopped at my car door. "We both let our jobs influence our lives."

He gave a short laugh. "That's the truth."

My eyes landed on a black two-wheeled death machine parked a few spaces away, the dim light hiding it like a beast lurking under the bed.

That wasn't there when I arrived...

Was it?

I frowned, recounting when I'd parked. "When did you get here?"

Nate shrugged. "I think around seven? I helped set it up a bit, walked around, and then it started."

I pointed to his bike with a raised brow. "And you've been parked there the whole time?"

"Starting to sound like an interrogation." He chortled.

Shaking my head, I swallowed the tension in my throat. "I don't remember seeing it when I arrived."

"That's because I was parked over there." He pointed to the street. "When a space opened up, I moved it. That's how I knew you were here."

I eyed him and opened my car door. "That would make sense."

How come he asked where my car was then?

"At least I thought it was your car." He smiled, and his jacket pocket buzzed against my hip. "You mentioned it at the diner when I offered you a ride."

I frowned and shucked off his jacket. "Someone's calling you."

"It can wait."

Handing it to him, I dropped my phone onto the console. When I stood, he'd slipped his arms through the jacket and adjusted it at the shoulders.

"This night might have been unexpected..." he stepped into me, his fingers tracing my hairline on my forehead. "But it turned out to be better than I'd hoped."

My heart skipped as his fingers tucked around the nape of my neck and pulled me close, his lips pressing against my forehead.

"Same here."

He gazed down at me. "Is this a date?"

My butt hit the side of my car as he leaned in, his thumb rubbing against my cheek. "Dates..." I breathed out and wet my lips, "are intentional. This was a happy accident."

"Good to know."

His mouth drew closer, and I pushed my chin up to meet his in a slow, sensuous kiss, our tongues sliding together, teeth nipping.

My skin tightened, the scent of his cologne causing a rush of comfort throughout my body.

I pulled away with a soft laugh, my hands dropping to his chest. "I'm going to get home." I hid my smile for a moment longer, then glanced up at him with a straight face and hot cheeks. "I'll see you on Sunday."

"See you then." He pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger, then pressed a goodbye kiss to my lips and stepped back, yanking my heart along with him.

God, he's good.

What if he's too good?