Chapter 16 #2
Indy brushes his thumb across my cheek. He frowns. “It doesn’t look like you’re happy.”
“No, I am. Really.” I stretch up on my toes and press my mouth to his. “I’m just so glad you’re okay.”
“Ah, Bea.” Indy picks me up, kicks the door shut, and carries me over to the couch. Then he sits down and settles me onto his lap. “Were you that worried? I thought you were okay.”
“Just a little worried,” I lie.
Guilt shadows his gaze. “Shit. I knew I should have stayed with you. I’m really sorry, Bea.”
“It’s fine. You needed to go. I’m okay—”
“Bea!” He spots the reddening mark on the back of my hand. As he inspects my skin with the intensity of a plastic surgeon, he asks, “What happened?”
“It’s nothing. I just bumped my hand on the counter while I was trying to catch the chocolate. I didn’t want a chocolate morsel disaster, so I lunged—”
“A chocolate morsel disaster?” Indy looks at me in confusion. “What’s a chocolate morsel disaster?”
He looks so cute, with his hair extra unruly and tumbling over his forehead, all I can do is stare at him for a second.
I can’t resist running my fingers through his hair before explaining, “I was thinking about baking brownies. Those cheesecake swirl ones you liked. I was holding the chocolate, and when I heard my phone, it startled me. So.” I give him a little shrug.
“I dropped the package. And I didn’t want all the chocolate going everywhere. ”
“A chocolate morsel disaster. I see.” He presses his lips together. One corner of his mouth twitches. “Well. We wouldn’t want that.”
“We wouldn’t. Because then I’d have to clean up hundreds of pieces of chocolate off the floor. And mop it after.”
Indy stares at me. His lips twitch again. In a solemn tone, he says, “That would be terrible.”
“It would. Because then I wouldn’t have the chocolate to make your brownies.” I glance at the kitchen island, where a small buffet of baked goods is arranged. “Although, I suppose I might have already made too much.”
He follows my gaze. After a silent second, he asks, “Bea. Did you make all that just since you got home last night?”
“Yes?”
“Bea.” It’s gently stern. “Did you sleep at all?”
“Some.” If lying in bed and staring at the ceiling counts, at least. “Anyway, cooking relaxes me. So it was basically the same as sleeping.”
Indy studies my face. “What else did you cook?”
“Oh, just some things for you and the guys. Beer cheese dip, tortilla pinwheels, pulled pork for sandwiches…”
“Bea. You didn’t have to make all that.”
His stomach rumbles in argument.
“I know you said you were fine,” I reply. “But I was feeling a little anxious. And I wanted to have some nice things for you to eat when you got home.”
A beat later, my cheeks heat at the realization of what I said.
Home.
B and A is his home, obviously. But that wasn’t what I meant.
I meant when he came home to me.
Which is crazy to think, considering.
We’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks. Once this thing with Manny Davis is over, there won’t be a reason for me to stay here anymore. I’ll be free to go back to DC, to go back to my job—
My job where they all thought I killed Jenna? In the hospital where I was attacked?
How can I go back there?
And what about me and Indy? What kind of relationship can we have when we’re living across the country from each other?
It’s not like I haven’t thought about this before. But I always set it away for later. Except later is now.
“Something’s wrong,” Indy states. “Something more than some ruined chocolate.” He cradles my bruised hand in his. “And something more than hitting your hand. Which we really need to get ice on.”
I meet his gaze, debating.
Do I bring up my concerns about the future, knowing there’s no simple answer to any of them? Indy’s life is here. Mine is in DC—at least, what’s left of it. Our relationship is still so new.
Anyway, Indy just got back. He’s got to be tired. The last thing he wants to do right now is have a serious discussion about our future.
“Are you still worried about Davis?” Indy asks. His features go stony. “Because you don’t need to. He’s in jail. The DA said the judge won’t grant bail. With all the evidence we found already, there’s no way Davis won’t be found guilty.”
“Evidence?” I got the basics of the story from Tyler and Ace, but not the details of it.
“Yes.” Indy turns me on his lap so I’m facing him. “Plenty of evidence. And I’m sure once the police and FBI finish their investigations, they’ll have found more.”
“Like what?”
“Are you sure you want to hear about it now? If you’re not feeling—”
“Indy. I’d like to know.”
He sighs. “Okay. But.” He pauses for emphasis. “Then you’re going to tell me what put that look on your face.”
“What look?”
His finger traces the line of my jaw so tenderly it makes me want to cry all over again. “Like you’re sad. And if you are, I want to help. Okay?”
My throat goes thick.
How can I bear living across the country from him?
But I don’t say that. I just nod. “Okay. I will.”
“Okay.” He sighs again. “So. Tyler and Ace told you about Davis. His motive. The men he killed. And Jenna. Right?”
“Yes. Ace told me about Manny’s dad, how he died overseas, and his mom wanted the men she thought were responsible punished.”
Indy grimaces. “They weren’t. Responsible, I mean. We got the whole story. The guys on Davis’s team, they did everything they could. One of them almost died himself trying to save him. But his wife… she refused to accept the truth.”
“I guess I can understand how it might be easier,” I say. “Having someone else to blame.”
“Maybe.” But from his expression, he doesn’t really believe it. “Anyway. They were innocent. But Manny Davis? He’s not.”
“So what did you find? Aside from his confession?”
“The police raided his apartment late last night. They found Black Cobweb, boxes of syringes, notes on the men he killed and the ones he was going to target next, and—” Indy stops. His jaw clenches. “Your phone was there. At his apartment.”
My stomach knots. “He had my phone?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, Bea.”
“It’s okay. I shouldn’t be surprised. And really, it’s better that he had it. Right? As more evidence.”
Indy exhales heavily. “Yes. But I hate it. That he had anything of yours… and what he did to you. Shit. I wish…”
“Wish what?”
Something dark and dangerous flickers in his gaze. But he quickly blinks it away. “Nothing.”
I could push. But I won’t. “So… there’s enough evidence to make sure he won’t get off?”
“There is.” He hesitates. “But even if there wasn’t, or if something unexpected happens at trial, he’s not coming after you again. It’s not happening.”
“How can you be sure? If he gets out—”
“He won’t hurt you again.” It’s spoken without a hint of doubt. “I promise you, Bea. Manny Davis will never hurt you again.”
We both go quiet for a few seconds after that.
Indy looks across the room, his face solemn in profile.
My stomach flutters with nerves.
“I was—”
“What are—”
We both stop at the same time. Indy cracks a small smile. I release a nervous giggle.
Which is silly. Nothing’s changed between me and Indy. I still care about him, and I think—hope—he still cares about me.
Except.
What comes next?
Gathering my courage, I blurt, “So, now what? If Manny’s in jail, that means I won’t need to stay here anymore. Right?”
Indy goes tense beneath me. “Are you in a hurry to leave?”
“No. But you have other clients. Ones who might need this apartment. So—”
“We still need to wrap things up with the case,” he interrupts. “I wouldn’t say it’s safe to leave yet.”
“But soon. Right? Which means I have to go. Back to—” My voice catches. My eyes burn.
“Bea.” Indy cups my cheek. “Don’t cry.”
“I’m not.”
I am.
“You are.” His gaze burns into mine. “Do you want to go back to DC?”
“No.” It’s out before I can stop myself.
Surprise jolts his face. “You don’t?”
Heat floods my cheeks. Staring down at my lap, I whisper, “No. Maybe it’s stupid.
I know we haven’t been together long. But if I go back to DC…
there’s nothing. I can’t go back to work.
Not with Jenna gone, knowing everyone thought I killed her.
And…” I swallow hard. “You won’t be there.
I won’t get to see you. I’ll be all alone and you’ll be here and I just…
When I think about it… I feel terrible inside. ”
Indy stares at me for a long moment. His expression is unreadable. Then he lifts me off his lap and sets me beside him.
My heart falls to my feet.
Too much.
Too fast.
I messed everything up.
“Bea.” He takes my hands in his. “I don’t want you to go back to DC, either.”
“Then—”
Indy takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I don’t want you all the way across the country, Bea. But it’s not fair of me to ask you to give up everything.”
“You’re not.”
“But I want to. That’s the thing, Bea. I want you here. Where I can see you every day. Where I can take you on real dates and you can… shit. I don’t know. It’s selfish. I know it is. Wanting you to come here instead of offering to move to DC.”
“But you have Blade and Arrow. Eden. Of course you have to stay here.”
Indy’s expression goes still. “I don’t have to, Bea. Do I want to stay here? Of course. But if things between us… Shit.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m falling in love with you.”
My heart launches itself into the stratosphere. “You are?”
Indy looks at me earnestly. “I am. And it’s okay if you’re not. I know it’s soon. But, yeah. I am. How could I not when you’re so incredible? When you’re everything I’ve ever wanted? When you’re the only person who makes me feel whole? Not some broken man, but—”
“You’re not broken, Indy. You never were. And you’re not now.”
“I don’t know.” He sighs. “Sometimes I think you’re right. Sometimes I’m not sure.”
“But I’m sure,” I tell him firmly. “And I’ll keep reminding you. For as long as it takes.”
“Bea.” He kisses my forehead. “I want all of it. Having you here. Seeing where this thing between us leads. But.”