Page 62 of By His Side

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Maybe not. But you helped the scum that did cover it up, and in my eyes that makes you just as guilty as him.”

A hush had fallen across the café, heads turning our way to find out what was going on.

“I didn’t help him cover it up,” Felix said, his voice surprisingly level considering the subject matter.

“That’s not what the courts said.”

“The courts,” Felix began, “are—”

I jerked to my feet, the loud scrape of my chair across the floor drowning out the rest of whatever Felix had intended to say. I could see the way this would go, and there was no satisfactory resolution to it, no matter which way you looked at it. There was only the woman continuing to badger Felix, and Felix eventually losing his temper. And no doubt some of the interested onlookers would get involved, because who didn’t have an opinion about murder?

“Let’s go!” I said.

“Yes, run away,” the woman said, clearly warming to her moral crusade. “Shame that poor girl didn’t get the option to do that. Peoplelike you shouldn’t get released from prison. Ever. In fact, they should bring back the death penalty.”

I held my hand out, my expression begging Felix to focus on me and not her. “Let’s gohome, Felix.” I hope he got my emphasis on the word home, and what I was trying to say with it. It was a public declaration of our relationship. Ofus.

He stared at my hand. The woman was still ranting, something about bringing back nooses in town squares. She’d become nothing but background noise while I held my breath and waited to see what Felix would do. If he didn’t take my hand, it would be symbolic of something much bigger. The final nail in the coffin of our relationship.

The seconds stretched. When warm fingers finally closed around mine, it was all I could do not to grin like an idiot. I tugged him to his feet and away from the table, Felix remembering at the last second to grab his backpack. The woman shouted something after us as we reached the door, probably good riddance, but I paid her no mind. And then we were out on the street and away from the harsh judgment of the general public who could all go to hell as far as I was concerned.

If I’d thought the battle was won, I was wrong. Felix might have taken my hand and accompanied me back to the house without protest, but he’d immediately started pacing as soon as he’d dropped his bag on the floor, his body language broadcasting his agitation. “You have to see that what I’m saying makes sense.”

I made myself comfy on the arm of the sofa. The same one he’d sat on earlier. “No, I don’t.”

“Darien, be reasonable.”

“I am. It’s you that’s not being reasonable.”

Felix let out a frustrated sigh. “What happened back there only demonstrates why you’re better off without me.”

A strange calmness had taken over my body. Because if Felix really didn’t want to be here, he wouldn’t have taken my hand, and he wouldn’t have returned with me less than an hour after walking out. “Does it? Thank you for telling me what conclusions I’m supposed to reach. Maybe you could come to work with me next week and make all my decisions for me.”

Felix whirled around to glare at me. “You’re infuriating.”

“Thank you.”

He shook his head. “Seriously… I’m trying to give you an out here. I’m trying to—”

“I love you.” I hadn’t planned for the words to come out of my mouth the way they had, but there was no denying the satisfaction they gave me, and I had zero inclination to take them back. “So… it’s a little too late for you to walk away for my benefit. Unless you’re okay with breaking my heart.”

Felix had frozen to the spot, his mouth hanging slightly open. “Don’t say that.”

“I love you, Felix Church, warts and all.”

He swallowed. “Since when?”

“Since…” I took a moment to think about it. “A while, I think. That’s why I was prepared to do anything to help you. But I only realized it properly in the café when you were trying to end things and I thought about how much that would hurt, and how long it would take to get over it. A very long time was the conclusion I came to, just in case you’re interested.”

Felix sank onto the opposite sofa arm. “Fuck!”

“I knew you’d be happy.”

He laughed, but it was decidedly strained. “I wanted you to have better.”

“Tough! You’re it, I’m afraid. You can go ahead and dump me if you want, but I feel it’s only right to warn you that I won’t take it lying down. I will do everything in my power to change your mind and get you back. I’ll even get romantic if that’s what it takes. What’s your favorite flower?”

Felix blinked. “I don’t think I have one.”

---