Page 36 of Black Heart

“I took it as a sign. Some of us are destined for culinary greatness, while others are destined to support local takeouts.”

“Cheers to that.”

We clink our bottles together. I forgot how much I enjoyedthat sound. Glancing down, I notice mine is empty—a testament to how comfortable I’ve become in Ethan’s company.

“It feels like ages since I’ve had a conversation this easy. No pretense, no subtext,” I say, appreciating the moment.No apprehension and fear.

Ethan nods. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

I glance at my empty bottle, then back at Ethan with a smile. “What’s your poison? Another beer, or should we live dangerously and try the house special?”

Ethan peers at the chalkboard menu behind the bar, squinting slightly. “House special, huh? Is that the Fisherman’s Regret or the Dockside Dregs?”

I snort. “Knowing this place, probably both in one glass. Come on, let’s risk it.” I call to the bartender, “Two Fishermen, please!”

It doesn’t take long to get our new drinks, and it didn’t take long to finish them. We’re on our second round when the mood shifts, Ethan’s open expression a little blurred, but serious.

He leans forward. “I can’t believe we haven’t done this sooner. You’ve always been so approachable despite how intimidating you could be, you know, given how you look.”

I raise an eyebrow over my half-empty martini glass. “Intimidating? Me?”

If he only understood how easily I gave into the twenty-four-hour surveillance from a man with a fetish for bloodshed.

“Yeah,” he admits, a little sheepishly. “When you first started at Pulse, I was kind of terrified of you. Thought you’d be like those girls in school who never gave me the time of day. But in the first team meeting you attended, everyone was throwing around tech jargon, trying to impress the boss. But you—you spoke about the project’s potential impact on ordinary people. You had this way of seeing beyond the code,connecting it to real life. It wasn’t just genuine, it was refreshingly human.”

His honesty catches me off guard. “That’s really sweet, Ethan. I had no idea.”

Ethan nods, taking a sip of a mostly full drink that sloshes around the edges. My new bestie is a lightweight. “Yeah. I guess we all have our layers, right?”

I huff softly through my nose, glancing sideways. “Yeah. We do.”

Ethan pauses in setting his glass down. “Something wrong?”

I return to his face, and the genuine concern I find there brings tears to mine. I want so badly to tell him everything: about my stalker, the terror that surrounds him, and the twisted hold he has on my heart. But to do so would put Ethan in danger too, and I can’t bring myself to do it.

I’m not that selfish. Yet.

“Hey.” Ethan reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You can talk to me about anything. Whatever it is.”

His words are a comfort, a reminder that amid the madness, there are still pockets of kindness.

“Thanks, but it’s nothing. I’m probably overthinking it.”

No, you are fuckingnot,Layla.

He squeezes my hand reassuringly, not pushing me to reveal more.

We decide to check out the nightclub next, needing a change of pace.

As we leave the dive bar, the cool air hits us, sobering us up a bit, but not enough to remember the target on my back. Ethan and I are far from graceful when we spill out onto the sidewalk. He’s telling me some absurd story about his one and only attempt at skydiving, where he apparently screamed so loud, the instructor thought a bird had gotten caught in theplane engine. I’m laughing so hard that tears are starting to form.

I’m wiping my eyes when I notice Ethan’s jacket draped over my shoulders. When did he do that? It’s a sweet gesture, and I’m touched by his thoughtfulness. I have to smile when his scent surrounds me—like fruity cereal and energy drinks.

As we reach the curb, Ethan reaches for my hand to steady me, our fingers intertwining naturally.

That’s when the laughter dies in my throat.

My skin prickles, an alarm system firing too late. The streetlamps flicker, their light seeming to bend around a slice of night that refuses illumination.

---