Page 26 of When We Are Falling

“Of course.” He tugs his T-shirt on, covering that magnificent body, and grabs the keys to his pickup before glancing at Bandit. “Wanna come for a ride, buddy?”

Bandit gets to his feet, giving a slow wag of his tail before stretching. He doesn’t look overly keen to leave his bed, but he follows after us as we head outside.

The cooler night air is a welcome contrast to the heat of the day. We climb into his truck, Bandit curled up next to me again,and Ethan starts the engine, everything between us so normal, like he didn’t just give me a magnificent orgasm.

“So, what do you think tripped the alarm?”

A shrug. “Could be nothing, maybe an animal. But I need to check it out and clear it, or the company will go and check on the Tavern, and they charge me for the call-out.”

“That makes sense.”

The drive is quiet, comfortably so, save for the hum of the engine, and I steal a glance at Ethan, unable to stop replaying what just happened in his bedroom, his mouth on me, the way he brought me right to the edge and then over.

I haven’t had anything that intense since Danny, and even then I don’t know if Danny ever went down on me quite like that. I don’t want a relationship, but Idowant more of what we had tonight.

We pull up on Main Street and Ethan kills the engine. Doors slam, loud in the quiet street, and I glance down the boardwalk in the direction of the Tavern, its familiar façade standing firm against the night. The flashing red light of the alarm is the only indication that something’s wrong, its silent strobe adding to the eerie atmosphere.

“I’ll handle this,” I tell Ethan, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “You wait here with Bandit.”

“No way,” he replies. “I’m not letting you go alone.”

We walk along the boardwalk toward the Tavern, the silence thick, somehow making the flashing alarm even more unsettling. Ethan and Bandit’s presence is reassuring beside me, a steadying force.

As we approach the building, a figure sitting in the doorway comes into view, their silhouette barely discernible in the dim light.

My heart skips a beat. “Wait here,” I whisper to Ethan, but he’s already moving with me.

As I get closer, the figure turns to face me, and it’s David. Relief floods through me, mixed with a surge of concern. “David! What are you doing here?”

David looks up, his face illuminated on one side by the red flashing light. He stands as I get closer. Reaching for him, pulling him into a hug. For a moment, he doesn’t respond, but then, slowly, he wraps his arms around me, returning the embrace.

“Blake,” he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough and shaky.

I hold him tighter. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

Chapter 12

Blake

I pull backfrom the hug, releasing David and taking a good look at him. He seems thinner than before, more worn out. But it’s not just that. There’s an agitation in his eyes, his movements, that sets off alarms in my head, making me worry he might be using again.

“David, this is Ethan and his dog, Bandit.” I take a small step back, angling myself toward Ethan. Bandit looks wary but doesn’t growl, his eyes locked on David.

“Hey,” David mutters, barely looking at Ethan as he shifts nervously from one foot to the other. His dark hair looks unwashed, the circles under his eyes etched more deeply than last time I saw him.

“Hi,” Ethan replies. His jaw is locked as he stares at David, then at me, no doubt wondering what the hell is going on.

For a moment the three of us just stand there on the empty boardwalk under the brilliant night sky, the strobe of the alarm light setting everything on fire every few seconds. Then I grabmy keys and move to the door, fumbling slightly as I unlock it and push inside to turn off the alarm.

Quickly entering the code into the keypad, before the boardwalk outside goes dark. I find Ethan and David where I left them, Ethan’s eyes flicking between us, assessing the situation, David picking at the skin on his forearm, gaze shifting over my face and at something unseen behind me.

A restless silence settles over us, one that seems to reverberate with hidden tension. The gentle lapping of waves against the dock seems to grow louder, mingling with the faint creaking of boats and the distant call of seagulls.

A swallow forced over the dry of my throat. “You can head home, Ethan. I’ll walk home from here. Thanks for the ride. And for dinner.” I try to sound casual but my concern must be showing.

“No way.” Ethan flatly refuses, shaking his head. “I’m not leaving you alone this late at night.”

He glances at David, making all the words he didn’t say perfectly clear.

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