Page 48 of Exile

“Sorry,” I said quietly, gazing up at him as we walked along the small gravel path.

“Don’t be. It’ll take all the strength in me not to touch you in public.”

I smiled softly, loving that he struggled just the same.

What we had was bittersweet.

We walked in silence as we headed to the bar. Once we arrived, Caspian opened the door and held it for me. I squeezed past him, touching his arm gently to thank him.

The jukebox was playing softer than usual, and more people were there than the other nights. To be fair, it was a Friday night.

The scent of grilled food and stale beer wrapped around us, and I looked up at Caspian, waiting for him to decide where we’d sit.

“Over there,” he said. His hand was on my lower back, guiding me through the crowd and toward an empty booth in the corner.

I slid in, with him following close behind. The bench we sat on wrapped around half of the table, and I liked having him so close next to me.

A few heads turned, but I didn’t give them much attention. I was here with Caspian, and I was determined to give him all of my attention. All night long.

Our knees brushed underneath the table, and the urge to put my hand on his leg was irresistible. Before I could dare to, a waitress I hadn’t seen before appeared, a notepad in hand. “What can I get you two?”

Caspian glanced up at her, giving her the slightest bit of care. Chicken burger, fries, and a beer.”

I hesitated for a second before saying. “Same. But just a Pepsi, please.”

The waitress nodded and walked away, leaving us in the hum of conversations going on around us and the faint country song playing in the background. Caspian draped his left arm along the back of the booth, his fingers grazing my shoulder for one short second.

It was a subtle thing, but it sent a shiver through me.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice softer now, just for me.

I nodded, picking at the edge of a napkin. “Yeah. Just…still thinking about everything.”

His jaw tensed. “I know. Me too.”

I looked at him then. The dim lighting softened his sharp features, making him look almost vulnerable. I wanted to reach for his hand under the table, but I didn’t. Not here. Instead, I leaned in just enough that our arms pressed together, and I felt him exhale.

“You can talk to me. About anything. I hope you know that,” he said, barely whispering.

I smiled tightly and gave him a nod. “I know. Thank you. And the same goes for you.”

Caspian nodded slightly, his fingers tapping absentmindedly against the wooden table. The tension between us was palpable, with an invisible string pulling us together despite the unspoken rules we had to follow. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the warmth of his body so close to mine.

Our food arrived, and I thanked the waitress as she set down our plates without much more than a fleeting glance in our direction. Caspian immediately reached for his burger, taking a bite as I started with my fries. As much there was going on around us, I was more focused on how his jaw tensed and relaxed as he chewed.

“Stop staring,” he murmured, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “People will start talking.”

“What, just from me looking at you, they’ll figure out that we fucked last night?” I shot back, feeling brave and wanting to tease him. This couldn’t be easy for him either.

“Darwynn.” His voice was low, harsh. He was being serious, and he was warning me. “Don’t provoke me.”

Damn.

That was hot.

I bit back a grin and decided not to push.

After finishing half of my fries, I picked up my burger and took a bite, savoring the salty, charred flavor. We ate in silence for a few minutes, only the small thud of our glasses being placed on the table breaking the quiet between us.

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