Page 16 of Fierce-Hyde

Cody had just moved to town and was invited to the Fierce New Year’s Eve party where he’d witnessed a coworker crowding Raina’s space and came over to save her.

Slowly Cody wore Raina down...with the help of the Fierces.

She’d heard that story more than she cared to admit.

Imagine grown adults interfering and setting up other grown adults for love.

No, thank you. Even if it was working out for everyone so far.

She’d rather pave her own way in life than let someone else plan it out.

It was working for her so far.

Or was it?

6

STOP BLAMING YOURSELF

He was a glutton for punishment.

There was no other explanation for the fact that the following week he was walking to Raina’s office and knocking on her door at lunch knowing that Tori was in there.

“Hi, Hyde,” Raina said, looking up.

Tori just glanced his way, her expression not changing in the least.

“Hi,” he said. “I was wondering if I could talk to Tori before she leaves for her office.”

Raina smirked at him. “She’s sitting right here. You can ask her that herself.”

He was such an idiot.

“Yeah, sorry.” He looked at Tori. “Could we talk before you leave? I’d like to apologize.”

“You just did,” Tori said.

Guess that was all he was getting. “I did,” he said. “But I’d like to explain more if you’ll hear me out. I owe you more than one but understand if you’d rather not bother. Raina knows where my office is.”

He turned and left.

Probably rude again, but he wouldn’t stand there and stink the place up with all the shit dumped on him lately.

He went back to his office to get some work done and eat at his desk.

Ryder popped his head in. “Did you talk to Tori? I just saw her in Raina’s office.”

He motioned Ryder to come in so he could talk quieter. “I went down to see if she could talk before she left. I started with saying I wanted to apologize and would like to explain. She said I just apologized there and I took that as it was good enough.”

Ryder snorted. “So you said nothing else?”

“I’m not sure what you want me to do. I said if she wanted to talk more Raina knew where my office was. I’m not begging anyone for anything. My back and ass are kind of sore as it is from the lashes and boots I’ve been getting the past year of my life. Completely my fault and I’ll own it.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ryder said. “Some was your fault, sure, others not. You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened to Shana.”

He looked up at his best friend. “I can’t. She blamed me and that caused the events to spiral that night.”

“No one could have known what was going to happen and you did nothing wrong. She thought something that wasn’t true.”

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