Page 24 of Hunter Moon

With a sigh, I shoved my toolbox way back on the shelf so there was plenty of space for other peoples’. “I’m busy.”

“Doesn’t have to be tonight.” Joseph beamed at me. “Any time you wanna.”

There was no nice way to say that I absolutely did not want to get a drink with him, but I didn’t have to say it like that exactly. There were plenty of excuses I had, and dammit I didn’t want to fall back on them, but if I’d had to go through all that, didn’t I deserve a get-out-of-jail-free card, just this once?

I stepped back and forced a weak smile. “I think I get what you’re trying to do, Joseph, and I appreciate it. Really, I do. Just... I’m still kind of reeling—from everything. I don’t think I’m ready for all that.”

Before I’d even finished, Joseph was touching my arm, giving me the softest, saddest look he’d ever given me.

Twenty whole ass years, I’d been working at this garage, and nobody had ever asked me out. Now, he was, because I was damaged goods and he, like half of alphas everywhere, had a savior complex. I definitely needed to leave before I hit him.

I didn’t even want to hit him. I liked Joseph, generally. He was a sweet kid, but with this, he was way the hell off.

“I’ll see you later.”

I moved to grab my coat from the rack by the computer desk, and when I turned toward the open garage, there was a big, hulking figure standing there, framed on all sides by the stretch of gray clouds.

Might’ve even scared me, if he didn’t smell so damn much like home.

I marched on Aspen standing right outside the bay, my eyes narrowed tight, and shoved my pointer finger in the middle of his broad chest. “What? What could youpossiblywant?”

13

Aspen

Islid my hands into my pockets, taking a deep breath and staring at the ground. I felt like a teenager who’d just crashed the family car, and now I had to confess to my Dad.

If only it were that simple, that Brook could take away my driver’s license, tell me how disappointed he was in me, and then we could move forward. It was frustrating, being an adult, and not being able to fix everything.

Yes, I’d done a bad thing. I had hurt people. It wasn’t that I wanted to get away with it. All I wanted was a way to make it better. I knew it was my responsibility; I just didn’t know how to get there.

Nothing in life had prepared me for this.

Then that little weasel Joey went and tried to take advantage of Brook’s vulnerability and asked him out.

Joey, who Lin had babysat for as a kid. Who was almost as conscientious as Lin himself. Yep, terrible person, him. Clearly me wanting to slug him had nothing to do with irrational possessiveness.

Somehow, the knowledge that I was being a possessive asshole didn’t make me want to hit the guy less. So I kept my fists in my pockets and my eyes averted, and shrugged like a sullen kid.

“You were mad at me.” Brook drew in a sharp breath, and when I looked up at him, somehow he’d gotten even angrier. In a minute he was gonna slug me, then I’d just need to get the other gentlest soul in Grovetown, Birch, to hit me, and it’d be the trifecta. That look, finally, made me release my fists, pulling out my hands and throwing them up defensively. “You have dozens of good reasons to be, and the right to feel however you want. You don’t need my permission. I just thought we should talk. I owe you a lot of apologies. And explanations, if you want them.”

Joey narrowed his eyes in my direction, like I was the one hitting on a guy who was clearly not interested, and not him.

Brook pursed his lips at me, like he wasn’t sure if I was up to something. Me, the most artless guy on the planet. I was incapable of being up to something. It would have been my personal motto if people had those. Aspen Grove: what you see is what you get, because he’s not clever enough to be subtle.

Joey took a step forward, opening his mouth like he was gonna say something. I thought about interrupting him, but as much as I wanted to be an asshole, I shouldn’t. And Brook sure as fuck wouldn’t approve.

Instead, though, Brook gave me a curt nod. “I’m going home. You can walk me there and say what you need to say on the way.”

It wasn’t enough. His house was a fifteen-minute walk from the garage if we dawdled, and the look in his eye told me we definitely wouldn’t be doing that.

He pointed to the front door, stern expression on his face, like I was a dog who’d gone on the carpet and I was being kicked out. “Wait over there, I’ll be out in a minute.”

I followed his instructions, going to wait by the door, and tried not to listen as he stomped into the back and slammed the door behind him. That was for me, that anger, and I’d earned every bit of it.

“You don’t deserve him,” Joey said, softly, probably trying to avoid being heard by Brook, who was still slamming his locker door and throwing his stuff around.

I turned my head to look at him and lifted a brow. “Deserve? The hell do you think he is, a keyring in the claw machine?”

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