Page 34 of Silver Secrets

“It’s obvious you have feelings for her.”

“She’s our friend.”

Gunner’s eyes narrowed and he knew his best friend was about to call him on his bullshit. “You think you and I look at Sloane the same way?”

Gage growled. “You better fucking not.”

“Exactly. And what if Hawk or Stone said they were into her? Would you be okay seeing them flirt with her? Would it be okay for them to ask her on a date?”

“No.” His back teeth were clenched so tight at the thought of Hawk trying to hold Sloane’s hand… leaning in to give her a kiss. Fuck.

“Alright. So, what’s the problem? Is this about Mel?”

“No.” Gage sighed. “Maybe. I always thought Mel was it for me. I don’t want to do something that would make it seem like I’m not still in love with her. Because there is a part of my heart that will always belong to her.”

“It’s cliche as fuck to say it, but I’m going to anyway. Mel would want you to be happy. She’d be the first fucking person in line to befriend Sloane. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mel would have Sloane out of her shell and dancing on a bar top in no time.”

Gage laughed. Mel had always been the life of the party. She was fiery and passionate and so fucking kind. She had been his perfect match when he was young and wild and not afraid of what heartaches the future could hold.

“Sloane is kind of her complete opposite,” Gage admitted.

Gunner scratched at the stubble on his jaw. “She’s quiet and independent. But I know I’m not the only one who sees her beating the crap out of our hanging bags when she trains. She’s tough, too. I mean, from what Lily told me after everything happened last year, Sloane is the reason she was okay. So, she has her quirks? Big deal. Mel was exactly what you needed back then. But now… yeah, I think Sloane might be. And that’s okay. Good, even.” His hand landed on Gage’s shoulder, and he squeezed. “The question is, are you going to step up and be who she needs?”

“I’m trying, Reap. She could have a list a mile long of things I need to do to make her feel safe, and I’d make sure I checked every single thing off. But every time I chip away at her guarded walls, every time I make a little progress and we take one step forward together, something happens and we seem to take ten steps backwards.”

“She’ll get there. Just because you and Mel dated for half a second before tying the knot doesn’t mean all relationships have to move at that pace.”

“Says the man who married his wife before he was even in love with her… or even dating her for that matter.”

Gunner laughed. He and Lily had gotten married to give her access to his health insurance when she was pregnant with Sage. And so that Gunner could protect her and the baby from her ex. No one would ever guess that Gunner wasn’t Sage’s biological father. He was so in love with his girls, and Gage had never seen the grumpy man happier. “And I’d do it a million times over. Best decision I ever made.”

They sat in silence for a moment, Gunner looking back over his shoulder into the apartment while Gage let his friend’s words bounce around in his mind.

“You really think Mel would be okay with me having these feelings for Sloane?”

“I think, above all else, Melody would want you to go on living. Not just surviving, Gage. Their love, and their loss, is something that is going to stay with you forever. But that doesn’t mean you stop living. You’ve been a shell of yourself since the day you lost them, which is fucking understandable. But the guys and I all see it. When you’re around Sloane, there’s something that lights up in you, man, and I’m all for it. You won’t forget Mikey or Melody just because you decide to live again.”

Gage’s phone rang in his pocket. For a second, he thought it was going to be Hawk calling him back in to watch the game, but when he pulled his phone out, he saw that guess was wrong.

“It’s Sloane.” His brows furrowed as he answered the call. “Hey, Red. I was wondering when I was going to?—”

“Gage…”

The panic in her voice was clear and Gage didn’t waste any time jumping to his feet.

“Sloane. What’s going on?”

“Someone’s following me. Out on Kingsley Road. They’re shining their high beams at me and it’s so hard to see.”

“How far outside of town are you?”

“Ten minutes. I tried to pull over but they just pulled over with me. It’s scaring me, Gage. I’m going almost eighty. They’re so close behi?—”

Her scream cut through the line.

“Sloane? SLOANE! Answer me!”

“He… he hit my bumper. He’s ramming me!”

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