Page 21 of Ignite

The recognition in his eyes—that was no accident.

“Last name?”

“Edwards.”

That’s going to Declan tonight. I want every damn thing there is to know about this Ben Edwards.

I glance at her. She’s twirling her thumbs. But her eyes—there’s a glimmer in them that wasn’t there before.

“Do you need a lift home now?” she asks.

Her hand is trembling. Just slightly.

“Are you meant to be going back to work?” I take a step closer.

Her dog’s panting, chest heaving in time with the tension thick in the air. She strokes his head.

I crouch, holding out a hand. He sniffs it, nose wet against my skin.

“That’a boy.” I scratch behind his ear, and his tail goes wild.

When I stand, I’m towering over her again.

“Sorry. I love dogs,” I tell her. She smiles like it’s the first safe thing she’s done all day.

“Yeah. Me too. He was my dad’s.”

She exhales, and it cracks something in me. The kind of sorrow you feel in your bones. I pull her into me and hold her. Tight.

There’s no way she’s leaving. No way I’m letting her out of my sight. Not until I figure out what the fuck that threat meant.

“Okay. How about, and you can tell me to fuck off, you let me call Finn and explain. Get you the night off work. We sit and watch movies, drink coffee, or whatever sickly sweet stuff you like. And then I’ll stay on the couch until Finn collects me in the morning. We can also go get your car too.”

She looks up, confused. Frowning.

“Why?”

“Why what, trouble?”

She pouts. And fuck, it does something to me. Something I shouldn’t let it do.

This is comfort. That’s all. She’s a family friend. This is what I should be doing.

“Why are you helping me? You don’t know me. You could’ve just run out the door after Ben and left me to it.”

I bite my tongue. She’s not wrong. I don’t know why I care this much. Why is it sticking to my ribs?

“Because I’m not an asshole. And I think you’re really fucking cool.”

She smiles, soft and bright. Her eyes go glassy. I brush a knuckle down her cheek.

“Thank you, Conan.”

“You’re welcome. And see, I told you I owed you one.”

She giggles. It’s a sound that doesn’t belong in this moment. But I let it live. I let her have it.

Friends. That’s the line. And rule number one? You don’t fuck your friends.

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