Page 18 of Real Shadows
I was still hurt and insulted enough to want to wad up the piece of paper and throw it in his face, but I didn’t. I didn’t because I didn’t want to make this situation any harder on Karla and Trevor than necessary. Xander was their friend and there was no value in being mean to him.
I stepped away from the door and place the paper on the edge of the bed. “Thanks,” I replied, my back to him. And before I could turn back around to see him out, I felt his body heat envelop my entire body from behind. I couldn’t disguise the hitch in my breath at his proximity. And while I should be feeling anxious that a virtual stranger was invading my space, all I felt was a dangerous longing, and not necessarily for Xander, himself. It’s been ages since I’ve been with someone, and the one-night stands I did have hadn’t left much room for affection. They’d mostly been encounters to relive the stress that was my life. They also helped me not feel alone, if only for a few hours.
This was different.
Xander wasn’t a passing stranger. He was Karla and Trevor’s best friend and a fixture here in Brant. I couldn’t sleep with him and just walk away. Now that I’ve decided to make Brant my home, I had to treat the town and its people with the respect it deserved as my new home. Screwing the first guy who made my skin break out in chills was not the way to go. Once I got settled, I could drive over to one of the bigger cities to get laid if I needed to.
His breath was hot against my ear as he whispered, “I really am sorry, Fallon.”
I closed my eyes and really wished I could have just held onto the hate I had been feeling for him. I wanted to stay mad at him and believe he was only here for Karla and Trevor’s sakes, but it was harder and harder to hold onto my righteousness the more and more he tried to apologize.
I took a step forward to give myself some much-needed distance from him and turned to face him. “Let’s just drop it, Xander,” I replied. “We don’t need to be friends, but we can still be cordial for the sake of Karla and Trevor.” Before he could respond, I added, “Besides, Brant is a small town. There’s no need to make enemies where there doesn’t need to be.”
He ran his hands through his hair again, a nervous trait, maybe. The look he gave me was one of pure frustration. “I was having a shitty day, Fallon,” he said as a way of an explanation. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
I decided to take the coward’s way out. “Look, Xander, it’s been a long goddamn week,” I said, ignoring his explanation. “I just want to get some rest before I have to tackle the next phase of my life on Monday.” I wasn’t necessarily lying.
He regarded me with eyes too pretty to belong on a man. “Okay, Fallon,” he replied. “I’ll give you this, but this isn’t over.”
Wow.
I cocked my head at him trying to understand his game. “Which is it, Xander?”
“Which is what?” he growled.
“Are you the asshole who treated a stranger like shit? Are you the remorseful guy who wants to make things right? Or are you a dick who doesn’t like to be questioned?” I challenged. “Because I gotta tell you, your many personalities are giving me whiplash.”
Xander stepped to me and I should probably take exception but for the fact that, if I was going to face down a stalker, I needed to toughen up. “I’m all three, Fallon,” he snapped. “I’m the guy who had a shitty day, and acted like an asshole, but felt like shit afterwards and came to apologize. I’m also the guy who has no problem being a dick if it means people aresafe.”Xander turned and slammed the door behind before I could comment on his little rant.
What a day.
What a goddamn disaster.
Chapter 12
Xander~
“Well, at least she didn’t murder you on the spot.” As comforting as that should have sounded, it didn’t. It was Sunday afternoon and Trevor was helping me with my shed. I didn’t need the help, so I suspected he was here checking on me more than anything else.
I turned to side-eye the man. I had just finished telling him about the fight or not fight or whatever the fuck it was between me and Fallon yesterday. “Yeah, Trev,” I said drolly, “that’s a great plus.”
He finished hammering the plank nails. “Xander, you were a fucking dick to her,” he replied incredulously. “You’re lucky you’re in one piece, considering Karla would have stood back and let her murder you.”
I turned the saw back on to drown the motherfucker out, but he came over, yanked on the cord, and unplugged it. “Hey, asshole! Don’t be doing that. It’s dangerous,” I grumbled.
He didn’t listen. He just stood there with his arms folded over his chest. “I’ll tell you what’s dangerous, Xan, and that’s two pissed off women. Forget a damn power saw.”
I winced because I didn’t like the idea of Karla being pissed at me. “Is Karla really pissed at me?”
Trevor let out a sigh. “No. I think she’s more disappointed than anything.”
The punch to the gut was real. “Jesus, Trevor, that’s worse!”
He just shrugged a shoulder. “Dude, don’t yell at me. I’m not the one who acted like a jackass.”
Pushing work to the side, I looked at my friend and asked the question I was hoping he had the answer to. “How do I fix this, Trev?”
“Come on, man,” he said sympathetically. “You know Karla won’t stay mad-”
