Page 108 of Ink and Ashes
“Right.” Gabriel scoffs, completely unfazed by Colson’s remark. He never has been one to get his hands dirty, and I’m certain he’s not going to start now. “Let’s go, Hollis. It’s been long enough.” Gabriel reaches past Colson to grab me, but before he gets the chance, Colson’s hand darts out, wrapping around his arm.
“Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Her,” Colson grits out, his voice solow it intimidates even me.
I watch Gabriel’s throat work as he swallows—his tell when he gets nervous—before he quickly steels his expression.
“Don’t fucking touchme,” he growls, ripping his arm from Colson’s grasp. Crossing his arms over his chest, Gabriel stands tall against Colson. “Do you know who I am?”
Colson mirrors Gabriel’s expression, and I stand back to watch the pissing match currently happening on the porch.
“No, and I don’t care to.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrow before he shifts his gaze to me again. “My plane leaves Kelowna first thing tomorrow morning. If you aren’t in the seat beside me, we’re over.”
“We’re already over,” I say calmly. “Go home, Gabriel. I’m not coming back.”
With one more glance between Colson and me, Gabriel huffs and heads back down the driveway to his fancy rental car. Then he’s driving away just as fast as he came.
I exhale as Colson turns around to face me, his arms still crossed but his expression soft.
“Thanks for that,” I tell him. “And for not punching him.” As much as I would’ve liked to see Gabriel with a bloody nose, I know without a doubt a wicked lawsuit would’ve followed.
Colson tilts his head down. “Your ex?”
I huff a laugh. “That obvious?”
“Took him long enough,” is all he says as we turn, making our way inside the house. Colson sets his bag down beside the front door then heads to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.
I follow him, taking a seat on the kitchen island. “What do you mean?”
With his back to me, Colson shrugs. “It took him long enough to come looking for you.” He turns around, drying his hands on a tea towel. “If it were me, I would’ve never let you leave in the first place.”
I swallow roughly, my eyes locking with his. Heat rushes to my cheeks, the fire between us burning hot.
But it’s been a week since we kissed again, and he left in sucha rush then that I’m not really sure where we stand. I told him after our first kiss that we shouldn’t do this, and nothing’s really changed between now and then.
So instead I say, “I’m really glad to see you. How’d things go out at the fire?”
Colson blows out a breath, and I can see the tension in his shoulders from here. “It’s bad, Red. It’s still not fully controlled, but BCWS finally sent out another team to give us some time to breathe. I have to head back out tomorrow.”
“How many hectares is it now?”
“Pushing eleven.”
I inhale sharply. “You look exhausted.”
“Yeah,” he says, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
I clear my throat. “Are you okay?”
Colson leans his arms against the counter and bows his head, shaking it as he recalls the events of the past few days. When he looks back up at me, he says, “I wasn’t, but I am now.”
My tongue darts out over my lips at that admission, but just as I’m about to stand to round the island and close the distance between us, Colson speaks again.
“Are you ever going to tell me the full story about what happened back home?”
Rolling my lips together, I let my head fall into my hands. I knew we’d have to talk about it eventually, but I’ve been avoiding it at every turn. “Do I have to?”
I don’t hear Colson move around the island until his hand touches my face, tilting my chin back up to look at him. “No. But if the reason you don’t want to is because you’re scared of losing my trust, know that isn’t going to happen. I read the articles, Holland. Every last one of them, and I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.”
