Page 92 of Ink and Ashes
He shakes his head, then finally, his gaze lands on mine.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know how to do this, Rhodes.”
My brows furrow. “Do what?”
“This.” He gestures between us. “Be friends with you. Work together. I haven’t been able to get that damn kiss off my mind since it happened, and between Finn’s death, chasing this stupid fucking arsonist in circles, and not being able to have you the way I want to, I’m losing my ever-loving mind.”
I exhale, brushing my thumb over his cheek. If only he knew I felt the exact same way. But I can’t be the reason he gets hurt again, so if keeping a bit of distance from me is what he needs, then so be it.
“We’re close, Colson. We’re going to catch this guy, and everything will go back to normal,” I tell him, not acknowledging his comment about me.
“Nothing is ever going back to normal.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him, though I’m not sure what exactly I’m apologizing for. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
“So am I.” He swallows. “For avoiding you. I’ve needed to focus my attention elsewhere this week, and being around you wasn’t helping matters.”
“Don’t worry about it. I get it,” I say, then change the subject. “Will you be home tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” My lips quirk up, and his do the same ever so slightly.
He takes a deep breath, then leans down to press a soft kiss to my forehead. “I’ll see you at the inn, Red.”
“See you there, Lieutenant.”
With that, he turns and continues down the hall, looking back over his shoulder at me.
I blow out a breath, then make my way back into Ollie’s room.
“Sorry about that,” I say as I make my way around the bed to take Colson’s seat.
There’s a question written on Ollie’s face. “Is he doing okay?”
My shoulders fall. “Honestly? I don’t think so. But I’m trying to keep an eye on him, and so is everyone else.”
Ollie nods. “Lieutenant Caldwell’s a good guy, Holland.”
“I know he is.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
I shake my head with a laugh, but I don’t bother denying it. “You know I do.”
Ollie chuckles, then his face turns serious again. “But you’re leaving.”
My face falls too. “Yeah. Once this is done, I am.”
A brief silence fills the room. Ollie isn’t the type to try to beg me to stay, and I’m not sure there’s anyone I’d say yes to even if they tried.
Except maybe Colson.
After a beat, Ollie speaks again. “Are you any closer to finding the guy?”
I shake my head. “Feels like every time I think I have something, the arsonist proves me wrong.”
