over her features. There was a story there and Noah’s instincts told him it wasn’t good. Until she came to him he’d keep a closer eye on her. Something had her spooked, enough to react blindly when casually touched, and he’d be sure to enlist some more help. He picked up the phone to make a few calls.
Tenn paced around the apartment while Chris spoke. It was apparent she was only half listening to him, unfortunately. “What?”
“Are you paying attention?” He gave her a mock scowl, relieved she wasn’t clawing his face off at the moment. “Honey, I’m trying hard to apologize here. Can I at least get five minutes of your time before you run off to Noah?”
Tenn whipped around so quickly he didn’t anticipate her hand reaching out to slap him. What was it with the women in his life today? His face hadn’t been this brutalized since he’d picked a fight in college he hadn’t won. “Look, buddy, you’re lucky I’m even giving you the time of day after the way you attacked me this morning. What you said was fucking unforgivable—you get what I give right now. It’s none of your damn business what Noah and I are doing together.”
Well, at least she wasn’t crying any longer. He could take her anger. Her tears were an entirely different story. “I know. I know it was unforgivable. But I am sorry. So sorry.” He took a moment to breathe before he plunged head-first into the shallow end of the pool. She’d probably give him a punch in the face this time.
“I wasn’t ready to lose you, not even to my brother. Tenn, you’ve always been mine. Always. I’ve never had to share you with any serious boyfriend—a few casual yahoos now and again, but never anyone who stuck around. I’m selfish. A part of me always wanted things to stay that way between us. Just you and me.”
She looked up at him now with shiny eyes and gave a small sniffle.
“I think I knew, deep down, it was always Noah. When I saw you with him this morning… Well, it all came crashing down and I thought I’d lost you. I lashed out.” Reaching for her brought her rushing into his arms for a fierce hug. Everything clicked back into place. “Hey now, don’t cry.”
With a watery laugh she said, “I’m not.”
They stood hugging for a few minutes, hanging on to each other, before Chris pulled away.
“I’m going to head down to the pub and help out during the rush tonight. Why don’t you come down and we’ll grab a bite to eat before it gets too busy?”
She nodded, wiping the tears from her face.
“I’m sure Noah needs to make sure I apologized correctly.”
And with those final words, Tenn and Chris headed down to the Drunken Duck.
Chapter Eight
Chris was congratulating himself on a job well done as Tenn followed him downstairs to the pub. He had managed to apologize without doing further damage to their friendship or putting himself in the path of Noah’s wrath. No mean feat.
The pub noise greeted them as he pushed the thick oak door open with the flat of his palm. A quick glance at the scene before him had him gripping the door and reversing his steps immediately. His sudden move had Tenn bumping full-bodied into his back and uttering a soft curse before he swung around and steadied her with a hand to her waist.
“Hey, why don’t we skip the meal down here and ransack Noah’s kitchen. We can talk without anyone interrupting us.”
Apparently, his overly bright speech wasn’t fooling Tenn. “Are you avoiding Lexie again?” She offered him a bold stare before saying, “Chris, you promised that after last night you’d break it off with her.”
“It’s not Lexie.” She continued with her stare. “I swear, Tenn. It’s not that.”
“Well, what’s going on?”
“Look, before you get upset, I’m sure it’s not what you think.”
“Upset about what?”
Without waiting for an answer, Tenn pushed past him into the bar and he let her go without a fuss. Keeping her from what she was about
Tenn paced around the apartment while Chris spoke. It was apparent she was only half listening to him, unfortunately. “What?”
“Are you paying attention?” He gave her a mock scowl, relieved she wasn’t clawing his face off at the moment. “Honey, I’m trying hard to apologize here. Can I at least get five minutes of your time before you run off to Noah?”
Tenn whipped around so quickly he didn’t anticipate her hand reaching out to slap him. What was it with the women in his life today? His face hadn’t been this brutalized since he’d picked a fight in college he hadn’t won. “Look, buddy, you’re lucky I’m even giving you the time of day after the way you attacked me this morning. What you said was fucking unforgivable—you get what I give right now. It’s none of your damn business what Noah and I are doing together.”
Well, at least she wasn’t crying any longer. He could take her anger. Her tears were an entirely different story. “I know. I know it was unforgivable. But I am sorry. So sorry.” He took a moment to breathe before he plunged head-first into the shallow end of the pool. She’d probably give him a punch in the face this time.
“I wasn’t ready to lose you, not even to my brother. Tenn, you’ve always been mine. Always. I’ve never had to share you with any serious boyfriend—a few casual yahoos now and again, but never anyone who stuck around. I’m selfish. A part of me always wanted things to stay that way between us. Just you and me.”
She looked up at him now with shiny eyes and gave a small sniffle.
“I think I knew, deep down, it was always Noah. When I saw you with him this morning… Well, it all came crashing down and I thought I’d lost you. I lashed out.” Reaching for her brought her rushing into his arms for a fierce hug. Everything clicked back into place. “Hey now, don’t cry.”
With a watery laugh she said, “I’m not.”
They stood hugging for a few minutes, hanging on to each other, before Chris pulled away.
“I’m going to head down to the pub and help out during the rush tonight. Why don’t you come down and we’ll grab a bite to eat before it gets too busy?”
She nodded, wiping the tears from her face.
“I’m sure Noah needs to make sure I apologized correctly.”
And with those final words, Tenn and Chris headed down to the Drunken Duck.
Chapter Eight
Chris was congratulating himself on a job well done as Tenn followed him downstairs to the pub. He had managed to apologize without doing further damage to their friendship or putting himself in the path of Noah’s wrath. No mean feat.
The pub noise greeted them as he pushed the thick oak door open with the flat of his palm. A quick glance at the scene before him had him gripping the door and reversing his steps immediately. His sudden move had Tenn bumping full-bodied into his back and uttering a soft curse before he swung around and steadied her with a hand to her waist.
“Hey, why don’t we skip the meal down here and ransack Noah’s kitchen. We can talk without anyone interrupting us.”
Apparently, his overly bright speech wasn’t fooling Tenn. “Are you avoiding Lexie again?” She offered him a bold stare before saying, “Chris, you promised that after last night you’d break it off with her.”
“It’s not Lexie.” She continued with her stare. “I swear, Tenn. It’s not that.”
“Well, what’s going on?”
“Look, before you get upset, I’m sure it’s not what you think.”
“Upset about what?”
Without waiting for an answer, Tenn pushed past him into the bar and he let her go without a fuss. Keeping her from what she was about
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