Page 17 of Rush
Everly blinks and takes a breath. "That was close."
"Yeah."
"You should probably go."
"Yeah."
I walk away before I do something stupid like pull her back. My heart's pounding and my hands are shaking.
That was too close, way too close.
When I get to the chapel, Pyro's waiting. "You good?"
"Yeah. What do you need?"
"Nothing. Bozo said you looked like you were about to make a mistake."
I close my eyes and lean against the wall. "Fuck."
"Yeah, fuck." Pyro crosses his arms. "What the hell are you doing, Rush?"
"I don't know."
"You need to figure it out before Diesel finds out you're sniffing around his daughter."
"I'm not sniffing around."
"Bullshit. I've seen the way you look at her." He's quiet for a second. "Look, I get it. She's attractive and she's here and you're doing the proximity thing. But this can't happen."
"I know."
"Do you? Because it looked like you were about to kiss her in the hallway."
"I wasn't."
"You were, and if Bozo hadn't interrupted you would have."
He's right and I know it. I was a second away from crossing a line I can't uncross.
"It won't happen again," I say.
"Make sure it doesn't."
He leaves and I stay in the chapel. My hands are still shaking, so I clench them into fists.
I can still feel where I grabbed her wrist, can still see the way her eyes dropped to my mouth.
She wanted it. I know she did.
But wanting isn't enough, not when there's this much at stake.
I take a breath and push away from the wall, then I leave through the back door.
I can't be here right now, can't be near her.
I get on my bike and ride. No destination, just riding until my head clears.
It doesn't work.
