Chaos & the Geek (Grace Grayson Security #1) - Elizabeth Stevens Page 0,59
precariously. Should. Wouldn’t.
“Shit!” Rollie said through his laughter and that sent Hawk off, which sent me off.
Movement caught my eye and I saw Nico had stopped at my door, both hands wrapped around a mug and still wearing his sunglasses. Even then, I could tell he was scowling at us.
“How you holding up?” Hawk asked him.
“Fuck you all,” was Nico’s deadpan response. He took a defiant sip of coffee, gave us all a pointed disapproving look, and strode purposefully back into his office.
So of course, we all started laughing again.
“All right, what happened to our grumpy arse boss?” Hawk laughed.
I shrugged. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“It’s like invasion of the fucking body snatchers up in here,” Rollie said as he dragged himself off the floor.
“You right?” I asked as he winced.
He huffed a laugh. “Oh, that’s gonna leave a fucker of a bruise,” he groaned as he finally got himself to standing. “No distractions. What’s up with you this morning. We’re all over here nursing hangovers from hell and you’re fucking giggling.”
I sniffed against one of those full-blown goofy grins. “Nothing. I’m just in a good mood. So, sue me.”
Rollie grinned as he hobbled towards the door, his hand on his hip like my grandma used to do. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”
“You sure you’re right?” Hawk called as Rollie kept on hobbling down the corridor.
Rollie’s only answer was a flail of his arm in a general ‘all good’ motion.
“Right. Secret time,” Hawk said to me when we were alone.
The guilt really hit me then. I’d never outright lied to my best friend before, but I was going to have to. “No secret. I’m just in a good mood.”
Hawk leant towards me and scrutinised me intently. “I guess a week of Bert’ll make a guy lose his mind after all.” He smirked.
“Your sister’s not that bad,” I huffed.
“Nah, I’m joshing. I really appreciate you taking her in, man. I know how much she wouldn’t have wanted to go home. And I know she’s safe this way.”
I swallowed, turning away from him so he couldn’t see my face. “Nah. Of course. My pleasure.” It sure had been.
“You don’t know how much it means that you two are finally getting along.”
I nodded. “I do, man. I do.”
Hawk slapped my shoulder on his way out. “You both mean the world to me.”
I let him go with no more than a nod. His tone told me that was the end of the conversation and I was okay with that. Hawk and I were never big on emotional declarations. When they were necessary, they were necessary. But neither of us liked being vulnerable, it reminded us of our mortality and impaired our ability to neutralise danger.
Besides, I didn’t know if I could give him an answer that wouldn’t betray the guilt I felt about his sister. Not that I was hampered by it for long and, on many levels, that made me feel more guilty. But I couldn’t help it.
Rollie caught me actually literally spinning down the corridor at one point like I was about to break into a dance number. When I heard his snort, I even ran into the window of Hawk’s office and it was obvious he’d seen as well.
So, that was how well my day went; I kept being caught out doing something goofy, the team would tease me, and I’d try not to do anything else stupid. Rinse and repeat. Too many times.
When I got home, I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting. But I was still in a brilliant mood. I felt like nothing could pull me down. And frankly, if my guilt and the team’s teasing all day hadn’t done it, then nothing was going to be able to.
Nothing except the look on Amber’s face when she saw me walk out of the lift.
She was crossing the end of the hallway from the kitchen and looked like I’d just caught her stealing something. She was in jeans and an oversized jumper, her hair up and her glasses making her eyes bright.
“Hey,” I said, dropping my bag by the door to my study.
“Hi.” Her eyes darted around like she was looking for an escape route.
Something ugly hit me. It felt like Tank had punched me in the gut. I never wanted her to feel like that, especially not with me. The only reason I could think for her behaviour was something I fervently wished wasn’t true; she regretted the night before.