Hold Me Close - Talia Hibbert Page 0,252

then, not many people did.

He could’ve told her about his first love, the one he’d known for a year before desire even occurred to him. Or the ex who’d barely been on his radar until one drunken night when they’d shared their deepest, darkest fears. He could’ve explained that there was a key in him, one that only turned when he knew someone down to the bone, down to their secret self.

But he’d been way too surprised to corral his thoughts, and then, all at once, he’d been angry. Now here he was, pounding away at the forge, wondering what it would take to keep all this temper locked up where it belonged. To stop it bleeding out into his relationships and ruining everything. So far, he hadn’t come up with a decent answer.

From behind him, a voice shouted, “Hey. You want to ease up on that iron before it’s drowning in cut marks?”

Zach blinked, his tangled thoughts fading into the background, reality coming into sharp focus. Fuck. His muscles were screaming, his chest was heaving, and he’d pretty much beaten his work into oblivion. He pulled out his ear protectors and turned to find Evan in the doorway, eying him with obvious concern. And once Evan was concerned about you, you were doomed. He’d turn up at your house with homemade apple pie until you cracked and spilled your inner turmoil everywhere.

See, Evan was a genuinely nice guy. As rare as a fucking unicorn. And for some reason, he thought Zach was a nice guy, too. In truth, Zach was a messy fucker who resented his own compulsion to fill in other people’s gaps but couldn’t make himself stop. He was also in a foul mood, so instead of thanking his friend for the save, he just grunted.

Evan arched a brow. “That Monday morning feeling, huh?”

“Yeah,” Zach lied. “Fuck Mondays.”

Evan’s lips twitched into something like a smile. It was the only hint that he saw right through Zach’s bullshit. He’d never be rude enough to say so. “Don’t you usually take a break about now?”

Zach wanted to say he’d lost track of time, except he never lost track of time. He set alarms and reminders and made schedules. If he was late it was because he’d decided to be. He’d already texted his mother today, adding a smiley face to the message because she’d spent the weekend prodding him about his mood. Obviously, an emoji would throw her off the scent. Once that was done, he’d turned off his usual alarm, because he hadn’t wanted to wander outside and wait for a woman who wouldn’t come.

When he didn’t answer, Evan nudged, “You going or what?”

Zach sighed. Hesitated. Made a decision he’d probably regret. “Yeah, I’ll head outside. Need to cool off.” Need to see just how bad Rae and I fucked up a good thing. Maybe freezing his balls off waiting for her would kick-start his brain and he’d finally figure out how to set things back to normal. Right now, he had a little speech drafted in the notes app on his phone. It started like this:

You’re funny and beautiful and someone should be fucking the life out of you. But I’m not that guy.

Yeah. He wasn’t doing too well.

“Maybe I’ll come with you,” Evan said. “See why you love loitering outside so much when we have a perfectly good, very warm break room. With tea.”

Zach straightened, stamping down the alarm he couldn’t show. “Uh, yeah. Okay.” No. Not okay. Stay in the fucking break room and drink your fucking tea. Read my mind. I’m begging you.

There was a heavy pause before Evan laughed, shaking his head. “You should see your face, man. Relax. I know you go out there to meet Rae.”

Zach tried not to look too relieved. “She’s telling me a story. We’d have to start from the beginning to catch you up.” It wasn’t technically a lie. When Rae had stories to tell, she shared them.

“Oh, that’s what it is?” Evan grinned. “A story?”

“Yep.”

“Right,” he said mildly.

“It is.”

“I hear you. Just a story. Nothing to do with the way she makes you smile.”

“Oh, for—” Zach snorted, shoving Evan’s shoulder. “Have you ever heard of friendship?”

“I have. Me and Ruth, for example, were very good friends for quite a while.”

Zach sighed heavily, pinched the bridge of his nose, and tried to control the amusement in his voice. “Piss off out of my way, would you?”

“Pissing off.” Evan strolled down the corridor with an irritating smirk on