Staccato (Magnum Opus #2) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,45
the corner.
He looked nothing like the last time Adam had seen him—all mussed and rumpled in his tuxedo. He didn’t look like the other times either, with his button-ups and pressed trousers.
Now, Nik looked tired. His hair was wild like he’d been running his hands through it, and his cheeks were a little hollow and thin like he hadn’t been eating. He was wearing jeans and a faded yellow t-shirt that hung on his body, at least a size too big.
He looked…like a person. He looked how Adam felt inside—messy and raw. His palms began to sweat, and he cleared his throat so Nik would know he was there.
“I’m so sorry,” Nik said as he came to a stop when his cane met the rubber mat near the front of the desk. “My brother was with my dad, and Jay’s got a shift tonight, and the busses were running late thanks to some accident.”
“It’s fine,” Adam said and hated that he meant it. “I waited.”
Nik dragged his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down hard enough the skin turned white. “Are you…can you leave soon? I don’t want to do this while you’re working.”
“My shift ended an hour ago,” Adam confessed.
“Oh. Well…shit. You really waited,” Nik breathed out.
Adam took a step closer, then stopped himself because he didn’t think his heart could take another brutal rejection like that. “I haven’t eaten. There’s that little pub at the front of the mall. I don’t think there’s anyone there right now.”
Nik showed some hesitation on his face, but then he nodded. “At the very least, I can buy you a drink.”
Adam laughed, the sound a little bit bitter, but he couldn’t help himself. “Make it a cookies and cream shake, yeah?”
Nik shot him a soft smile. “Okay.”
His things were already packed in his bag, so he slung it over his shoulder, then shoved his hands into his pockets, curling his fingers into tight fists. All he really wanted to do was take Nik into his arms, bury his face against his chest, breathe in his woodsy scent, and feel the strength in his grip as he was held. But that wasn’t a thing—and it couldn’t be a thing if Nik didn’t want it.
“Could you do me a favor?” he said as they left the shop.
Nik inclined his head just once as they made their way toward the main doors, Adam keeping back from the sway of Nik’s cane. “Anything.”
Adam didn’t think that was true, but he didn’t call him on it. “If you’re going to be late—if you’re pissed at me, hell, if you never want to see me again, can you just call me or text me or something. Just one word.”
Nik’s steps faltered, and then he nodded. The grip on his cane made his knuckles go white, and he bowed his head as they picked up the pace again. “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Adam told him, because it wasn’t okay, and the sorries weren’t ever going to be enough to fix it, but he deserved a reprieve. “Let me get the door. Do you want my arm?”
“Yes, thank you,” Nik said. He stopped walking, folding up his cane, then curled tentative fingers around the back of Adam’s bicep. His grip wasn’t as possessive as it had once been—where it was like he was touching Adam just because he wanted to. This felt perfunctory, and Adam couldn’t deny that it hurt.
He reached for the doors, though, then let Nik take it as he led the way inside, and the hostess gave them a slow look before she grabbed two menus.
“Two of you?”
“Yeah, just us,” Adam said.
“Do you have braille menus?” Nik asked over Adam’s shoulder.
The hostess’ cheeks pinked. “Um. No?”
Nik huffed a quiet laugh. “One menu is fine, then. Thank you.”
Adam watched as she still gathered two, then the silverware before leading them into the nearly empty dining room. She chose a booth near the front window, which was quiet enough in spite of the rockabilly music on the busted old speakers, and she set everything down before stepping aside.
“Your server will be with you soon,” she said, a bit too loud.
“Thank you,” Nik told her, smiling tensely as he slid in. “And I promise I can hear you just fine.”
Her face went cherry red, and she rushed off as Adam eased across from the other man. As much as the situation sucked—as their conversation would definitely suck—he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.