I stopped and looked at him, confused, uncertain and a little worried.
“Okay,” I whispered and saw his eyes travel over me again, something that was beginning to freak me out.
When they hit my face he said quietly, “Couldn’t’ve picked better for him.”
“What?”
He held my gaze and he answered straight out. “You’re perfect for him. Every inch. Sweet and class. Pleased as f**k for him, he found you.”
I wasn’t freaked out anymore. Or I was, just in a nice way.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, liking it a whole lot it seemed I had Chace’s best friend’s approval.
“Tonight, babe, it’s not gonna go good.”
I blinked.
Then I asked, “Pardon?”
“Chace told me you were goin’ to Aspen. So I know about tonight. What you need to know is, his Mom’s a mess. Whatever Chace told you, it’s worse. She’s a good woman but she’s not a well one.”
I didn’t know what to do with this. Not the knowledge, which I’d already figured out. The fact that it seemed he’d come there to impart it.
“I, um… from what Chace has told me, I’ve already figured that out,” I informed him.
“Do not let whatever happens there freak you so you take off.”
Oh my God! What the frak?
“Um…”
“They know what it is. It’s not hereditary. Chace is solid. His Dad’s a total dick but, mentally, the man is solid. He’s f**ked in the head but only ‘cause he’s an ass**le. It’s just her. It doesn’t run in her family. Some chemical imbalance. But it’s only her.”
“Oh, uh, okay,” I whispered.
He took a step toward me. “Whatever you hear, whatever you see, whatever he says, do not let it freak you. Tonight or any night.”
He was beginning to freak me and not the little bit of freak I was feeling, a whole lot of it.
“Deck,” I said softly.
“He needs you,” he said softly back.
Oh God.
“The dark?” I whispered.
“What?” he asked.
“The dark,” I said louder. “He says that there’s –” I stopped abruptly and took him in at the same time it hit me all that was happening and the fact that it wasn’t right even if it was Deck. So I squared my shoulders and went on, “You know, I… it’s very cool that you’re here, taking his back. I’m guessing from why you’re here, what you know, what Chace has said, he’s tight with you. But I don’t know you and even if I did, I wouldn’t be comfortable talking about Chace behind his back. So, although your intentions are admirable, I’d like to request that this conversation stops here.”
He held my eyes and this lasted what seemed like years.
Then he whispered, “Perfect.”
I bit my lip.
“You gonna tell him I was here?” he asked.