Brendan sprawled on one side of the table,
with Irisa, Zander, and Jayne on the other.
He nodded at their
greetings and eased his body into the open chair between Brendan and Jayne. His
back, knee, and side exploded in pain. Goddamn Owen.
His throbbing muscles
protested as he reached for the pot of coffee at the center of the table.
Knuckles swollen, he couldn't even grip the handle. "Fuck it," he
muttered.
"Let me," Jayne
said, taking pity on him and pouring the steaming liquid into his cup.
"Thank you."
His jaw hurt, but he could talk without too much soreness and his beard mostly
hid the large bruise blooming there.
She set the creamer and
sugar by his cup. "How are you feeling today?"
"Like I was in a
fight."
Brendan passed him
platters of eggs, toast, and bacon. "You look like you lost it, too."
"Funny." He
smirked and slid a portion of the food onto his plate. It would probably taste
like chalk, given his mood, but he'd eat.
"Actually, it's
not." Irisa set down her phone. Her lips pressed together and she pinched
the bridge of her nose. Her soft sigh cut into him. "Your scuffle went
viral. I've received tons of calls and emails. My phone has been burning up
since it happened."
His too. He closed his
eyes for a moment, agonized to become her problem child once again. "I'm
sorry. Send them my way. It's my fault, so I'll deal with it."
"No. That's my job.
But you can make a public statement if you'd like. In fact, you should. We can
work on it after breakfast."
"Thanks. Without
you, I'd fuck up the apology, too." His glanced back and forth between
Irisa and Jayne. "How was Audrey last night?"
"Upset."
"Angry."
Guilt tripled. All
through the night, he'd berated himself for letting himself be goaded. He
needed to make it right. "I know I screwed up. Goddamn Owen. Once he hit
me, I couldn't hold back. The one thing she asked me to do, and I couldn't
fucking keep it together for her."
Jayne's hand covered his.
"Throwing a punch after he threw one at you is reflex. You were protecting
yourself. Cut yourself some slack."
"You're too nice to
me sometimes."
"And you're being a
little too hard on yourself. People make mistakes. You'll make it right."
Jayne was one of the most
forgiving people he knew. Even after all that had happened between them. He
swallowed against the thickness in his throat, gently squeezed her hand, and
leaned into the table to catch Zander's gaze. "You really lucked out with
Jayne."
"I know."
Zander wrapped his arm around his fiancée's shoulders. "You haven't spoken
to Audrey yet?"
"Not since she told
me to leave her alone. Once my public apology is live, I'll make a private
one... if she's willing to hear me out."
"A little groveling
is good for the soul," Jayne reminded him.
He nodded. "It might
take more than that."
Two hours later, he stood
on the front steps of Audrey's building. When she answered the buzzer, he
wished there were a camera so he could see her. Especially if he ended up
apologizing from the stoop. "It's me. Can I come up?"
No response. Was she
ignoring him or coming down to chew him out? He reached for the buzzer again as
the outer door unlocked. The knot in his stomach eased then tightened again. He
still had to apologize and she still could throw him out at the end of it. The
short climb to her floor seemed to double in length.
Before he could knock,
her door opened. He stepped forward and stuck his foot in the threshold in case
she tried to slam it in his face.
Red-rimmed, puffy eyes
met his. A gray tank top and black yoga pants hugged her curvy form. She wore
no makeup, no jewelry, and no welcoming smile. The down-turn of her lips
crushed him. He'd done that to her. He rolled his shoulders in prep for the
battle that lay ahead. "I'm sorry. I keep screwing up with you."
Her gaze dropped to the
bouquet of yellow gerbera daisies in his hand.
"Here." He held
them out. "They reminded me of you."
"They're
pretty." She brushed her finger over a petal but made no
with Irisa, Zander, and Jayne on the other.
He nodded at their
greetings and eased his body into the open chair between Brendan and Jayne. His
back, knee, and side exploded in pain. Goddamn Owen.
His throbbing muscles
protested as he reached for the pot of coffee at the center of the table.
Knuckles swollen, he couldn't even grip the handle. "Fuck it," he
muttered.
"Let me," Jayne
said, taking pity on him and pouring the steaming liquid into his cup.
"Thank you."
His jaw hurt, but he could talk without too much soreness and his beard mostly
hid the large bruise blooming there.
She set the creamer and
sugar by his cup. "How are you feeling today?"
"Like I was in a
fight."
Brendan passed him
platters of eggs, toast, and bacon. "You look like you lost it, too."
"Funny." He
smirked and slid a portion of the food onto his plate. It would probably taste
like chalk, given his mood, but he'd eat.
"Actually, it's
not." Irisa set down her phone. Her lips pressed together and she pinched
the bridge of her nose. Her soft sigh cut into him. "Your scuffle went
viral. I've received tons of calls and emails. My phone has been burning up
since it happened."
His too. He closed his
eyes for a moment, agonized to become her problem child once again. "I'm
sorry. Send them my way. It's my fault, so I'll deal with it."
"No. That's my job.
But you can make a public statement if you'd like. In fact, you should. We can
work on it after breakfast."
"Thanks. Without
you, I'd fuck up the apology, too." His glanced back and forth between
Irisa and Jayne. "How was Audrey last night?"
"Upset."
"Angry."
Guilt tripled. All
through the night, he'd berated himself for letting himself be goaded. He
needed to make it right. "I know I screwed up. Goddamn Owen. Once he hit
me, I couldn't hold back. The one thing she asked me to do, and I couldn't
fucking keep it together for her."
Jayne's hand covered his.
"Throwing a punch after he threw one at you is reflex. You were protecting
yourself. Cut yourself some slack."
"You're too nice to
me sometimes."
"And you're being a
little too hard on yourself. People make mistakes. You'll make it right."
Jayne was one of the most
forgiving people he knew. Even after all that had happened between them. He
swallowed against the thickness in his throat, gently squeezed her hand, and
leaned into the table to catch Zander's gaze. "You really lucked out with
Jayne."
"I know."
Zander wrapped his arm around his fiancée's shoulders. "You haven't spoken
to Audrey yet?"
"Not since she told
me to leave her alone. Once my public apology is live, I'll make a private
one... if she's willing to hear me out."
"A little groveling
is good for the soul," Jayne reminded him.
He nodded. "It might
take more than that."
Two hours later, he stood
on the front steps of Audrey's building. When she answered the buzzer, he
wished there were a camera so he could see her. Especially if he ended up
apologizing from the stoop. "It's me. Can I come up?"
No response. Was she
ignoring him or coming down to chew him out? He reached for the buzzer again as
the outer door unlocked. The knot in his stomach eased then tightened again. He
still had to apologize and she still could throw him out at the end of it. The
short climb to her floor seemed to double in length.
Before he could knock,
her door opened. He stepped forward and stuck his foot in the threshold in case
she tried to slam it in his face.
Red-rimmed, puffy eyes
met his. A gray tank top and black yoga pants hugged her curvy form. She wore
no makeup, no jewelry, and no welcoming smile. The down-turn of her lips
crushed him. He'd done that to her. He rolled his shoulders in prep for the
battle that lay ahead. "I'm sorry. I keep screwing up with you."
Her gaze dropped to the
bouquet of yellow gerbera daisies in his hand.
"Here." He held
them out. "They reminded me of you."
"They're
pretty." She brushed her finger over a petal but made no
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