calm her down. Except that wasn’t his role or his right. Spending time with her when she was diving straight into the world around her and laughing and living was respite for Zane. It chased away the dark shadows always lurking at the front of his mind, and made him think life went on.
The way her mood shifted to awkward and unsure after they had sex, or when he pushed her too hard to pursue his dreams, made the demons and doubts race back. Not only because his mind was free to trip over the past again. Her change in behavior haunted him with a single question— Am I being selfish again? Nudging her toward discomfort just to distract himself?
He shook the thoughts aside, though not as effectively as he had the last few times, and focused on Riley again.
Her forced skip slowed when Archer came into view. She crossed the last few feet to him, already talking, a lilt to her voice. “I can’t believe you got tickets. You. Rule. Me.”
Relief trickled through Zane when she didn’t throw her arms around Archer’s neck, but he still wished she wasn’t so on edge.
Archer shoved his hands in his pockets, looking between the two of them sheepishly. “It didn’t make sense to ignore this one. I’d have been wounded if you couldn’t make it.” He fixed his gaze on Zane for a minute, eyes hardening, before turning back to Riley. “Tori’s holding our place in line. Did you already eat?”
“I’m good. I don’t think I could stomach popcorn this late at night.” Riley spun so she faced them both, and reached for them but dropped her hands at the last minute. “Let’s go watch someone sexy and arrogant with as much brains as balls save the world.” She walked backward, talking and glancing over her shoulder occasionally to keep from running into something.
“Did I miss something between you two?” Archer stepped closer to Zane, voice low.
Great. Other people saw her tension too. “Nope.” He kept his expression neutral and his response quiet.
Riley met Zane’s gaze one last time before turning away, uncertainty and something else hiding in her blue eyes. She made a straight line for a spot in the pockets of people stacked against one of the theater walls. Tori straightened as they approached. Her long hair was piled on her head and her glasses pushed up her nose, and she looked as friendly as when Zane first met her, two weeks ago, when she delivered Archer a themed dress she made for one of his customers.
Riley bounced up next to her. “I’m so glad I won’t be drooling over the sexy guys alone.”
Tori laughed. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it.”
“For real,” Archer said to Zane. “What did you do? Sleep with her or something?”
Zane bit back his growl. “I didn’t do anything.”
Riley’s shoulders rose and fell when she sighed, and she turned back to face them.
“First of all”—she turned an icy stare on Archer—“none of your god damned business. Second, I’m standing right here. I can hear you.”
Archer at least had the grace to look sheepish. Tori refused to look at anyone. Zane wasn’t surprised there. She spent a lot of time with Archer, though Zane knew they weren’t dating, but she was the opposite of confrontational.
Zane shoved his hands in his pockets, found a narrow slice of unoccupied wall, and clenched his jaw shut, determined not to say anything else until he could wrap his brain around his own feelings.
* * * *
“Be right back.” Tori’s whisper barely carried over the explosions on screen. They were in the center of the aisle, which meant Riley didn’t have to move, but everyone else down the aisle did.
Riley gave her a half nod. With Tori on one side and Archer on the other, she felt too far from Zane. Which was good—or was it bad?—since she still regretted ending the earlier part of their night so abruptly. She was reading too much into things. The entire point of fooling around with Zane was to keep her
The way her mood shifted to awkward and unsure after they had sex, or when he pushed her too hard to pursue his dreams, made the demons and doubts race back. Not only because his mind was free to trip over the past again. Her change in behavior haunted him with a single question— Am I being selfish again? Nudging her toward discomfort just to distract himself?
He shook the thoughts aside, though not as effectively as he had the last few times, and focused on Riley again.
Her forced skip slowed when Archer came into view. She crossed the last few feet to him, already talking, a lilt to her voice. “I can’t believe you got tickets. You. Rule. Me.”
Relief trickled through Zane when she didn’t throw her arms around Archer’s neck, but he still wished she wasn’t so on edge.
Archer shoved his hands in his pockets, looking between the two of them sheepishly. “It didn’t make sense to ignore this one. I’d have been wounded if you couldn’t make it.” He fixed his gaze on Zane for a minute, eyes hardening, before turning back to Riley. “Tori’s holding our place in line. Did you already eat?”
“I’m good. I don’t think I could stomach popcorn this late at night.” Riley spun so she faced them both, and reached for them but dropped her hands at the last minute. “Let’s go watch someone sexy and arrogant with as much brains as balls save the world.” She walked backward, talking and glancing over her shoulder occasionally to keep from running into something.
“Did I miss something between you two?” Archer stepped closer to Zane, voice low.
Great. Other people saw her tension too. “Nope.” He kept his expression neutral and his response quiet.
Riley met Zane’s gaze one last time before turning away, uncertainty and something else hiding in her blue eyes. She made a straight line for a spot in the pockets of people stacked against one of the theater walls. Tori straightened as they approached. Her long hair was piled on her head and her glasses pushed up her nose, and she looked as friendly as when Zane first met her, two weeks ago, when she delivered Archer a themed dress she made for one of his customers.
Riley bounced up next to her. “I’m so glad I won’t be drooling over the sexy guys alone.”
Tori laughed. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it.”
“For real,” Archer said to Zane. “What did you do? Sleep with her or something?”
Zane bit back his growl. “I didn’t do anything.”
Riley’s shoulders rose and fell when she sighed, and she turned back to face them.
“First of all”—she turned an icy stare on Archer—“none of your god damned business. Second, I’m standing right here. I can hear you.”
Archer at least had the grace to look sheepish. Tori refused to look at anyone. Zane wasn’t surprised there. She spent a lot of time with Archer, though Zane knew they weren’t dating, but she was the opposite of confrontational.
Zane shoved his hands in his pockets, found a narrow slice of unoccupied wall, and clenched his jaw shut, determined not to say anything else until he could wrap his brain around his own feelings.
* * * *
“Be right back.” Tori’s whisper barely carried over the explosions on screen. They were in the center of the aisle, which meant Riley didn’t have to move, but everyone else down the aisle did.
Riley gave her a half nod. With Tori on one side and Archer on the other, she felt too far from Zane. Which was good—or was it bad?—since she still regretted ending the earlier part of their night so abruptly. She was reading too much into things. The entire point of fooling around with Zane was to keep her
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