Page 54 of Last Date

“Do we know how to do anything else?”

“I hope so. I keep telling you I want us to be closer.”

I wrinkled my brow. “Okay, but then you shut me down when I need you to be my friend. How can we be close if I can’t talk to you?”

“I want you to talk to me.”

“But you get to pick when and what I talk to you about?”

He grimaced. “You keep getting mixed up in my work. It’s tricky for me.”

I chuffed. “If you think that’s my master plan, you’re wrong. You think I’m happy about all the violence and stuff I’m dealing with? I’d give anything to just go back to my boring life where no one was trying to kill me.”

He flinched. “I know.”

“Do you? Because when I try to talk to you about what I’m going through, like the night Allister died, it’s not so I can ruin your life or job. I’m just trying to cope, and if you’re there and you say you’re my friend, I’ll probably talk to you about what I’m feeling.”

He groaned. “I just have to be careful. Don’t you understand?”

“I kind of do. I know your job is your life.”

He shook his head. “It isn’t though.”

“Seems like it.”

“Kip.” His voice was low. “I’llalwayshelp you. I just can’t make it too obvious. It’s just how it is right now.” He wrinkled his brow. “And contrary to what you think, climbing the ladder isn’t the most important thing in my life.”

I winced. “I know that hurt your feelings when I said that.”

“Yeah, because it’s not true.”

“It looks that way from the outside.”

He shrugged. “Good because that’s the impression I want to give to people whoaren’tclose to me. Thomas knows that isn’t real. Just ask him.”

“God, you two would die for each other, I’m not sure I can trust anything out of his mouth when it comes to you.”

His mouth twitched. “True, but Thomas knows me very well. If I was who you seem to think I am, do you think Thomas would be my best friend?”

I hesitated. “Probably not.”

He exhaled roughly. “Look, I’ve made a lot of mistakes with you. The frustrating part is I keep making them. I get my pride up a lot with you, but I don’t want to fight. I mean that. I want you to trust me.Trust me, Kip. I’ll always have your back. Your whole family’s back. Even if I don’t seem to, I do. Always.”

I felt surprisingly moved by his speech. “That… uh… that was a good speech.”

“I meant every word.” He glanced at his watch and cringed. “And now I’m extremely late for a meeting with the mayor.” He started for the door, but then he turned around and came back to me. He gestured toward my throat. “Before I go, let me see your neck.”

“Why?” I recoiled.

“Because unless I see you’re okay with my own eyes, I’m going to worry.”

I squinted at him. “Huh? Why?”

He let out an impatient breath, then reached out and gently tugged the collar of my sweater down. His knuckles brushed my skin lightly, and I shivered. He eyed my throat, taking in the purple bruises, and he swore under his breath.

“It doesn’t hurt. I’m fine,” I said softly.

“Liar. No way that doesn’t hurt.”