Page 134 of Lovers Like Us

He rubs his mouth and lowers on the edge of the driver’s seat. He’s looking everywhere but atme.

“Just sayit.”

His tough eyes hit mine. “You’re notsleeping.”

“I’ve always had weird hours. Anything else?” My tone is a lot more strict thanusual.

We’re both stubborn. I’m not going to quit my job unless I’m doing worse than the best, and right now, I’m still the best damned bodyguard. No one would be better for Maximoff thanme.

He pulls off his sweatshirt, hot. “Are we fighting?” he asksseriously.

I ease a little bit. “You tell me, wolfscout.”

He shakes his head. “Christ, I care about you, Farrow. And you’re sitting there, denying that the stalker is affecting you. But I’m around you every goddamn day. I cantell.”

I comb my hands through my hair, and I let out a deeper breath. “It’ll be over once we identify the person.” I’m confident aboutthis.

But Maximoff stares at me with uneasiness. “There’ll always be another stalker. Another anonymous troll. It doesn’t fucking end. I’ve come to terms withthat—”

“It’s going to end,” I say assuredly. “This is different, Maximoff. It’s a realthreat.” The stalker is from Philly. They know where the tour stops are located before they’re announced. It’sserious.

His gaze turns to the windshield.Thinking.

“And I’m glad you’ve come to terms with it,” I tell him. “Because it’s my job to care about the threats. Not yours. So let me do myjob—”

“I am,” he combats. “Jesus Christ, I’m watching you down Ripped Fuel and stay up past 48-hours.” He laughs a dry, pained laugh. “And you know what, I’m starting to think that makes me a terribleboyfriend.”

My chest hurts. “Itdoesn’t.”

His Adam’s apple bobs, and he holds my gaze. “Selfishly, I don’t want to lose you as my bodyguard. It might be the most selfish thing I’ve ever fucking wanted in my life. But I need you to do something forme.”

“What?” My eyes areburning.

“If being my bodyguard while being my boyfriend is hurting you, stepback.”

I run my thumb over my lip piercing. “You meanquit.”

“Yeah. Can you do that?” He means,in the future.If it comes to that. I’ve never lied to him, and I’ll neverstart.

“No,” I say matter-of-factly. “I can’t do that. Truth, I’d run my body in the ground to do my job well, but several hours of sleeplessness isnothing.”

His face twists in deep, agonized thought. “I keep thinking that if I really cared about your health, I’d just fireyou.”

I shake myhead.

He’s searching for therightpath, even if it costs his happiness, but fuck, he doesn’t need to make that sacrifice for some arbitrary “moral”good.

“No,” I say easily. “You don’t need to fire me to protect me. Just set down the sandbags for these hypotheticals. Because I’m okay, and the shit sleep I’m getting is going to end. All you need is to believethat.”

He lets this sink in for a long moment. “I think I can, but…stay honest with me. Tell me where you’re at mentally, physically with this job. No lying or skirting around the truth. Can you dothat?”

“Always,” Ipromise.

Maximoff nods strongly. “Then I’ll let go. No more building doomsday shelters forawhat if, and you gotta stop throwing ‘I’m doing my job’ at me, man. I’m highly aware you’re on-duty eighty-five percent of the time we’retogether.”

I nod with a brief wince, kicking myself a little. “I will. Sorry.” I push back strands of my hair, and when our eyes meet, we both almost start smiling. Back on track, side-by-side together. It feels like a perfectfit.

Istand.