Page 83 of What We Break
A wall of flannel appears between us.
Blake steps in. He doesn't shove the guy. He just occupies the space where the guy's hand was going to be. Plants his feet, broad shoulders blocking out the lights, creating a human barrier between me and the rest of the room.
"She said she's good," Blake says. His voice isn't loud, but it cuts through the noise like a blade.
The guy blinks, looking up at Blake, then down at Blake's arms. Takes a step back. "Chill, man. Just being friendly."
"Be friendly somewhere else."
The guy disappears into the crowd.
I let out a breath, the tension in my spine loosening. "Thanks."
Blake turns to face me. We're pressed together in the crush, closer than we've ever been. I have to tilt my head back to look at him.
"You okay?" he asks. He's looking at my face, checking for... I don't know what. Panic? It was a drunk college guy. I've had worse, more times than I can count. You haven't lived until you've had a five-foot-tall Thai man try to motorboat you in a nightclub.
"I'm fine. Just loud."
He nods, but he doesn't move away. His hand is resting on the bar behind me — not touching me, but close enough that I can feel the warmth of his arm. Boxing me in. Creating this stupid little pocket of quiet in the middle of everything.
The bar noise drops out. Just — gone. And for a second it's just him. The stubble on his jaw. The way his breathing has slowed down. The way his eyes drop to my mouth for a fraction of a second before snapping back up.
Something about the look in his eyes makes the back of my neck tingle. Then the bartender slams the drinks onto the counter behind me.
Blake flinches. Steps back immediately, his face closing down like a shutter.
"Grab the water," he says, voice rougher than before. He picks up the three beers with his large hands, turning away. "Let's go."
He walks back to the table without waiting for me, cutting through the crowd like a plow.
I stand there for a second. Gripping the cup of water.
What was that?
When I get back to the table, Blake is already seated, staring at the TV screens. His knuckles are white around his glass.
"We won!" Reid yells as I slide in next to him. "We got the bonus question! We're getting the gift card!"
"Nice," I manage.
Reid kisses my cheek, warm and easy, and the weird feeling loosens.
"Best night ever," Reid says.
"Yeah," I say. "It really is."
We finish the drinks, cash out the tab, and walk out into the cool Oregon night air. The ringing in my ears fades.
"You guys heading out?" Tony asks, helping Angie into their car.
"Yeah," Reid says. He turns to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Unless... you want to come back to the house? We can celebrate the victory."
"Yeah," I say, looking up at him. "I'd like that."
Reid grins, opening the truck door for me. "Perfect."
As I climb in, I catch Blake watching us from the other side of the cab. Something crosses his face — there and gone before I can read it. He starts the engine, and the roar fills the silence.
