“Yeah, but it could’ve been any human girl.” I was trying to be pragmatic, looking for flaws in his argument. “Sometimes it feels like you’re infatuated with the idea of me. Being human isn’t all that.”
He shook his head, an irritation etched into his face that wasn’t there before. “That is where you are wrong. You think you are the first human girl to cross my path, to be a temptation? Trust me…you are not.” His remark stung, and I tried not to take it personally, but it was too late. The mood meter had gone off.
“I did not mean it that way,” he said, frustrated, running his hands through his untidy hair. “What I meant was I know the difference between this and everything else.” He threw his hands out to the side. “I have been in this world a long time and trust me, this is a first for me. This is where I am supposed to be. With you.”
I just nodded my head, at a loss for words. We’d reached the front door of Paddy’s, and all the doubt and stress of being back flooded through my system. I came to a halt in front of the door.
“I don’t know if this is–” I couldn’t get the rest of the words out. The thought of all the gossip had dried them up.
“You can do this.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. The gesture made my pulse quicken, and right then, I just wanted to be at home cuddled up on the sofa with him. Adam gave my hand a squeeze. “I called James. He is already here and is going to work your shift with you.”
Of course, he was talking about my best friend, Birdie Finch—James was his Christian name. Adam and Birdie didn’t quite see eye to eye, but there’d been an uneasy truce drawn up between them since my accident.
“Thanks for calling Birdie. I can take it from here.” I placed my hand on the cool metal handle of Paddy’s door.
“I can come sit awhile…”
“It’s fine,” I said to reassure him. “I can handle it. It’s just Paddy’s, right?” I gave him a brief kiss on his cheek before shuffling through the doorway.
I watched him walk away down the sidewalk as my stomach clenched. The smell of fish fry and stale beer was familiar, but not soothing. The dull din of the lunch crowd dropped a subtle octave as I turned to face the crowd. Here we go, I thought, as I tried not to look at the faces that gawked at me openly.
Lifting my head and shoulders, I plastered a rigid smile on my face before striding back to the kitchen and running smack into Birdie, who had his arms full. The tray of clean glasses chinked dangerously as Birdie fumbled for a better grip, surprised.
“Poe!”
“Hey.” Relieved to see Birdie, I gave him a genuine smile. God, I’d missed him.
“Hold that thought.” He rushed into the bar with the glasses. Seconds later, he was back, and he didn’t hesitate as he grabbed me into a big hug.
“Hey, you.” He squeezed me, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.
“Hey yourself. Miss me?” I needed for him to miss me right then. Things had been strained between us since the hospital, and I couldn’t figure out why.
“Of course.” He gave me an uneasy smile like I had said something crazy, but squeezed my hand anyway. “How are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “Okay. I have mixed feelings about being back in this.” I pointed at Paddy’s kitchen. “But I have to come back sometime. It’d be easier if it wasn’t the Sunday lunch crowd, but what can you do?” Paddy’s got pretty busy after church.
“Yeah, I hear you,” he said, shaking his head.
I shoved my stuff into my cubbyhole before turning back to Birdie. “So what kinda mood is Stevie in?”
“You’re about to find out,” he said. Stevie glared at Birdie as he stuck his head through the doors.
“Is there a staff meeting in the kitchen that I don’t know about, Finch?” asked Stevie, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Birdie darted past him back out onto the bar floor, leaving me to deal with an agitated Stevie. Terrific.
“Hi, Stevie.” I used my most placating tone.
“Yeah, whatever, welcome back. Now get your ass out on the floor. I’m run off my feet.” His head disappeared back through the kitchen door.
I brushed down the front of my shirt and straightened my apron around my waist. With my best professional waitress smile, I walked out into the bar.
I made it to the counter right as the first wave of nausea kicked in.
Suddenly, my world went topsy-turvy. I felt the temperature rise up from my gut to my face as I tried to stave off the vertigo. The floor tilted sideways, causing me to make a grab for the bar, my stomach clenching while the anxiety gripped my chest and squeezed. Bending over to catch my breath didn’t help any. I rushed through the kitchen and out the back door, stopping to lean against the Dumpster, the vertigo overpowering me.
Breathe. One. Breathe. Two. Breathe. Three. Breathe. Four. I closed my eyes and let the tears come, trying not to pass out from hyperventilation.
“Jesus Christ, Poe, are you okay?” Birdie came bolting out the back of Paddy’s.
I shook my head back and forth. No, I wasn’t okay. The gasps of breath were agonizing. I knew this feeling. Not being able to breathe. Not enough air. I was suffocating. I could feel the pain in the back of my head as black dots started to obscure my vision—the light fading as the sensation of falling into a large dark box overtook me.
I fainted right as Birdie reached for my hand.
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Reading Sample: Protector
Watcher (The Shining Ones Book 1) Page 23
