“I told you I didn’t need to dumb it down.”
“I won’t pretend to understand the science behind it. I’ll just have to take your word for it.”
“I can always show you my lab, if you’re curious.”
“I wouldn’t mind, actually.” She had a few things in her office, but I wouldn’t mind seeing where she did the heavy lifting. I imagined it was the size of a warehouse, and all of her work was neatly organized despite the cacophony of information she was processing.
“Just tell me when and where.” She closed her folder then eyed her watch. “Is there anything else we should discuss today?”
“I think we’ve got it covered. I’ll go over this with Titan, and we’ll go from there.”
“When will she be back?” she asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. And I can’t ask. If I do—”
“It’ll make her anxious to get back to work,” she said. “I understand.”
A tapping noise sounded on the door before it opened. Diesel walked in, wearing a dark gray suit with a black tie. He showed a charismatic smile as he leaned in the doorway. “Can I come in? Or am I interrupting something?”
“Would it matter?” I asked like a smartass.
He stepped inside and turned to me. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” I rose to my feet and shook his hand. “Ms. Alexander and I just finished our meeting.” I didn’t go out of my way to greet anyone with the same respect that I did with Diesel because we had a unique situation. Diesel had been telling the truth, but I hadn’t listened to him. He never turned his back on Titan or me despite our negative opinion of him, and that earned a lifetime of respect. I’d always get out of my chair and greet him. He was a good man. “How are you?”
“I’m taking Titan to the doctor this afternoon,” he said. “Stitches should be coming out.”
“That’s great news.”
“Things are kinda tense between us right now.” He rubbed the back of his neck as his expression hardened.
“Why?” Did he tell Titan about her mom?
“We talked about starting a family, and that led to the dreaded conversation of changing her last name. She’s being very stubborn about it.”
I held back my chuckle but couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “Were you expecting something else?”
“I guess I thought it would be a little easier.”
“It won’t,” I said. “But keep pushing her, and she’ll do it. Trust me, she will.”
“You think?” he asked.
“Definitely. She loves you. I know she wants to be a Hunt. The only thing holding her back is her father. It’s a touchy subject with her.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“She’ll cave,” I said with confidence. “I know she will.”
“You do know her better than anyone,” he said with a chuckle.
I was her best friend, but I would never know her in the way Diesel did. Deep love like that was something I’d never experienced. Titan was important to me and I would do anything for her, but she wasn’t my whole world. “Not anymore.” I patted him on the back before I turned to Autumn. “Have you two met before?”
“I don’t think so.” Autumn came around the desk and shook Diesel’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Diesel dropped his hand and placed it in his pocket. “Thorn and Titan have told me a lot of great things about you.”
“That’s good to know.” She held her hands together in front of her waist then turned her gaze on me. She wore a smile, but that joy didn’t reach her eyes. There was something else in the look that I couldn’t identify.
Diesel turned back to me. “I’ll let you guys get back to work. But next time you see Titan…give her a nudge for me. She listens to you.”
He gave me way too much credit. “She listens to you more than you realize.”
He patted me on the shoulder and headed to the door.
“Let me know how the doctor visit goes.”
“Sure thing.” Diesel nodded to both of us before he walked out. He stepped through the glass doors then walked down the hallway, looking like he owned the building before he even tied the knot with Titan.
I turned back to Autumn. “I’m sure Diesel will be involved with a lot of things around here after they get married.”
“Yeah…” She continued to look at me with hesitance. The calm and confident woman that was there just a moment ago was long gone.
“Everything alright?” I’d been sleeping with her for weeks, and in that time frame, I’d gotten to know her well. I understood her body cues, her moods. I didn’t have it down to an exact science just yet, but I would get there.
“I’m fine.”
“You seem really tense all of a sudden.”
“I guess…never mind.” She returned to her seat and sat down.
“Never mind what?” I sank into my chair, my eyes homing in on her face.
“I guess I’m surprised the two of you are so close.”
“Who?” I asked me. “Me and Diesel?”
“Yeah.”
“Why wouldn’t we be?” He was a great guy who was loyal and honest. I’d always seen Titan as a friend, but now that she was marrying him, it was like I getting another friend too. He would be part of our small family.
“Uh…because he’s engaged to your ex-fiancée.”
I kept forgetting that stupid lie was real to some people. “Yeah, but that was a long time ago.”
“It was less than six weeks ago…”
Shit, that was it? It felt like a lifetime had already passed. I couldn’t believe I’d only proposed to her a few months ago. The enormous engagement ring was still sitting in my nightstand because I didn’t know what to do with it. I could pawn it, but that somehow felt cheap.
