“Or an asshole?”
He shakes his head again.
“Or a tool? A prick? A monster?”
“No. I can’t promise that I’ll never hurt you, but I will do everything that I can to not hurt you if you give me a chance. Will you give me that chance?”
“Yes.”
22
Epilogue
Brody
“When are you coming back to Detroit?” Noah asks.
“Not for another three weeks, for the launch of our next video game,” I answer into my phone.
“You know if you come back and work here, you could have a nice cushy office.”
“And why would I want that? I’ve never wanted a nice, big cushy office.” I glance around my cave in the back of Skye’s veterinarian clinic. It’s barely bigger than a closet. I’m pretty sure that Skye used to use it as a supplies closet before she let me make it into my office.
“I don’t know, so that you would have windows and get to be with the rest of your team.”
I laugh. “I hate windows and people. Seeing you every couple of weeks is plenty.”
“Fine, fine. Tell Skye I said ‘hi’ and that she better be coming to the next launch with you.”
“She is. She wouldn’t miss it.”
I end the call and lean back in my chair, taking a deep breath as I glance at the clock. It’s six o’clock. Usually, Skye likes working late, and I do too. But it’s Friday night, and one of the new vets is coming in early, so we should be able to take off soon. Plus, I have plans in store. I even spent my lunch break setting up for tonight.
I close my laptop and decide to leave it at work, rather than bring it home where I could end up working more. This weekend is all about relaxing together without work.
I look down at Grump, who is lying at my feet. “Ready to go home?”
He wags his tail and I smile, petting him on the head before standing up and walking out of my office to go convince Skye that we should go home and let the vets she hired handle the rest of the cases for today. It will be easier said than done.
I walk down the hallway toward Skye’s office with Grump at my heels, following me.
I stop at the door, knocking softly, when I see that she is on the phone.
She smiles when she sees me, and I smile back, leaning against the doorframe while I look at her. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world. Especially when she’s doing what she loves. Her hair is currently a dark purple. Her piercings are back in her nose and half a dozen on each ear. And she just recently got a new tattoo on her hip that represents the charity that she started. She’s back to who she really is, and I love watching her. I thought that after everything that happened she might live in fear, but she doesn’t. She’s the strongest person I know.
Grump doesn’t care that she is on the phone. He walks over to her and paws at her leg until she gives him attention. She pets him lazily on the head while she talks.
I keep my distance, knowing I will have a better chance at getting her to leave if I’m patient. She talks for a few minutes longer and then ends her call.
“I still can’t believe how much Grump likes you. I think he might like you even more than I do,” Skye says, giving Grump better attention now.
I shrug. “We are just a lot alike. I like my space and being alone. He’s the same.”
I walk over to her, wrap my hands around her neck, and kiss her firmly, letting her know that she needs to be done working. Now.
She moans a little as I kiss her. And I know if I keep kissing her, and no one comes in to interrupt us, that I can convince her to go home, where I can fuck her. We’ve tried fucking here before, but it never works. Her desk is too flimsy and if she’s here, people are constantly coming to talk to her about a case, since she’s the best.
I hear a knock on the door, and I’m about to curse whoever it is that is going to prevent me from being able to take Skye home.