Chapter Forty-Three
ADAM
When I realised I was parking on Marco’s street, I turned off the engine, and rested my head against the steering wheel. What the hell was I doing here? It was so late. Early hours of the morning even.
I must have fallen asleep there. A fist banging on the window woke me with a start. It was still dark, but it was cold. So fucking cold.
The fist hit the window again, and I finally regained my faculties enough to look at who was standing there. The window had frosted a little, but Marco’s pissed off face was visible. I unlocked the door, and it was wrenched open.
“The fuck are you doing here?” He snapped, and I suddenly realised he might still think I was a monster. I rubbed at my tired eyes.
“I’m not what you think, Marco.”
He nodded, dragging me from the car. “I know that, you stupid fuck. But you’ll freeze to death out here.” He was wearing a heavy coat, and boots, over what looked like lounge pants.
He slammed the car door, and led me into his house.
The warmth hit me as soon as I stepped inside, making me realise just how fucking freezing cold I’d been. It was so dumb of me to fall asleep out there. I really could have frozen.
Marco shoved me into a chair in his living room, and tossed a blanket at me. He left, and returned a few moments later with a glass containing a measure of amber liquid. Scotch, I hoped.
“Drink this.” He left again, and he was gone a few minutes, but returned with a hot coffee for me too. Plus one in his own hand.
I pulled the blanket around me, and grabbed the alcohol, gulping it down, relishing the flood of heat through me.
Marco had shed his coat, and was wearing a t-shirt, thank god, with his lounge pants. I couldn’t handle his man nipples staring at me from his naked chest right now. I mean, they were still there, of course, but I could pretend they weren’t. I realised I was pretty out of it, as I sat there, not sure how I even made it in one piece.
“You weren’t even wearing a coat, you dumb prick.” He muttered, wrapping his hands around his mug.
“The Bennetts told you, right? I’m not what you all thought? I could never do that.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry. We had our doubts after that name on your phone, but then Nige raised the alarm. For what it’s worth, I’m glad we were wrong. And that you didn’t die in that place.”
I shuddered, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “Tell me about it. Fucking horrifying way to wake up.”
He nodded again. “But that’s not why you’re trying to get hypothermia outside my house. So what’s up?”
I glanced around the room. “Where’s Lenore?”
He sighed heavily. “Still asleep, I hope.” He pointed to my coffee. “Hold that, it’ll warm you up.”
I did as I was told, because that seemed easier than dealing with what was in my head.
“I got up for a piss, and saw your headlights outside.”
I frowned. “I left my lights on?”
He laughed. “Yeah, you were asleep with your fucking headlights on. I turned them off, and locked it for you. You’re welcome.”
I sighed, staring at the coffee.
“I… don’t know why I came here. I didn’t know where else to go.”
He waited, giving me time to say whatever the fuck was in my head. I only wished I knew what it was. Eventually he prompted me.
“You left your lady to come here?”
I nodded, closing my eyes for a moment. “I don’t know what to do, Marco. I’m not… Jesus, I’m not the man she needs. I can’t be… I can’t be what she wants.”