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leaving him
unsure of himself and his relationship with Riley. It wasn't fair. He wanted to
have one more talk with Riley. One more chance to work it out or call it quits.
This wasn't fair.
"Tell
me. You don't have to be eloquent. Just talk on the way into town."
Connor
swallowed over the lump in his throat, trying like hell to get a handle on the
pain filling his mind and body. Mike had always been nice to him and this
wasn't any different. He could try talking to Mike. Maybe just talking would
help. It sure as hell had to be better than his drinking binge and near
suicidal thoughts.
Chapter
Three
Mike
listened to Connor as he spilled his story. At first he just rambled about
Riley, a lot of it Mike had already heard, like the fact that they'd screwed
around with their friends. Then Connor started talking about the final day. Mike's
heart broke as Connor spoke.
"I
told him that we'd kissed." Connor had been staring out the window for the
last few miles, his whole body held in a pose of defeat.
Mike
wanted to comfort him and say something but he stayed silent, thinking it best
to hear the man out.
"He
thought I was having an affair. I told him that wasn't fair since he told Lane
he loved him but he wouldn’t listen. I feel so guilty. I caused him to
die."
Mike
pulled into the lot of the burger joint and cut the engine. "Connor, I'm
going to tell you what you've heard in training and classes. People make their
own decisions. You didn't force Riley to drive away. From what you said you
were trying to be reasonable and he blew up. You didn't make him pull out into
the traffic and you didn't force him to drive away angry."
Connor
blew out a breath. "He was so upset. I should have just shut up and let
him yell at me."
Mike
reached over and took Connor's hand. "You were not in the wrong. Please
don't beat yourself up over this."
"How
can I not be upset when he would be alive if I'd—"
"Stop
right there. You don't know if he'd be alive or not. He made a mistake and
drove recklessly."
"But
I never should—"
"Okay,
so you told him about me, about us kissing. He didn't have to react that
way."
Connor
tilted his head back and rested it against the headrest. "I can't forgive
myself."
Mike felt
like they weren't going to get anywhere and he knew Connor was probably hungry.
Maybe after eating and talking about something else they could come back to the
subject. "Let's get a burger and you can show me around the town."
They both
exited the car, heading into the diner. Connor chose a seat where he could see
the door and Mike took the seat opposite though it made him nervous. The
waitress came over and took their order. In the harsh light of the diner, Mike
noticed the new lines etched deep in Connor's face. The last six months had
been hard on his friend. Talking about Riley could wait.
"You
remember that diner near the office building?" Mike asked.
"Yeah,
quiet place, cute waitresses."
"They
hired a new girl."
"Hmm."
"Her
name is Daisy. She's got all the guys hanging on her every word. So David
Lighthouser went in and started to flirt. It took him two days to work up the
courage to ask her out. It was the talk of the office. Anyway, he heads over
and she's outside by her car. He steps close. Now mind you, I was watching this
from the window so I didn't hear the words, but when she spun around her purse
flew wide and racked him. He doubled over and his head was in her boobs. She
pushed him away and he stumbled then fell, landing in a pile of dog poop."
Connor's
eyes were wide and he seemed interested in the story. Mike smiled and warmth
spread through his body. He'd wanted to get Connor out of his funk.
"So
David is sprawled out on the ground, Daisy is standing above him, and this
flock of pigeons fly over. The birds hit both of them. The guys in the office
were howling with laughter. David came back upstairs and no one said anything.
Then one of the guys says something about dog shit and the
unsure of himself and his relationship with Riley. It wasn't fair. He wanted to
have one more talk with Riley. One more chance to work it out or call it quits.
This wasn't fair.
"Tell
me. You don't have to be eloquent. Just talk on the way into town."
Connor
swallowed over the lump in his throat, trying like hell to get a handle on the
pain filling his mind and body. Mike had always been nice to him and this
wasn't any different. He could try talking to Mike. Maybe just talking would
help. It sure as hell had to be better than his drinking binge and near
suicidal thoughts.
Chapter
Three
Mike
listened to Connor as he spilled his story. At first he just rambled about
Riley, a lot of it Mike had already heard, like the fact that they'd screwed
around with their friends. Then Connor started talking about the final day. Mike's
heart broke as Connor spoke.
"I
told him that we'd kissed." Connor had been staring out the window for the
last few miles, his whole body held in a pose of defeat.
Mike
wanted to comfort him and say something but he stayed silent, thinking it best
to hear the man out.
"He
thought I was having an affair. I told him that wasn't fair since he told Lane
he loved him but he wouldn’t listen. I feel so guilty. I caused him to
die."
Mike
pulled into the lot of the burger joint and cut the engine. "Connor, I'm
going to tell you what you've heard in training and classes. People make their
own decisions. You didn't force Riley to drive away. From what you said you
were trying to be reasonable and he blew up. You didn't make him pull out into
the traffic and you didn't force him to drive away angry."
Connor
blew out a breath. "He was so upset. I should have just shut up and let
him yell at me."
Mike
reached over and took Connor's hand. "You were not in the wrong. Please
don't beat yourself up over this."
"How
can I not be upset when he would be alive if I'd—"
"Stop
right there. You don't know if he'd be alive or not. He made a mistake and
drove recklessly."
"But
I never should—"
"Okay,
so you told him about me, about us kissing. He didn't have to react that
way."
Connor
tilted his head back and rested it against the headrest. "I can't forgive
myself."
Mike felt
like they weren't going to get anywhere and he knew Connor was probably hungry.
Maybe after eating and talking about something else they could come back to the
subject. "Let's get a burger and you can show me around the town."
They both
exited the car, heading into the diner. Connor chose a seat where he could see
the door and Mike took the seat opposite though it made him nervous. The
waitress came over and took their order. In the harsh light of the diner, Mike
noticed the new lines etched deep in Connor's face. The last six months had
been hard on his friend. Talking about Riley could wait.
"You
remember that diner near the office building?" Mike asked.
"Yeah,
quiet place, cute waitresses."
"They
hired a new girl."
"Hmm."
"Her
name is Daisy. She's got all the guys hanging on her every word. So David
Lighthouser went in and started to flirt. It took him two days to work up the
courage to ask her out. It was the talk of the office. Anyway, he heads over
and she's outside by her car. He steps close. Now mind you, I was watching this
from the window so I didn't hear the words, but when she spun around her purse
flew wide and racked him. He doubled over and his head was in her boobs. She
pushed him away and he stumbled then fell, landing in a pile of dog poop."
Connor's
eyes were wide and he seemed interested in the story. Mike smiled and warmth
spread through his body. He'd wanted to get Connor out of his funk.
"So
David is sprawled out on the ground, Daisy is standing above him, and this
flock of pigeons fly over. The birds hit both of them. The guys in the office
were howling with laughter. David came back upstairs and no one said anything.
Then one of the guys says something about dog shit and the
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