The Way We Burn

Sixteen: Sully

Work.

That's what I was supposed to be doing anyway. Instead I was sitting behind my desk, inundated with thoughts of a certain raven-haired beauty. Not that thinking of her was anything new. It was just beginning to become more of a distraction that I was prepared for. Still loved every second of it.

"There you are."

My attention snapped to my doorway, Gus Castellanos leaning against the frame and looking every bit the imposing figure he always had. It just held a bit of extra weight now that I was actively falling for his daughter.

"Didn't know I was hard to find," I said, hoping I didn't appear as nervous as I felt. Fuck. Even my hands were clammy.

Just breathe, moron.

"Well, Eleni's been trying to get you to our house for dinner for the past week," Gus responded, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. In two short steps, he was across the room and sitting in a chair opposite me.

I'd been hoping his appearance had more to do with the job than me ghosting his wife's texts, but no such luck.

I tried to speak but nothing came out. My mouth had dried up like the Sahara. I took a swig from the water bottle on my desk and tried to figure out a response. "Uh, yeah. Sorry... I've been... I've been busy."

Gus arched one highbrow high onto his forehead. "Yeah? Just swamped over here? Didn't realize we were working you that hard. We usually have pretty strict rules about working extra hours."

The smirk on his face told me he was joking, but it did nothing to ease the tension squeezing every inch of my body. Jesus. I was going to be my own worst enemy when it came to Gigi's and my secret. The revelation was bubbling just beneath the surface and I wasn't sure I was strong enough to bite it back.

"I mean, yeah. But you know how it is..."

"I do, but you don't have one free night to join us for dinner?"

I was mentally scrambling. I couldn't tell him the reason I hadn't accepted his and his wife's invitation was because his youngest daughter was taking up every spare second I had. Hell, not even just the spare ones. She was my every waking thought. "I, um..."

Think. Think. Think.

Slowly, a knowing smirk spread across Gus's round face. "You met someone, didn't you?"

"What?" I squeaked. I'm not joking. I squeaked, like some teen that had just entered the voice dropping portion of puberty. "I don't... I mean..."

"Come on, son," Gus interrupted with a laugh. "You don't have to lie to me. There's a bit of extra sparkle in your eyes. I can see it."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

     "I mean, I don't..."

"Bennett."

I sighed and scrubbed both my hands over my eyes. "Yeah," I admitted. The least I could do was give him that. "Yeah, I met someone. I mean, it's new, so I haven't been talking about it a whole lot and..."

Gus put both of his hands in the air. "Trust me, I get it. That initial spark... woof. That's what it's all about, right? That need to spend every second in someone's presence. No need to explain, my friend."

"Thanks." I let out a soft sigh of relief. Maybe I'd given him enough. Maybe that little tidbit was enough to end the interrogation for the time being...

"Who is she?"

Fuck.

"Um... no one you know." My tongue felt so swollen at the lie, I was afraid I'd choke on it. No one he knew. Couldn't be farther from the fucking truth.