Chapter 84 Feel Like I'm Losing Him
Briar's POV
The conference room emptied slowly, the tension from the presentation still hanging thick in the air as people filed out in small clusters. I waited until the Montgomery team had completely left before turning to look for Owen.
"Owen, where's Eric?" I asked, crouching down beside him.
Owen's voice came out strained as he recounted what had happened. "After we finished the samples, we realized we were running late. We tried to get a cab, but there was a traffic jam. Eric panicked and said we should take his motorcycle. We were doing okay for a while, just weaving through traffic. But then we passed a patrol car, and that damn bike saw the cops and just gave up on us like it had been waiting for this moment its whole life. The engine died, the whole thing started shaking, and before we knew it, we were flying off the road and straight into a ditch full of stagnant water."
I stared at him, my mouth falling open.
"The cops caught us red-handed," Owen continued, his voice miserable. "They stopped us because Eric wasn't wearing a helmet, and when they realized he didn't have a license and the bike wasn't registered, they took him to the station. He's still there. We need to go get him."
"That's quite a story," I said, my voice flat with disbelief.
We left Owen to recover and headed toward the elevators, but as we passed the conference room next to the bidding hall, I found myself slowing down. That voice during the presentation, the one that had stepped in to help me, kept echoing in my mind.
The door was slightly ajar, leaving a gap just wide enough for me to see inside. Kai was sitting on the edge of the table, talking to someone whose back was turned to the door. All I could see was a section of broad shoulders covered in a dark blue shirt.
The silhouette was so familiar that my heart began to race, an answer forming before I could fully articulate the question.
I pulled out my phone, intending to call Lucian and see if he would pick up, but the screen stayed black. The battery had died from all the frantic calls and messages I had sent to Owen and Eric throughout the morning.
I took a few steps closer to the door, my hand reaching for the handle. I was about to push it open when I heard voices behind me. A group of Apex employees were walking down the hallway in our direction.
I quickly pulled my hand back, my pulse hammering in my throat as I turned away from the door.
"Let's go," I said to Lily and Owen, my voice more abrupt than I intended.
The police station was a squat building that smelled of disinfectant and stale coffee. Eric was waiting in the lobby, his expression thunderous as he signed the final release forms. His clothes were still damp and streaked with mud, and there was a deep scowl etched into his face that made him look even more intimidating than usual.
"Don't say a word," he growled as we approached. "Not one word."
By the time we finished at the station and made sure Eric had a way to get home, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. My phone buzzed with a text from Rowan.
[Dinner tonight? I need to talk.]
I stared at the message, my thumb hovering over the screen. Rowan rarely asked to meet up on such short notice.
[Sure. Where?]
[Moonlight Grill. The barbecue place on Fourth Street.]
I frowned. Rowan hated barbecue places. She always complained they were too loud and too smoky.
When I arrived at the Moonlight Grill, the outdoor seating area was packed. I spotted Rowan at a corner table, her back to the crowd, and my stomach dropped when I saw the empty beer bottles scattered in front of her.
"Rowan?" I said cautiously, sitting down across from her. "Are you okay?"
She looked up, her eyes slightly unfocused, her cheeks flushed. "Garrett said I don't understand their world," she said, gesturing at the restaurant. "The world of those high-class Alphas with their fancy dinners and their stupid rules. So I thought I'd try something different. Experience the common life."
"Rowan, what happened?"
Her story came out in fits and starts. Her ex-boyfriend had used an old door code to get into her apartment. Garrett had gone to pick up a medical journal and walked in to find the ex standing there, completely naked. He had left without saying a word and had been distant ever since.
"He keeps asking me why I didn't change the code," Rowan said, her voice rising. "And I don't know what to tell him! I forgot, okay? I just forgot! And now he won't talk to me. He just sits there, staring at me like I did something wrong. I've never had to work this hard for anyone, Briar. Never. It's like he's a damn stone, and I don't know how to break through."
I squeezed her hand. "He's not like the others. You know that, right? He needs time to process."
"I don't have time," Rowan said, her voice breaking. "I feel like I'm losing him."
We ordered food, though neither of us ate much, and Rowan continued to drink steadily. I tried to keep up with her in a misguided attempt at solidarity, and by the time the sky had gone dark, we were both thoroughly drunk.
At some point, Rowan started ranting about going to confront Garrett, her voice loud and slurred. I tried to calm her down, but my own head was spinning.
"We should call the police," I said, fumbling for my phone. "They'll stop you."
"You're not calling the police on me!" Rowan shouted, lunging across the table.
We ended up in a tangled heap, laughing hysterically as we knocked over bottles. I managed to dial a number, though I wasn't sure whose, and when someone picked up, I blurted out, "Hello? Police station? You need to arrest my friend. She's going to go beat up Garrett."
There was a pause, and then a familiar voice said, "Briar?"
I blinked. "Lucian?"
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Howling Moon Grill," I said confidently.
"Stay there. Don't move. I'm coming to get you."
Lucian's POV
I didn't bother with explanations. I just grabbed my jacket and headed out, my mind racing as I tried to figure out where "Howling Moon Grill" was.
It took me three tries to realize she meant Moonlight Grill, and by the time I arrived, the scene was worse than I had imagined. Briar and Rowan were at a corner table, their arms wrapped around each other as they sang at the top of their lungs. The table was littered with empty bottles, and several nearby tables had been abandoned.
I stood there for a moment, then pulled out my phone and dialed Garrett.
"Rowan's drunk," I said without preamble. "Moonlight Grill. Get here now."
There was a pause. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
I walked over to the table, signaling to a waitress to help me. Between us, we got Rowan upright, though she was still singing and swaying. Briar had gone quiet, her head lolling against my shoulder as I lifted her into my arms.
Her face was flushed, her hair falling in messy waves, and she looked so vulnerable it made my chest ache. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, murmuring soft reassurances.
Garrett arrived minutes later, his expression a mixture of exasperation and concern. He didn't say anything, just scooped Rowan up and slung her over his shoulder, ignoring her protests.
I paid the bill and drove Briar back to her apartment. She was quiet during the drive, her head resting against the window.
When we got inside, I laid her down on the bed. She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open as she reached up to loop her arms around my neck. Her lips curved into a lazy smile, and before I could react, she pulled me down and kissed me.
It was a messy, uncoordinated kiss, tasting of beer, and I couldn't help but smile. I kissed her back gently, then pulled away and went to get a damp washcloth.
When I came back, she was already asleep, her breathing deep and even. I wiped her face carefully, smoothing her hair back, and then I sat on the edge of the bed and watched her for a long moment.
I stayed until I was sure she was settled, then quietly let myself out.