Page 76 of Burning Bridges Duet

“Well, that was entertaining,” River says from behind us, laughing, while Jaxon coughs. Ryder kisses the back of Liv’s head and pulls his hand out from between us, releasing her and smirking at me, but I’m still in shock over what just happened.

“Don’t worry, Chase, no need to reciprocate,” he says. “But you do know where I live if you want to send me flowers.” He winks, and I flip him off.

“All right, let’s get back to snorkeling,” Jaxon says, and I’m thankful to him for breaking the weird tension. Liv is blushing hard as she pulls down her goggles before letting go of me.

We all start swimming around once more. They’re admiring the colorful fish and coral, while I’m stuck in my head, hearing her call out my name on a loop. Liv, on the other hand, seems to have regained her composure and is swimming effortlessly beside me.

We continue to snorkel, until River swims over and points out a group of sea turtles swimming in the distance. Liv gasps in awe and starts swimming towards them.

“Can we touch them?” she asks eagerly.

“No, we can’t touch them,” Jaxon says, sounding like the responsible adult.

“But we can swim beside them,” River adds, and Liv nods excitedly. We spend the next hour swimming with the sea turtles, but I’m still reeling at what just happened between Liv and me. I don’t think I can stay away much longer.

But what if I fuck this up for all of us?

FORTY-ONE

I’ve been on cloud nine since Sunday, so it’s been difficult to concentrate in my classes. Monday passed by in a blur, with me attending lectures, catching Ryder’s performance at Café Bloom while drinking a latte with River, and then returning home to study. Although I try my best to pay attention in class, my mind often wanders to thoughts of the guys.

Leaving my class, I see a girl on campus wearing a backpack with koi fish on it, and I immediately think about Gunner. I haven’t heard from him since our night out last week, even though I texted him four or five times to say thank you and check on him. Everything that was happening with the guys pushed my worry about him to the side for a bit, and I feel guilty, so I decide to just knock on his door. He can’t ignore me when I’m standing right in front of him, right?

I go to the grocery store and buy everything needed for a charcuterie board—cold cuts, different cheeses, fruits, crackers, bread, and some nuts. I get a Moscato to go with it but also buy a six-pack of beer just in case. I used to make those boards with my mom when her girlfriends came over to visit. They called it keeping each other updated, but I called it outright gossiping. Still, it was fun, and the boards were always appreciated and easy to make, even for me.

I get home and do some of my homework before I take a shower. In the early evening, I get started on my board, and when I’m done, I put the Moscato under my arm so I can carry the board covered with foil in both hands. I open my door with my elbow and knock on Gunner’s door with my foot. It takes a minute, but when Gunner finally opens his door, I nearly let the board fall to the floor.

His face has been beaten black and blue, while both of his eyes are swollen shut and already turning violet.

“Oh my god, Gun! What happened to you?” I push my way into his apartment and set the board and Moscato on the counter in the kitchenette.

Gunner has closed the door and is standing behind me, so I push him to sit down on his bed. I kneel in front of him and take his face in my hands. He hisses at the contact, and I lighten my touch. I feel tears pricking in the corner of my eyes.

“Gun, what happened? Why haven’t you called?” I ask, and he lowers his head.

“It’s nothing. I didn’t want to bother you,” he replies.

“Gunner!” I yell. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I lower my voice, trying to sound gentler. “It bothered me that you never answered my texts or came over. I was worried, and it seems not without reason.” I stroke his head, and his eyes get glassy.

“You were worried about me?” he asks, sounding vulnerable.

“Of course I was,” I reply, my voice breaking. “That’s what best friends do—we have each other’s backs.”

With that, he pulls me into a hug and starts sobbing.

Oh my god, what happened? It breaks my heart to see such a big man break down in front of me. I stroke his back as he sobs, trying to comfort him.

“Shh, I’m here, Gunner. What happened?”

He sobs a little longer before leaning back, and I wipe away a tear from his cheek. I sit on his bed, leaning against the headboard, and invite him to lie between my legs with his face turned to the side, resting on my belly. I stroke the back of his head, trying to calm him down.

“Who did this to you?” I ask him again, my voice shaking with anger.

“My father,” he whispers, and I inhale sharply, unable to believe what I’m hearing. “He thought I was a little too friendly to one of our clients, so he beat me after the job was done.” My mind is racing with a mix of disbelief, anger and sadness.

“What the fuck?” I exclaim, unable to contain my rage.

“Every time he does this, I’m a little boy again,” Gunner continues. “I’m frozen in fear and can’t defend myself. The logical part of my brain knows that I could beat him if I wanted to, but I just can’t.” His voice breaks as tears start to stream down his face again.