Chapter 94: Unlikely advice

DEACON

"Because Noah might get mad?" I was fishing now, trying to get her to say something that would give me a clue about their status. Why the hell I cared was a nuance I didn't care to examine just now.

"Because it's pointless." She jumped to her feet and began stalking the length of the room. "Why does it matter to you how long it's been since I saw Noah or if I'm going to be with him this weekend? It's none of your damned business, Deacon."

"Sorry." I wasn't, not one little bit, and it probably showed in my tone. "I was only . . ." What? Curious? Nosy? Desperate to know if they were on the verge of breaking up so that maybe I'd have another shot with the woman I couldn't forget? "Uh, making small talk."

"Yeah, well, I'm not much into that." Emma sat down again, wrapping her arms around herself. She drew in a deep breath. "If you must know, Noah and I . . . we're kind of on a break. After everything with the press . . . and there were some other tensions between us-"