Part 20 (1/2)

The night was so dark and the city was visible from this height. The terrace in Thorne's loft was hands down one of my favorite places in the city. Thorne was standing there close to the edge, in an almost transparent white s.h.i.+rt, looking just as gorgeous as ever. But there was a lost expression on his face. When I walked up to him, I tried not to let him hear my footsteps but that didn't work.

”Lane let you in?” he asked, without looking at me.

”You're not the only one who has the right to intrude in people's private living set-ups.”

He turned to face me. ”Touche.”

”What are you doing up here?” I asked. ”Trying to solve life's mysteries?”

His s.h.i.+rt was open from the front, just casually hanging on his body. The sight made me nervous. He also had a gla.s.s of whiskey in his hand and his eyes looked like he had been at it for a while. ”A Bon Jovi reference,” he said. ”I should have known.”

”Are you surprised that I'm a Bon Jovi fan or that you know the reference?”

He looked at me with the beginnings of a grin. ”Word play is your thing, Elena not mine.”

”No wise-a.s.s remarks,” I said. ”Some would say you're losing your touch.” I paused and then added, ”And you're obviously drinking too much.”

Thorne walked right up to me and just stood there, looking like that.

”You've come here to make me stop?” he asked, all blue eyes and open s.h.i.+rt and masculine fragrance.

”Don't do that,” I said.

”Do what?”

”That whole aI'm too s.e.xy and you know it' routine.”

”Did it work?”

And that made me laugh.

”Great,” he said with mock seriousness. ”You're breaking my heart with that laughter.”

”Well you almost broke mine,” I said, serious now.

”I'm sorry Elena,” he said. ”Remember once I told you to give me a chance when you caught me with Cyndi at the club? I hadn't done anything, but I had kept it from you. And I never gave you reason to be sorry, did I? I kept my word. You need to have that kind of faith in me again. I will never give you reason to regret it.”

After a while of looking at his face, I finally said what I had come here to tell him.

”Fine,” I said. ”I'm going to forgive you.”

”Seriously?” he asked. ”No penalties?”

”Sure,” I said. ”I can think of a few.”

I went closer to him and I had to stand on my toes a little to reach his lips but when I did find them, the desire comes right back.

”In that case,” Thorne said, breaking off. ”You're free to discipline me for a change.”

This time, I couldn't help grinning wide. ”So,” I said. ”Now that we're doing the whole full disclosure thing, I need to know Thorne: what did you have to do to get me a job at your office?”

”Well,” Thorne said. ”I might have...sorta created an entire department for you.”

My jaw was seriously left hanging this time. ”Please tell me you're joking?”

Thorne laughed. ”I'm sorry but I'm not joking.”

We both heard a thud from inside the loft and then the sound of gla.s.s breaking and we both rushed inside the loft to find Lane collapsed on the floor next to the breakfast bar. He was bleeding through the nose and unconscious.

”Lane!” Thorne tried to shake him awake but nothing. He checked Lane's pulse. ”He's not breathing!”

I rushed to call 911 but Thorne picked Lane up and carried him outside the loft, and I went with him. We got into the elevator and all the way down, Thorne didn't say a word. He quietly placed Lane in the back of his Lexus and we drove to the emergency room.

THORNE.

Lane was propped up in bed, still connected to the machines when I went in. He looked a little worse for the wear but at least he was vertical. I felt a strange sense of relief. I went straight to him and hugged him.

”It was an accident,” he said the minute I pulled away. I could tell how agitated he was.

”It's okay,” I said.

”Thorne, I swear it was an accident,” Lane repeated. ”I didn't do it on purpose.”

”Lane, with your history-”

”It was a f.u.c.king accident!” he yelled loudly this time. ”Why won't anyone believe me?”

”Lane,” I said. ”They found heroin in your system. It reacted with the antidepressants.”

”I must have miscalculated...”

”Lane, are you listening to yourself?” I said. ”You told me you wouldn't use that stuff again, you promised me!”

”I know,” he said, in the same agitated voice. ”I know I did.” He paused, and then grabbed my arm. ”Don't let them send me to that place,” he said, and he was almost in tears. ”Please. You gotta talk to Mom and Dad, Thorne. I can kick this thing on my own, I just need your help.”

”I'm here for you Lane,” I said. ”But you have to go to the facility.”

”What?”

”With your history, they're right to be concerned. The doctors all say the same. You need help and they can get you help.”