Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(79)

He looked unruffled, though. He calmly waited. He kept his beer in his hand, but brought his other hand up closer to his chest. I had a feeling he was getting ready in case she tried to punch him again.

I walked around to them the long way, pretending I needed a drink. That looked dumb because I had a half a glass a wine in my hand, but whatever. Adam didn’t notice me.

“Adam?” Lump said politely.

“Yes Betsy?”

Fuck!

Either Adam knew she hated that name with a passion and was out for blood in his own way, or he just made a horrible mistake.

Lump’s fists tightened immediately and her whole body tensed. She took a balanced step toward Adam. Her movements must have set off alarm bells with Adam because he straightened up and looked en guard, though to his credit, still 100% relaxed.

I looked around wildly for William. I wouldn’t be able to break this one up.

“Where did--” Lump clamped her jaw tight.

Adam had an amused look on his face. He was out for blood, then. I wondered how he found out her real name. I felt sorry for whoever told him.

Did I ever tell William?

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

Lump lost all trace of guilt. All trace. She adopted a stance that I knew, knew, was a marital art stance. I didn’t know which one, but I had seen her training a couple times, and she did that stance when she was “ready” but didn’t know from where the attack was coming.

Seriously. Oh f**k. Where was William?

“Adam.” She said it like a statement. “I came over to apologize for last night. I did not mean to hit you like I did.”

“Then why did you?”

Lump was having a really hard time with her anger. I hoped she could keep it together, for the sake of everyone.

“I was ready for you to make a move. When you came at me I reacted. I didn’t know until after that you were pushed.”

“Why were you ready for me to make a move?”

“Because it looked like you were going to.”

“You under the impression I pick on women?”

Lump stared at him, no expressions showing on her face. Through his confidence and her tensing body, it looked like he had the upper hand in this one.

He didn’t move or say another word. He was waiting for her to reply. Another pissing contest.

“I don’t know if you do or don’t; I don’t know you that well. You looked like you wanted to hit me. I was ready.”

Now it was Adam that was struggling to control his anger. “No. You don’t know nothin’ about me. You ain’t even tried to get to know me. Do you think all men hit women?”

“No.”

“So...” Adam turned slowly, deliberately, and put his beer down. He turned back just as slowly, balanced on the balls of his feet, towering over Lump, his body language aggressive. “You just think I hit women. That it? Not most men. Just me?”

Lump’s voice went deathly quiet. “You look like you want to hit me right now.”

I would have been shitting myself if a guy that big was standing over me like that, but Lump looked completely at ease. Not a worry in the world.

“Your fists are balled,” she continued in that same flat voice. “Every muscle on your over six foot frame is taut. Your eyes are pure rage, except for a tiny bit of fear. You are quivering from the exertion of remaining in control, and I bet your gen**als are half erect from the surge in adrenaline and testosterone.

“You might not think you would hit a woman, though from the look of this very moment I think you might surprise yourself, but you are trying to bully me with your physical presence. That, Adam, gives me the impression you would hit me.”

Now she had the upper hand. And she was right.

Unlike Adam, she didn’t wait for a reply. “I should not have hit you last night. It was dangerous for us both. I am sorry. It was not my intention to physically hurt you without cause. I sincerely apologize.”

I could see she meant it. Despite his desire to get under her skin, despite the way he was handling this situation, she truly meant that apology. It would be easy for a person to lose sight of that intent with a man trying to intimidate her, especially a man Adam’s size, but she didn’t waver. She was, successfully, the bigger person here; she was walking away without a fight.

She turned and walked toward the door leading outside. I hurriedly followed. Adam didn’t notice me, or notice William who finally realized there was a problem and came over. He watched Lump walk away, nothing changing in his demeanor but his eyes.

I would have loved to observe more closely, but Lump was walking really fast. I had to jog in high heels to catch up.

I met up with her on a bench under a big Willow tree. There was a pond fairly close that looked regularly tended since there weren’t any weeds or moss growing all over the place. It would have been a great place to spend the afternoon reading a book, or having a picnic.

I needed to remember that. I also needed to remember about those secret passageways!

Mental lists put aside, I once again secured myself in the present. Lump, sitting still and looking straight ahead at nothing, didn’t generally like to be touched when her dander was up, so I sat close and looked at the pond. She would speak when she was ready. Jane joined us a second later. She sat next to Lump on the other side, looking at the pond as well. She had an extra beer that she put at Lump’s feet.