Nothing I've Become

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Lita eyed Edge curiously as she plucked a piece of salmon sushi with her chopsticks. Her eyes left the delicious Japanese raw delicacy as she dipped it into some soy sauce, her gaze falling on the gorgeous man sitting across from her.

She couldn't rid her mind of everything she'd learned so recently. What was the deal with Edge attacking her in that dark alley that night? He'd thought she was someone else... Judging by all her fastidious detective work, his intended victim could only be Dawn Marie. She wondered more and more about their past.

"So... Can I ask you a question?" the redhead asked, deciding to just bite the proverbial bullet. The suspense had already gotten the best of her, and she couldn't help herself.

The handsome blond man finished chewing a scrumptious piece of unagi, then swallowed before replying.

"Lovely Lita, you can ask me anything..."

She wondered how true that statement really was. If he only knew what she was about to inquire... Despite her suspicions that it would be a touchy subject for him to say the least, she voiced it.

"Why did you set out to grab Dawn Marie that night when you attacked me?"

The question threw Edge off completely, and he nearly choked on a sip of sake, then gaped at the woman for a beat before looking more than a little uncomfortable. His green gaze darted around the meager-sized restaurant, as though he were fearful of whom might have overheard the redhead's question.

Lita bit her lip in slight nervousness, wondering how in hell she'd ever garnered up the nerve to voice such a thing. Lord knew, she was not a person who was nosy or who pried where she didn't belong. Then again, Edge had attacked her, so she did have some right to question him.

"What?" the blond man finally managed, his gaze returning to hers.

The redhead plundered on, despite the nagging voice that was suddenly in her head.

"She's your ex-girlfriend, isn't she?"

Edge stared at her wordlessly for a moment. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. How on earth did she know these things? And, more importantly, how much did she know? Jeez... He hoped she was not some undercover cop or something. What a mess that would be.

He swallowed hard, then nodded so slightly it was nearly imperceptible.

"Yeah, she's my ex-girlfriend," he admitted in a whisper.

"Is that why you attacked Christian?" Lita asked in sotto voce. She didn't know what was wrong with her, why she was just blurting out all these probing questions. She guessed her damn curiosity was just getting the best of her - but she wasn't putting herself in danger by asking... Was she? Somehow, she had the distinct sense that Edge would never do anything to hurt her. And that was despite everything she knew.

"Okay, I get it..." the blond man finally said after a long moment of silence in which he'd simply stared at her. "You've obviously been doing your homework on me... No more questions or answers until we get out of here, all right?"

Silently, the redhead nodded.

"Fair enough..."
 
 
 
 

Part 16

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