Goddess of Light

Chapter 88 ~ Smart Hulk

While we drove back to the compound, Nat contacted Bruce Banner and asked if we could meet with him as soon as possible. He told her that he was on his way back from a fan event in Miami, whatever that meant, and that he could squeeze us in for breakfast in the morning.

We arrived back at the compound as the sun was just settling behind the trees, leaving the sky a milky light blue as it slowly got darker.

None of us had really spoken since the conversation with Bruce, mainly due to the fact that everyone was too influenced by the growing awkwardness between Steve and I.

I kept accidentally catching Nat's eye, and she gave me scolding looks and nods to Steve, really trying her hardest for me to spark up a conversation with him about the weather as both of us were too stubborn to speak about our feelings. I just continuously shook my head at her, gradually getting more and more annoyed.

Without any arguments from Steve and I, Scott and Nat decided to order takeout Thai food for dinner as none of us were skilled in the kitchen.

While I waited for it to arrive, I thought it would be a good idea to release some of the tension from my body and let it out on a punching bag in the training room.

As usual, I gave the sand-filled bag a hard time, making my knuckles turn red with rawness as they swelled up, but even though it stung a little, it felt good to let my energy out.

After about an hour, I heard a light knock on the open door and spun my head around to see Steve peering around the open door, looking a little pissed off.

"Food is here." He grunted before leaving again. I suspected that Nat had to beg him to be the one to fetch me as I highly doubted he had volunteered.

I cleaned myself up a little, wiping the blood from the tears I had created and the sweat from my neck and forehead before following his path down to the kitchen.

The smell of hot food wafted around the room as I sat down at the table, seeing the food, still in boxes, spread across the table. They had definitely over ordered as by the time everyone had chosen their food, there was still loads left over.

No one spoke as they ate, interested in their food, but with the occasional awkward glance at the company and the weird, uncomfortable atmosphere was enough to make anyone jump out of a jet without a parachute.

I wasn't hungry. I know we had a little time to kill, but I couldn't do anything without thinking about how I could be doing something else to get those stones back.

Not being able to bear the tension any longer, I stood up, my chair making a noise, causing everyone's eyes to land on me.

"I need to use the bathroom, excuse me." I sheepishly muttered before walking out the way I can. I didn't need the bathroom and just needed a moment to myself, but figured I wasn't going to get that when I heard another chair scrape on the floor and turned to see Nat chase after me, meaning I would have to actually go to the bathroom.

"You need to speak to him. He is dying to talk to you." She pleaded in a whisper as she caught up to me.

"I don't need you to evaluate our relationship, if there even is one." I reminded her again, clenching my jaw slightly.

"Yes, you do, because you need him to get through this." She coerced me before we reached the door to the bathroom, and I stopped waiting for her to return to the table and let me go in alone.

"I can do this part alone, you know?" I huffed, nodding to the door.

"I'll go see if Steve wants to help you take off your pants." She smirked with a chuckle before strutting away.