Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 117494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
“I’m letting you have some space. She’s family to you, and she gave you that. Seems like you’d need some time to sort your thoughts.”
Good grief. I wanted to shake him and kiss him at the same time. “You followed me in here. Why don’t you stay and hold me?”
His eyes never changed. They were still so dark, but he put his arms around me and pulled me to him. We weren’t teenagers. I wasn’t going to get worked up about it. Aly could be handled. It might take time, some delicate maneuvering, but as Shane held me and I savored it, I knew I wasn’t going to lose Aly.
I also knew I wasn’t going to give Shane up. Before tonight, I hadn’t known I’d made that decision.
I knew now.
“Kali,” he murmured.
“Hmm?” I tipped my head up.
He was looking down, so intently. “It gets to a time where you gotta make a decision between me and your girl, let me in on it.”
“Sure, but it’s not going to come to that. We’re too old for that.”
“Just let me in on it, no matter the decision.”
I could tell this was important to him and I frowned slightly. “Okay. Yeah.”
“I have a thing about masks. I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to wear one with me. I could tell you wore one in high school. Broke my heart even back then. I don’t want you to do that, not with me, not where we are. You get me?”
I nodded, my mouth dry again. I got him.
No masks.
34
KALI
We were leaving the bathroom.
Shane took the sign down, putting it back in the closet right next to the bathroom. And as we turned, his hand to my back, we stopped right away. Brandon was coming through from the back section, holding Aly’s hand right behind him. “Oh.”
He stopped.
I stopped.
I felt Shane’s hand press harder on my back and he moved up right behind me.
Aly looked around Brandon, her eyes going big. “Hey, um–” She began to try to move around Brandon, but he held her back. His gaze was steadily on Shane.
“Why don’t we let the friends have the night?” Shane spoke first, his tone sounding casual, but I could feel the tension inside of him. “You and me can maybe come to an understanding? Outside?”
Aly’s mouth dropped. “What? No–”
“Sure.” Brandon cut her off, turning and looking down at Aly. “We got this. Okay?”
She closed her mouth with a snap, her eyes finding mine and I saw the plea there.
A part of me hurt even more because I knew what she was afraid of. She’d gone through so much hell already, had her heart shattered and now she found a guy she could see herself having babies with. She didn’t want someone to come in and take that away. I was pulled in two separate ways because she thought the person who’d take that away was a guy who’d taken away my pain.
I moved ahead, linking my elbow through Aly’s. “Come on.” I gently bumped my hip to hers. “Let’s go and grill Harper about Justin.” She was so stiff, but went with me. I glanced back, taking in both Brandon and Shane’s gazes. Shane’s was locked right on me, his expression unreadable. Brandon was watching Shane, and his was very readable. He looked like he wanted to murder him.
We headed to the table where Harper was. At our presence and at Shane’s absence, his guys each took a sip of their beer before sliding right off their stools and heading where we’d just come from.
Aly saw them go. “Wha–no!”
I stopped her, getting in front of her. “They won’t do anything. They’ll just go and have his back if Brandon swings on him.”
She squeaked, her eyes bulging. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Will Brandon swing for no reason? He didn’t strike me as that type of guy.”
“What? No. He’d never do that, but if he’s provoked, he’s got friends here.”
“Exactly. Brandon’s not alone. He’s surrounded by people who will have his back. Let Shane have a few too. We’re on Brandon’s territory, remember.”
Aly frowned, taking a step back and reassessing me. “I have to say I’m not a big fan right now. Where’s my friend gone? Feel like I’m just seeing a biker bi–”
“Okay.” Harper was between us, wedging his way in there. “Stop. Both of you on either side of that table. Now.” He pointed at our previously emptied one. He reached back, grabbed his drink and rounded up the rest of the guys’ beers. He brought all of them over to the table and pointed to a stool on one side, then the other. “Sit. Now.”
I went to the one facing the back door.
Aly went across from me, her stool facing the door to the other end of Manny’s.
Harper hesitated a second before taking the stool next to Aly.