Definitely not that kind of love.
But here we were.
“Scout’s honor,” she said, holding up two fingers.
He rumpled her hair and laughed. “Get out of here, you two.”
I led her over to my bike and handed her the helmet. We didn’t speak. I knew something was up, because I could see it in her eyes. Feel it as I dropped down to sit in front of her. She was off. She’d just had a glimpse into my world, and it had sent her sideways.
“You okay?” I asked, turning my head to speak over my shoulder before I fired up my bike.
“Yeah. Are you?” Her words wobbled, and I knew I needed to get her the hell out of here. Get her somewhere we could talk.
“Hold on, Ace.”
I fired up my bike and her hands slipped beneath my hoody and my skin heated instantly. My cheek stung from the shot I’d taken while my arms were held down. They’d told me to throw the fight. Why the fuck would you come out to fight knowing that the other guy was going to throw it? Maybe the dude should spend his energy training instead of giving his opponent an unfair beatdown before the match. A calm came over me as she hugged me tight and rested her cheek against my back.
I pulled down the dirt road by the lake and rolled to a stop. We didn’t get off the bike. I swung my leg over and pulled her onto my lap. I couldn’t get close enough to this girl. I unbuckled her helmet and dropped it to the ground.
Orange and cinnamon overwhelmed my senses.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into my shit,” I said, and her hands settled on each of my cheeks. She studied my wound like she was a medical doctor. Turning my face side to side before letting out a breath.
“You didn’t drag me into your shit. I charged right in. I saw them pulling you around the corner, and I knew I had to do something.” She covered her mouth with her hand again, as a sob left her sweet lips.
“You know I would have been all right if you’d just gone inside to get Wren. Next time don’t put yourself in danger. I can take a beating, trust me.” I pulled her hand away and grazed my lips against hers to comfort her. “You’re all right, Ace.”
She pulled back, her dark eyes blending with the night sky. The streetlight a few feet away cast enough light to make out her features. “So, Wren isn’t your dad, huh? You two seem to be getting along now?”
“No. But he knew about what happened to my mom. I’m pretty sure he’s been in love with her his whole fucking life.”
I wouldn’t tell her that Wren made sure my father went away. It might scare her. Hell, it shocked the shit out of me. But I knew in my gut that Wren would never do anything to hurt Mom now, and that’s what I cared about.
“See. This is an example of why talking about what’s on your mind can be helpful.” She laughed.
“What else is going on? Something’s off. Did you talk to your mom?”
She closed her eyes and nodded, as tears ran down her cheeks again.
“I did.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and opened her eyes. Her gaze locking with mine. “She admitted to saying what she did to you. She makes no apologies. I also found out that I’d received three acceptance letters which she’d opened and hidden from me. Who does that?”
Savannah fucking Edington.
“Someone who’s scared. Terrified of losing you. Losing control.”
“I guess. She had an awful fight with Daddy, and our house is just broken right now.” She fell forward, burying her face in my neck.
“They’ll figure out.” I pulled her back to look at her. “What schools did you get into?”
“Texas Central, University of South Texas, and… TU,” she said, and a wide grin spread across her face.
“No fucking way. Congratulations. You did it.” I wrapped her back up and held her close.
She laughed and looked up at me. “Where do you think I should go?”
“I’m not going to be another person in your life who tells you what to do. Or what I want. I want you to do what’s best for you.”
Her gaze narrowed. She looked wounded. “You don’t want me to go with you to TU?”
“Fuck yeah. If it’s what you want. But I’d never pressure you to go where I’m going. You’ve already got my heart, Ace. And you can take it with you wherever you go. I’m yours. Where you go to school doesn’t change that.”
Hell, I wanted to tell her right there to go to TU. I wanted to be together. But I wasn’t about to make that decision for her. She’d had people doing that her entire life.
She nodded. “I love you.”
“I love you. But don’t ever bring your little musketeers to a street fight again. Deal?”
Her head fell back, and I fucking loved the sound of her laugh as it filled the space around us. “The Magic Willows, not the little musketeers.”
“Same difference. But I’m glad they always have your back.”
“And I’ll always have yours.”
“Same. All right, I better get you home. The last thing I need is your mother thinking I’m breaking you out of your house now and getting you in back alley fights.”
She leaned forward and kissed me. Her lips meeting mine, and I swore to fucking Christ this girl owned me in every way. Her fingers tangled in my hair, and I shifted her on my lap, so she was straddling me. Grinding up against me. I nearly came undone right there on the seat of my bike. I wanted to carry her over to the hammock, drop her down, and strip her bare. Show her how good I could make her feel. But I knew she’d been through a lot tonight, and it wasn’t the right time. My hands slipped beneath her sweater and I fucking loved the feel of her soft skin against my fingers. I teased her hard peaks through the lace of her bra with my thumbs and she gasped. Her head fell back as little pants escaped.
“Jett, I want you.”
My lips moved to her neck, kissing my way back up to her face. I kissed her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, and stopped at her sweet mouth.
“You already have me.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, her voice raspy and full of need.
“Not tonight. Not after what you’ve been through. When I have you, it won’t be after pulling you into the middle of a shitshow, or after you went at it with your mom. But I will have you, Adelaide Edington. And I promise to rock your fucking world.”
She laughed and ran her fingers through my hair. “Oh, I have no doubt.”
“There’s no rush.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’m going to hold you to it.”