He rolled his eyes and took a seat across from me. “She thinks she’s slick. She’s my oldest friend. I can read her as well as I can read my favorite book. And despite what you might think, you’re my friend. I know you have shit you’re fighting. I just don’t want you to hurt her while you’re trying to fight it.”
“What the hell do you want me to do?”
“I saw the way you looked at her. You’re interested.”
I scoffed.
He placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Even your dad saw it. You think he would invite just anyone to come over and sit with you guys? He was watching your reaction to her the whole night, and you would have noticed that had you not been looking atherthe entire time.”
I narrowed my eyes at his hand on my desk. He smartly removed it.
Sighing, he said, “If you’re interested in her—and I mean, really interested in her—I won’t stand in your way. In fact, you might be exactly what she needs. And she might be what you need if you weren’t so scared of being vulnerable with another person. But if you’re not serious, or you don’t think you can keep your bastard tendencies in check, then leave her the fuck alone, man. She’ll get over this crush if I stop bringing her around you.”
Fuck, but I did not like to hear about her getting over this crush. I didn’t want her to get over me, only because it didn’t seem like I could get over her.
I wanted her to be as fucking obsessed with me as I was already with her.
Blue’s eyes honed on my clenched fist. I forced myself to relax.
“And what makes you think I would need your blessing if I want to go after her?” I asked. “She’s twenty-nine years old, for fuck’s sake. She doesn’t need herbest friendto look out for her like this.”
He nodded. “You don’t need my blessing. You’re Kai fucking Madden. You can do whatever the hell you want, but I know you. Even you aren’t bastard enough to hurt someone like her.”
“Likeher?”
He hesitated.
I waited, wondering why he treated her like she was made of glass. I saw the way his hands had lingered over her at the bar last night. I wanted to fucking cut those hands off him. I might have, had I had a little less control than I did. But I got the feeling he was telling the truth when he said there were no romantic feelings between them.
So why the hell was he so protective?
“She’s a virgin, okay?”
I froze.
Blood roared in my ears.
A virgin?
A fucking virgin at her age?
How the fuck was that possible? Most of the girls I knew lost their virginity in their teens or early twenties.
Fuck me, I had thought she was innocent… butthisinnocent?
“She’s only dated once, and it was with a fucking loser online. It never went anywhere, thank fuck, but she’s… she’s different, okay? The way she sees the world differs vastly from how you and I see the world. So if you’re interested in her, go for it. Be good to my girl, because you’re capable of it. But if you have your doubts, just stay away from her.”
He stood and walked out the door.
I didn’t pay him any attention.
Fuck me, but what the hell was I supposed to do now?
The door opened once more, and I bit back the words I was gonna say to Blue when I found Dad standing there.
He sauntered over and took the seat Blue had just occupied.
I watched him.
