“I don’t know, I’ll text you,” I say, avoiding addingto see if the coast is clear.
He gives me a lazy, drunken smile. “You’re the best.”
“Whatever,” I mumble under my breath, walking away and leading Olivia to the truck.
I let go of her hand to unhinge the tailgate, then hop into the bed of the truck and walk over to the large toolbox attached to the back, using the key to open it. Among all the stuff Chase keeps in there I find the old hoodie I stashed away in case of an emergency. I pull it out and lock the toolbox back up, turning around to see Olivia sitting on the edge of the tailgate, her legs swinging about a foot from the ground.
“Here, Finch,” I say, jumping onto the concrete to stand in front of her.
I hand her the hoodie, then help her put it on. When she has it pulled over her head and down her torso, I reach back and pull her ponytail out, draping her long caramel-colored hair over her right shoulder.
“Thank you.” She blushes, shying her gaze away from mine.
I place my hands on her thighs, spreading them apart so I can slot my body between them. It was meant to be a fairly innocent move, until I hear the little hitch in her breath.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” I say sincerely, trying to find her eyes. “Look at me, Finch,” I demand softly, running my hands up and down her thighs soothingly. I look down, loving how large my hands look on her body. The hem of my jersey peeks out from beneath the hoodie a few inches, putting a smile on my face. I lean forward, my lips close to her ear. “I told you you’d look great in my jersey.”
Her body tenses, and I shift my gaze to see the pulse in her neck jump.
I run my hands a little higher on her thighs, the hem of my jersey starting to drape over my thumbs. Startled, she grabs my wrist with one of her small, cold hands while the other lands on my shoulder, not to push me away, but more to brace herself, her spine straightening. Her legs gently squeeze a fraction around my hips.
“Finch?” My voice comes out low and gravelly as I pull away to look at her face to find her still shyly casting her eyes down. I raise my hand, hooking a finger under her chin to lift her eyes to mine.
When those warm honey–colored eyes lock on mine, my heart does this long, slow jump in my chest. Her gaze is so soft yet intense, and for a moment I swear it drops to my lips, a look of yearning flashing across her face.
Just as my hand slides up, my palm coming to rest on the side of her neck as my thumb strokes her jaw, her hand on my shoulder slides down to my chest. Her long, thin, delicate fingers toy with one of the strings from my hoodie, and her eyes bounce from her fingers, lingering on my lips before sliding up to my eyes.
Instinctively, I lick my bottom lip to moisten it, leaning in to test the waters. When she doesn’t pull away, I lean in closer, until our breath mingles, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Olivia!”
She jumps, and a frustrated growl crawls up the back of my throat. I shoot my gaze over my shoulder to see Rat Boy stomping toward us, Delilah running after him, stumbling over her feet to catch up. His tiny hands are bunched into fists, to the point where I’m sure his knuckles are turned white, and I can practically see steam coming from his ears.
“Let’s go,” he demands, like an overbearing father.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” I snap, removing myself from Olivia and walking toward him.
He puffs out his chest, trying to seem intimidating, but his eyes give him away. I can see deep down he’s scared shitless, and he knows he would never be able to get a swing on me.
Delilah stops in her tracks, knowing there’s nothing more she can do. She knows he’s fucked. All she can do now is watch helplessly.
When there’s less than ten feet between us, I feel a pair of hands grab my forearm, stopping me from going any further.
“Bronx.” Olivia’s voice is soft and strained. She moves in front of me, placing her hands on my chest to prevent me from bashing his face in. She looks up at me helplessly, practically begging me with her eyes not to.
“Dee, take Quinton to the car, I’ll be there in a second,” she says, never taking her eyes off mine.
“Oliv—” Rat Boy tries to cut in.
“I’ll meet you at the car,” Olivia says, her voice small but stern.
I quickly tear my gaze away from hers to look over her shoulder. Rat Boy is staring at me with a look that could kill, and his jaw is clenched so tight I wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked some teeth.
Delilah reaches for his arm, and he rips it out of her grasp like a spoiled child, spinning on his heel and marching to the other end of the parking lot to throw a fit. Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a tired, apologetic look before going after him.
Olivia hesitantly grabs my chin, her touch gentle but firm, urging me to look at her. She searches my eyes, seemingly looking for something in them, in me.
Letting out a long sigh, she briefly closes her eyes, looking worn out and miserable, causing me to temporarily leash my anger. When she opens her eyes, it looks like she’s trying to hold back frustrated tears.
