Ryder climbs over to straddle my legs while Maddox holds my arms in place.“Aren’t we a little old to be tormenting her with loogies?”
“Yes!” I yell. “We are all too old.”
“Then just tickle her until she swears to never utter those words again,” Maddox shrugs.
“Come on, brat. Last chance. You know I have to do what he says,” Ryder grins like the devil he is.
“Liar,” I accuse. “You don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“You’re right. You gonna swear?”
“No way,” I yell again, refusing to give in to terrorism.
“Remember you asked for it.”
His fingers quickly dig into my ribs,then my feet and back. I am screaming at the top of mylungs but refusing to accept defeat. Tears run down my face as I laugh uncontrollably.
“Ryder, stop,” I shout as the door opens.
“What the actual fuck?” Jake bellows, fury swirling in those blue-green depths.
Dane walks in beside him. He looks to the three of us on the floor with a roll of his eyes. “Let her go,guys. People are actually threatening to call the police.”
Maddox looks down to me. “Truce?”
I nod, still trying to catch my breath. They release mefrom their tortuous grip while helping me to my feet.
“What are you doing here? Jake said you just took off,” Dane questions in that overdramatic, big brother/dad way he has.
My mind struggles for an explanation, coming up blank.
Fortunately, Ryder comes to my rescue. “We asked if she wanted to hang out for a bit. Look at another face beside that sorry sod.”
Dane shakes his head with a laugh. “Why didn’t you just tell him that?”He nods toward Jake. “Then he wouldn’t have come to my door in a panic.”
Guilt churns in my belly. Knocks the air right out of my lungs.But as I’ve done more often than not in recent months, I deflect with anger. “Didn’t know I had a warden.”
Jake winces,and Dane sighs. “You don’t, Cara. Just people who are concerned.”
More guilt for my harsh words and poor attitude weighs down on me. “Right,” I nod, swallowing another pushback.
I start to leave, unable to stand under Jake’s intense gaze any longer.
“Where are you going now?” Dane asks suspiciously.
“Um – I – I have an appointment with my therapist soon,” I tell them.
Jake grips me by the wrist when I move past him. “Stop running from me,” he whispers.
“Sorry, I can’t be late. I’ve already missed a couple of appointments,” I tell them.
“What do you mean you’ve missed acoupleof appointments?” Maddox demands, his playful demeanor from earlier replaced by the voice he uses when he’s in boss mode.I’ve always meant to ask him where that voice came from.
“We had an agreement, Cara,” Dane adds just as sternly.
“Which is why I need to go.” I smile, refusing to meet Jake’s eyes.
He lets me go with a sigh. I seem to make him do that a lot.
