“I could take you home,” I quickly offered, then instantly regretted how eager I sounded.
“Fuck no,” a deep voice called behind me.
Zoey’s eyes flicked up,and her eyes lit with a combination of swoon and fury. I had no doubt who stood behind me. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Jax,” she snapped.
“You came with us. You’ll leave with us.” I turned around to see the local football hero standing with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at the girl sitting across from me. He looked down at me with a hard scowl on his face. I smirked while casually scratching my nose with my middle finger. His scowl morphed into anger, and it was obvious he was ready to start swinging.
“What’s going on?” Zane strolled up, looking like that cat that swallowed the canary with a blond firmly attached to him.
“Tell her she can’t leave with this tool,” Jax gestured to us.
“Zane isn’t the boss of me any more than you are,” Zoey stood to her full five-footglory with hands on her hips. “If I want to go home, then I will go home. If he’s nice enough to take me, I see nothing wrong with that. It’s a whole hell of a lot better than standing around here by myself while you two ditch me.”
Jax flinched, knowing he couldn’t argue with what she said. She didn’t give him a choice either. She walked over to me, grabbed my hand, and began pulling me behind her. “Thank you for your offer. I would be glad if you could take me home,” she told me but kept her eyes firmly on Jax.
I shrugged with a bigger grin, loving that the guy was so pissed. “Sure thing, darlin’.”
Jax started after us, but Zane stopped him. “Let her go, man.”
I heard them argue as we left. I had this strange satisfaction that his night was ruined. The way I saw it, he deserved it if he couldn’t pull his head out of his ass for the girl he clearly wanted.
The drive back was quiet. She sang along to the radio, horribly out of tune I might add, and stared out the window. I knew she didn’t like leaving like that, but who was I to argue.
I pulled into her driveway shortly after three in the morning. “Thanks for bringing me home.”
“Anytime.” I meant it. “You’re not going to get in trouble for coming in so late?”
“I was supposed to stay there, remember? They’ll be thrilled I came home.”
We sat there for a few seconds staring at each other until I finally cleared my throat. “You better get inside before they think I’m trespassing or something,” I nodded toward the house.
She surprised me when she leaned across the console and kissed me. Once my brain caught up with the rest of me, I kissedher back in earnest, relishing the tiny moan that came from her mouth. But when she began to climb over the console, somehow,I found the restraint to stop her. “Don’t think that’s such a great idea, beautiful.” The look of rejection on her face made me panic. I didn’t want her to think I didn’t want her because I did, but I also knew she was reacting to how Jax had made her feel. I gripped her chin to make sure she heard what I said next. “You’re not that kind of girl, Zoey. It’s late,and you’re pissed, even if you’re keeping a smile on your face to hide it. But I’d like to get to know you better. Can I call you?”
She bit her lip shyly with a nod. I pulled out my phone so she could put her number in, then call herself. “Thank you,” she told me as she stood outside the door of my truck.
“For what?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.
“For not taking advantage.”
I laughed. How could I not? Because under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t be leaving here with a hard dick. “I’ll call you, Zoey. Okay?”
She nodded, and I watched as she walked to her front door, then inside. I left there excited to get to know the girl that helped my day feel a little less shitty all those years ago. The girl who didn’t want me to be alone.
Never the right one
Seven weeks ago
I tell her everything. Including when Zoey walked in on me doing a line in my bedroom and Ryder coming out in a towel. That was fun to explain since she knew about the other side of Ryder’s and my relationship, but nothing was going on there.
I tell her about Zoey wanting to try the drugs with me. How I was a fucking idiot and let her. I even told her about the few times she asked for Ryder andmetogether. That was probably the biggest mistake and the beginning of the end.
“You know you didn’t force her to do any of that, right?” Quinn asks as she strokes a finger over my abs.
“I know that here,” I tap the side of my head. Because that’s what it always boiled down to. The logical and the emotional. “But here,” I slap a hand over my heart, “I know if she’d never met me, the shit she’s been through wouldn’t have happened.”
“How did it end? You said she almost died.”
“That night was a fucking disaster,” I groan.
