I’m not sure he’s really asking me that question, since it doesn’t make any sense. My head’s telling me to leave it, but I can’t help myself. “Have you been there before?”
He shrugs like it’s unimportant. “Nah.”
That’s it, and I don’t know why something’s gnawing at me. Why would he lie about it? It’s only a diner.
This is a tough neighborhood, but we still get plenty of sideway glances. Guess they’re not used to seeing a Bastard swaggering along the sidewalk. I used to love how safe he made me feel when we were together, how no one would ever cross him because of how badass he was—and because of his connections.
I guess I still feel safe when we’re together. But strangers don’t know anything. Ty wears the colors, but at his core, he’s nothing like the stereotype.
Stop right there.He’s a brother, and the club will always have his loyalty.
It doesn’t take long to reach the diner, and I toss him a grin at the pained expression on his face as he peers through the window. “You might want to reel in the testosterone before we go inside.”
“In your dreams,” he growls. “The things I do for you.”
“It was your idea to go out, remember? I had bread and cheese back at the apartment.”
He shoots me a look of mock disgust. “You coming or not?” He pushes open the door, and it seems every head in the place swivels to stare before hastily pretending to ignore us. For the first time, I have second thoughts about my suggestion. A diner catering to families with small kids is probably not the right place to take Ty.
Too late now. He saunters toward a table at the far end, which means I have to suffer surreptitious glances all the way across the room until we sit and are less conspicuous. I let out a relieved breath and pick up the menu.
He leans across the table and uses one finger to lower the menu. “See?” There’s an irresistible smile on his face. “I can behave when I need to.”
“I know that.” My back is to the room, but I can feel the hostility aimed our way. Truth is, I can’t blame them for thinking Ty’s bad news, but it’s still irritating me far more than it should. “I didn’t realize this place was so family oriented. It was half empty when I came in here before.”
His gaze shifts to look over my shoulder, and he gives one of his sexy half smiles. Who the hell is he looking at? Before I can stop myself, I glance over my shoulder and see a young waitress making her way toward us, an answering smile on her face.
So much for Ty never having been here before. I squash the flare of hurt that’s attempting to take over my chest and fix a bland smile on my own face. It doesn’t matter that he lied to me.
Yes, it fucking does.
“Hey, Amelia,” he says, like he’s greeting his younger sister, Savannah.
“Wow.” Amelia folds her arms and looks as though she’s trying not to laugh. She has such pretty hair, a kind of coppery gold, and freckles spill across her nose and cheeks. It doesn’t take much imagination to guess she’s one of Ty’s recent conquests, and I try not to care, the way I tried not to care when I was a teen and girls threw themselves at him.They’re nothing to me, he’d laugh, pulling me close, and I believed him. Isowanted to believe him. But a tiny part of me couldn’t accept I was ever enough for him.
“Never thought I’d seeyouin here,” Amelia continues. “Is the world ending?”
I blink, secretly staggered by the way she’s talking to him. It’s like they’re good friends…but unless he’s drastically changed, Ty doesn’t dofriendshipwith girls. Especially not with girls as pretty as Amelia.
And he reallyhasn’tbeen in here before? The tightness in my chest eases.
“Might be.” Ty answers Amelia and throws me a glance I can’t quite figure out. “Hey, babe. You remember Zach’s kid brother, Gage?”
Of all the things I thought he might’ve said to me, this definitely wasn’t it. For a second I just stare at him, bemused.
“Gage?” Ty and Zach were best buddies. We’d sometimes hang out at Zach’s, and his brother was often around. “Uh, sure.”
“Amelia’s his old lady.”
Whoa. It’s crazy, but in my head Gage is still a cocky fifteen-year-old boy. It’s hard to imagine he’s grown up enough to have an old lady. I smile at Amelia, not sure what I’m expected to say. It’s not like I even know her.
“That’s great. Congratulations. To Gage, too.”
She gives a funny little smile as though she’s embarrassed. “Thanks. So, um, you know Gage, huh?”
Before I can figure out how much to tell her without it sounding like a Norse saga, Ty takes my hand, and that renders me speechless, anyway. “This is Jas. We go way back.”
Amelia looks at our joined hands as though she’s never seen anything like it in her life. Then she gives us both a bright, over-the-top smile, and it’s like I can see the cogs in her brain working overtime.Must call Gage.
