“That’s not okay, Penny.”
My heart skips at the nickname, but I don’t allow myself to focus on that. “I’m not saying it’s okay, I’m saying I’m doing what I have to do to keep my job. I was about to get more forceful with him right before you decided to yank him off stage.”
“Were you?”
“Yes,” I say, and fully believe it. I’d do whatever I could to peacefully diffuse the situation, but the moment he tapped my ass I was done. I just wasn’t going to resort to violence as my first answer like my foster brother. Guess some things haven’t changed after all. “I can take care of myself, you know. What the hell are you even doing here anyway?”
He pauses ever so slightly, like he doesn’t even know the answer to that. There’s no way he’s been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about him the past week…is there? “I was in the neighborhood.”
I look pointedly at his black jeans and T-shirt. “You were down the street at the gym working out in that?”
His jaw clenches as he lets out a frustrated sigh. “You should be thanking me. Happy that I was there.”
“Thanking you?” I exclaim. “For almost starting a fight at my job?”
“For protecting you.”
“That’s rich.” I snort. “Well, protection duty over. I’m off the rest of the night. You’re free to go back to whatever the hell you were doing before.”
Sara and Marley are both on a shoot tonight, otherwise I’d call them to see if they wanted to pick me up and go grab dinner. I usually eat whatever leftovers Kevin has in the evenings, so I already know the fridge is empty at home.
“What are you going to do now?” Reid asks, checking the watch on his wrist. That’s likely worth more than a few months of my rent.
I shrug and glance up at the burning sun. “Head home. I didn’t exactly have plans since I was supposed to be working,” I say with a pointed look.
Reid is utterly unapologetic as he grabs his keys from his pocket. “I’ll give you a ride.”
“No,” I say immediately. “I’m good.” Even though I’m not and dreading the walk home. I didn’t bring sunscreen because it’s always dark on my walk. My poor, pale face.
He shakes his head. “It wasn’t a question.”
“And my answer wasn’t up for debate.” After he could’ve got me fired, he expects me to let him drive me home?
His head falls back, like he’s trying to gather whatever bit of patience he holds in that tall body of his, before he looks at me again. “Either you get in the car, or I’ll put you in there myself.”
7
Reid
Iwish I could’ve taken a photo of the enraged challenge in her pale-blue eyes when I threatened to put her in my car myself.
We both know I could’ve done it and was more than willing to if she continued this stubborn streak that I don’t remember from when we were kids. Granted, I have done a lot of work to block out as many memories as possible from before I moved to LA with the guys, but still. Seeing her again has reopened them, and I’ve been trying to sort through the least painful ones.
The area is busy as I drive toward Aspen’s apartment. People bustle around the sidewalks and cars jam the streets. It’s not the busiest part of the city, but it’s still rush hour.
Aspen hasn’t said a word to me since we got in the car and instead has been sitting as close as possible to the passenger door, angled away, arms crossed, and staring intently out the window. I think she made a comment underher breath about them being tinted when she first got in, but I didn’t fully catch it.
The radio is off, because if she’s not going to talk to me while I go out of my way to give her a ride home, then we can sit in silence. It doesn’t bother me.
As I pull up to yet another red light, I feel her turn to look at me. I glance to my right and realize that she’s checking out the car, not me. Her eyes roam over the custom black leather interior with navy-blue stitching so dark it’s almost unnoticeable unless you look closely. She looks to the empty backseat and then back up to the front.
My hands flex against the steering wheel as she looks at them, pausing for a moment longer than on anything else, before she looks back out the windshield.
“What?” I ask. “The car not up to your standards?”
She rolls her eyes.
“What is it?”
