What kind of a fucking compliment is that?
I didn’t think she’d meant it with judgment. But now seemed as good a time as any to push back a little on her attitude.
“What’s your deal?” I said, finally looking at Elizabeth with a look I could only describe as both pained and disgusted.
She reeled back, swallowing and bowing her head.
“I mean, why are you so damn uptight? Why are you so afraid of us?”
She bit her lip and looked me in the eyes. She was nowhere near crying, but I could see pain in those eyes.Pain like how your family and the Rogers make you feel.
“I mean, just, fucking humor me, would you? I’m not trying to scare you off.”
“I know,” Elizabeth said, two words I didn’t believe at all. “I know. It’s just…”
Now it was her turn to gaze out toward the sea of stars. Behind us, I could hear Garrett yelling, “Show ‘em, girl!” followed by an uproar of men cheering. I supposed from a recruiting standpoint, the party was going swimmingly. I honestly could not have cared less.
“I guess you could say I’m a bit of a wimp,” she said.
She looked at me. I had no reaction. I was genuinely curious to hear what a girl I had long resented as having a stick up her ass too far would say.
“I’ve been sheltered my whole life, both Tara and I. Private school, Ivy League college, cushy job waiting for me when I get back, free rent when I stay. And because I didn’t know anything else, I was fine with it. I liked it. I still do! But then Tara pushed me out of it by…well, by dating you.”
I chuckled. The great corrupter, Steele Harrison.Except Tara wasn’t like you. Tara wanted to break free. You, Elizabeth…I’m not sure about. Not yet, at least.
“Sorry, sorry, I don’t think you want to hear about Tara.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “It happened, and it’s over with.”
Elizabeth grimaced but said nothing more.
“And so I’m just not used to this world, but being out here with you makes me realize that you aren’t just a bunch of bros who drink shitty beer and chase women. You seem like good guys. I may not understand you, but still.”
“Hah,” I scoffed. “We’re not good guys. We’re just guys who try not to fuck up the world any more than it already is.”
Elizabeth bit her lip, looked toward me, and then looked back.
“You said something the first day you were providing security for us. Something like ‘that’s not the thing to feel sorry about.’ What were you referring to?”
Fuck that. Not getting into this.
Then when, Steele? When will you ever fucking face what happened that day? When will you ever come to the grips with the fact that they’re gone?
“You don’t want to know.”
Elizabeth bit her lip. She said nothing. She didn’t need to—I was already feeling the urge to speak up.
Fucking hell. Who better to tell it to than my sister’s ex whom I would never do anything with? Tara sure had never asked more than once.
“OK, fine, when I was ten, I lost—”
And then sirens and blue lights interrupted me.
