“Do I like her?” he repeats, then laughs again. “Do I like her?”
“It’s just a question, man,” I say, ready to defend myself. I don’t want to fight him. He’s smaller than me, but he’s crazy. I put nothing past him.
He steps all the way to me, and I try like hell not to flinch. It’s not that I’m scared of him, but I don’t want to do anything tomake him think I want this. I don’t. I don’t want to fight with him. We are on the same side. We’re doing the same thing. We can work as a team. He saved her, and that’s huge, but maybe that’s the part he was supposed to play in this, and now he’s done.
“No, Grizz. I don’t fucking like her,” he says in a low voice. “Wanna know why?” he adds, which confuses the fuck out of me. Is there something wrong with her? “I like cock.”
I don’t mean to react the way I do, but damn… that’s not the bomb I was expecting to be dropped on me tonight.
Snapper… likes men?
I’m surprised, is all. Really surprised. It’s the last thing I ever expected him to say.
“Uh,” is what finally comes out of my mouth. When I realize how awkward that is, I try to cover it up with a cough and add, “That’s cool.”
He laughs again, shaking his head.
“Fuck you,” he mutters, giving me his back.
“Why do you have to be like that, Snapper?” I ask. “I didn’t even do anything. You’re fucking mean all the time and for no reason.”
“We’re all mean, Grizz. Quit being such a bitch,” he says over his shoulder.
“No, we’re all assholes, Snapper. You’re a fucking dick.” My anger is getting the best of me now. I’ve been nice this whole time. I’m trying to help and be a team player, and he just has to be so goddamn mean. “You’re mean for no reason. You treat everyone like shit, then get mad when we do it back.”
He stops on the bottom step and looks over at me.
I add, “Yeah, we can be mean to each other, but deep down, we all care about each other. We’re a family, man.”
“You got your period or something?” he spits out.
This wall he has up? Impenetrable.
I’ve never met anyone who can hurt you with their words the way Snapper can. He knows the exact tone to use to make you feel like shit, and the exact words to pair it with for maximum damage.
I ignore the way his comment hurts, remembering why I don’t let out the nice side in front of people. They always have something to say about it. Like because I’m some big scary dude in a motorcycle club, I can’t have feelings?
Anastacia doesn’t do that.
No the fuck she doesn’t. Which makes her even more perfect.
“Whatever. I was just trying to help.” I head toward the door but stop before I get too far and turn back to him. I expect him to be up the stairs already, so I’m a little surprised to find him there watching me. I’m glad he is though, because I want him to hear what I have to say. “I don’t care who you like, Snapper, but I do care about you. And maybe that’s stupid to say because I’m supposed to be this big tough motorcycle club guy who kills people or some shit, but it’s important to know people care about you.” Stereotypes are for the birds. I pause for just a moment, then add, “I’ll be by tomorrow to get Anastacia.”
I make sure the door is locked when I leave.
Chapter Ten
Anastacia
It seems all the houses in Pinehaven are huge with a similar farmhouse style. Grizz’s is no exception.
I step into a spacious foyer with a staircase to the left, a large archway against the wall in front of them that shows off kitchen appliances. Straight ahead is a hallway, and to the right is another archway that leads into a cozy living room.
“I asked Tommy and Kels to go out for a while, so you wouldn’t be overwhelmed,” Grizz says as he steps in behind me.
“You didn’t have to do that. This is your house. Their house, too.”
He puts my stuff down beside the stairs. A couple duffel bags, a backpack, some grocery bags, and even a trash bag. It’s the most stuff I’ve had in my entire life. I hadn’t realized how much I’d accumulated until I had to pack it all.
