It feels like it’s been years since I’ve seen her. It hasn’t even been a full two weeks.
“Hey.” She gives me a soft smile, and my knees almost buckle at the sound of her voice. She’s the best drug I’ve ever tasted. The best high I’ve ever reached.
“Ready?” I ask, unable to get out a full sentence.
“Yeah.” She steps forward, and I match it, taking one back to allow her space. She turns and locks her front door. The simple movement has the smell of her vanilla shampoo filling my nose.
I have to close my eyes and think of anything but her to not get hard.
After walking her over to my passenger side, I open the door for her, and she slides inside.
I go to the driver’s side and remind myself this is like that motorcycle I crashed. When I go down, it’s going to fucking hurt like hell and leave scars as reminders, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
APRIL
He’s acting different, and I hate it. I wish we could go back to that first day when I didn’t know who he was, and he didn’t care who I was. This is why I don’t date, why I don’t allow anyone to help me or get too close.
My mother always told me—you will get your heart broken, baby. It is inevitable. Part of life. It’s how you handle it that either makes you a woman or a child. I didn’t want to be the bigger person. I didn’t want to put myself out there again to him. But he did something that no one has ever done before—he listened to me. And it felt good. So here we are.
I stare out the passenger side window, avoiding eye contact with him. It hurts. There’s so much that I want to say but can’t get the words out. Emilee hung the picture I drew in the shop, and I found myself just staring at it. Wondering if I were that April, would I be stronger? Would he love me covered in ink like him? He’d see me differently.
“I have to run by my house,” he says, and I jump in surprise.
“Oh, okay.”
“I need to grab something.”
I nod, stealing a glance at him as he drives. His left hand grips the steering wheel of his Zenvo STI, a car that starts at a little over one million. I couldn’t help but Google it after I first saw it—I had never even heard of a Zenvo before. Now, sitting in the black leather seat with gold stitching, I notice how every detail of the interior screams Kingdom. I’m sure he had it custom-made just for him to match his world.
His right hand rests casually on the shifter, his fingers drumming lightly. He’s dressing in a white long-sleeve shirt, ripped jeans, and black Chuck Taylor high tops. At first glance, he looks relaxed, but I see the tic in his freshly shaven jaw. And his slicked-back hair only emphasizes the focus on his face. His tight shoulders and the lack of his carefree laughter further prove my suspicion.
I hate that he’s hurting. And I hate that I care.
My brain is stuck on wondering when he last got high. Or whether he’s been with Lucy since I walked away from him. Of course he has. What man would pass on a sure thing?
I turn my gaze back out the window and let out a long breath.This was a mistake.Because it’s going to hurt worse when the night ends and I have to walk away from him all over again.
We pull throughthe gate at the Kings’ compound. It’s black iron with a goldKin the middle of it. The place is just as extravagant as their hotel and casino. Four enormous houses sit in a cul-de-sac-like layout. But they’re not close enough that you could throw a rock at each one. A huge clubhouse sits in the center with a state-of-the-art outside kitchen, bar, fireplace with outdoor furniture, and a hot tub. I have a feeling that no one ever uses it.
Grave pulls into his driveway and parks in front of his four-car garage. Lifting his right hand, he presses the button and opens up one of the garage doors.
“I’ll only be a minute.” He doesn’t wait for a response and exits the car.
I lean my head against the headrest and close my eyes. They sting. “Don’t do it,” I whisper, trying to keep the tears from falling. My lids flutter open and I let out a small scream of frustration. This is crazy. I should just get out of this car and start walking back home.
I glance over at Titan and Emilee’s house and see lights on through their floor-to-ceiling windows. Maybe he’ll take me home. He’s done it before.
Grave’s phone vibrates in the cup holder. My eyes drop to look down at it.
It vibrates again.
Giving a quick look at the house, I see he’s still inside. I pick it up and go to open the screen, but it’s locked.
I know the code.I’ve seen him open it a hundred times whenever he gets a text.
It vibrates in my hand again, and I punch in the four-digit code. The screen pops up. His background picture is of his Challenger on the tarmac at the Airport.
I click on the text message icon.
