“You almost took out a fucking car back there,” he says, his voice sliding over me like honey. It ended for good because he decided his life was on the other side of the law, and he lied to me while going to the police academy. To say I was pissed was an understatement.
I jerk my sunglasses off, leveling him with a glare. “Last time I checked, detectives don’t pull people over, so what the fuck do you want?”
“What’s wrong?” he asks harshly, and I’m confused for a second until I realize my sunglasses hide bloodshot, puffy eyes from crying.
“Nothing,” I reply, shoving them back on. “Are we done?”
“Who made you cry, Alessa?”
“Oh, we're on a first-name basis again? Good to know. Step away from the car,” I warn, stabbing the button and firing the car up. He just leans both arms on the window frame. “Don’t test me, Zane.”
He finally pushes up his mirrored sunglasses, revealing those strange eyes that burn you up with one look. “Tell me who the fuck made you cry, and I’ll move.”
“Why do you even care?” I ask, shoving the car into first gear and revving it in a warning. “Move.”
He gives me a long look. “I’ll see you around, Les,” he says before stepping back.
I take off like a shot with nowhere to go.
Chapter 17
Ryder
“Fuck!” I yell, slinging my phone onto the bed before roughly jamming both hands through my hair. I’ve called Les several times after she left, but it goes straight to voicemail, so she either blocked me or turned her phone off. Not that I fucking blame her; I’m an idiot.
My door opens, and Dad steps in. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he asks in that voice that still makes me want to shit myself.
“What do you mean?” I contain the wince. He hates when you answer a question with a question.
“Don’t play that shit, boy,” he barks. “Why did that girl just run out of here crying?”
I jerk my head up. “What?” I knew she was upset, but crying? Les?
“Are you trying to piss me off?”
“No,” I sigh. “I didn’t know.”
“That girl has been in your life since birth. What did you do?” He walks further into the room, pulling out the rolling computer chair before lowering himself into it.
I flop back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “I’m a fucking dumbass.”
“No shit,” he grumbles, and I raise my head a little to look at him. “Tell me what’s going on.”
How the hell do I explain to my dad that I want her, but she also wants four other guys? Yes, I’m included in that, but I can’t imagine watching another man touch the girl I’ve pined for ever since I can remember. It was never the right time to tell her. First, we were too young, then she got kidnapped and had to heal, then she wasn’t ready, then her dad died, then she met fucking Leo. The list goes on and on.
“I told her how I felt after shit went bad with Leo.” I stop and try to gather my thoughts.
“She didn’t return those feelings?” Dad asks softly. No matter how intimidating he is, he’s still the best father I’ve ever known. He and Alessa’s dad did whatever they could to give us a normal life.
I laugh humorlessly. “Oh, she does, but she also has the same feelings for four other guys.”
He doesn’t say anything for so long that I finally sit up on my elbows to look at him, and he’s staring off into space with a contemplative look. He turns his eyes back on me, eyes that match mine perfectly. “Let me get this right. You finally tell her what we’ve all seen for years and then fuck it up because you still haven’t learned how to share?”
My mouth pops open. “We aren’t talking about sharing a toy, Dad. This isAlessa.”
“I know who we are talking about.” He narrows his eyes in warning at my tone, then softens again. “Ryder, don’t let her get away from you because of jealousy.”
“That’s not the life I want with her,” I say miserably, sitting up on the side of the bed.
