I park down the block and leave the engine running. Shadows swallow the car where I sit, hands resting on the wheel. Every time someone passes on the sidewalk, my grip tightens without me telling it to.
I shouldn’t be here. I know that.
Still, I stay.
This place is familiar to her. Public. Controlled. If her father is letting her out at all, this is where she goes. It’s safer than most of the alternatives.
Or it should be.
I told her this morning we couldn’t keep doingwhatever this is, that it doesn’t lead anywhere. I meant it when I said walking away now is the smarter option for both of us.
That logic still holds. The only problem is my body hasn’t agreed to it yet.
I tell myself I’m here to make sure she’s fine. One look, proof she gets to her car without trouble. Then I leave. She never has to know I was here.
The door swings open. My chest tightens before my thoughts catch up that it’s her.
She steps into the night, her jacket pulled close, shoulders angled inward like she’s bracing against more than the cold. Her hair spills forward, catching the blue light. She’s distracted by something on her phone, not fully paying attention to where she’s walking.
She isn’t vulnerable, necessarily, but she’s exposed.
I lean forward, my pulse ticking up when I see a man with a hoodie pulled over his head walk up behind her. At first, I convince myself he’s just another guy leaving the bar.
But then I can see he is making a beeline for her. He’s moving faster, and she’s completely oblivious.
That’s enough.
I’m out of the car before I consciously decide to move, feet hitting the pavement hard as I close the distance.
“Hey,” I shout.
The man turns. He isn’t startled or defensive. Just surprised.
I register that too late.
My fist connects with his jaw before the thought finishes forming. The impact sends him down hard, his body hitting the pavement with a wet crack. He groans, hands flying to his face.
Coco spins toward me, eyes wide. “What the fuck, Ridge?”
Adrenaline burns through me, sharp and unforgiving. “No one puts a hand on you,” I say, voice low. “Not ever.”
“Jesus Iggyt, Ridge,” she says, eyes flashing. “Have you lost your mind? What did you think you were doing?”
“I thought you were in danger,” I say. I don’t soften it.
Her voice hardens. “The only danger in my life is you. Goddammit.”
The man groans again, pushing himself upright. Coco drops to her knees beside him, hands steady on his shoulders.
“Iggy, are you okay?” Her tone shifts instantly. She consoles the man on the ground, lifting his head onto her thighs as he holds his jaw.
Iggy.
Something cold drops through my stomach.
“You know him?” I ask.
“Yes, Ridge,” she snaps. “That’s Iggy, my friend. He was messing around trying to scare me, and you just laid him the fuck out.”
