“I wasn’t drinking!” he roared.
“Will, cool it,” I said quietly, but he was pissed off and completely ignoring me.
“I know.” The cop took a deep breath and his smile wavered. “Driving a vehicle unlicensed is a crime, even if you have the motorcycle insured. I can’t let you drive it home.” Johnny Law Jr. gave me a begging look, obviously hoping I could make Will see reason.
“Let me take it.” I gestured at the Harley on the tow truck, but the cop was already shaking his head.
“If you’d been here earlier, maybe, but it’s already up there.” He nodded at the truck. “The city has to pay for it now, either way, so it has to go that way.”
My eyes rolled even though I tried to talk them out of it, since this guy was being halfway okay, and I didn’t want that to switch gears on us.
Will didn’t have the same issue and tried to take off after the tow truck driver as the poor schmuck, who was only doing his job, got into the truck. I physically grabbed Will’s shoulders and planted my feet, and he still pushed me with a startling ease. Thank fuck, the tow truck pulled off into traffic or Will might’ve tried to beat the driver to death to get his bike back.
“You have to stop,” I snapped. Fear slithered through me and infuriated me when I glanced at the cop. “I’ll give him a ride,” I said.
The cop sent me a sad smile and came over with a ticket in his hand, which Will glared at, so I was forced to take it. We werequiet until the cruiser pulled off, heading in the same direction as the tow truck.
“Why did you let them do that?” Will roared and pushed me. I pinwheeled my arms and swore because I almost fell into traffic.
“The fuck? Why the fuck didn’t you wait for me? I told you to stop driving without a license. King told you. We’ve all fucking told you!” It felt good to shout. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it was a bad idea, but I couldn’t rein it in.
“What am I? A little boy who has to listen?” he snarled.
I slapped the ticket in his hand.
He turned and tossed it on the ground, stomping on it.
“Great. Fucking great.” I shook my head. “That’s bullshit, and you know it! I wouldn’t be pissed if I didn’t know for a fucking fact that you are capable of making smarter choices, if you just use your fucking head.”
He stepped on the ticket for good measure, and I wasn’t doing it. I wasn’t going to snag it off the ground and figure this the fuck out for him. Not now.
“Kiss my ass!” he shouted.
The gooey sweet feelings I’d been having all morning kicked in, and I groaned. “I would absolutely love to be kissing your ass instead of screaming at each other.” I tried smiling at him, but I was still too enraged.
Instead of calming down the way I’d thought he would, he turned and began to stomp off alongside the road.
“What are you doing?” I asked, rushing to his side. A truck whizzed past and knocked my hat off my head, and I barely caught it. As I slapped it back in place, he glared at me.
“The clubhouse.”
My heart twisted. He’d been in the garage at our house. I’d thought we were done with this for good and he was home. Hurtand anger knotted and caught fire in my chest until I felt like I was able to spew acid.
“You know what?” I stopped and grabbed his shoulder, but he shook me off and kept walking. “I fucking love you, dickhead. But you can figure this mess out yourself. Everyone told you, you did what you wanted. Fine. Now you fix it!”
He whirled on me, eyes wild. “I didn’t ask you to do anything.” His neck veins stood out with the force of his shout.
Closing my eyes, I almost passed out at the anger that dazzled through me. Gray spots danced in my vision for a few seconds when I opened my eyes. I got into his face, and he bared his teeth.
“Go finish your fucking paintings if you can. You don’t have to hide in the fucking clubhouse. I’ll stay at the shop.” I was shocked to realize I meant the words as I stormed off.
The patience I’d been wearing like armor for him had finally cracked. I could handle the scorn from my best friend; Icouldn’ttake it quite as easily from myboyfriend.
My heart fucking hurt.
11
ROOK
