“I don’t believe you.”
“Well, you’re gonna—”
Stevie’s cell phone rang, cutting him off. She picked the phone up from the cup holder and glanced at the screen.
“It’s Reilly,” she said, confused as to why Stone’s sister would be calling her.
“Answer it.”
“I don’t want to,” she said petulantly.
“Answer. It. Stevie.”
“Don’t have to be rude,” she grumbled as she hit the talk button and put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, Stevie. It’s Reilly.”
“Uh… hi?”
Reilly chuckled. “I know it’s weird that I’m callin’, but I wanted to give you a heads up that Stone’s crazy ex-employer … her name’s Leah. She’s stone-cold nuts, Stevie. I think she believes the shit she says. Anyway, she’s at his place, and she’s tryin’ to convince him to come back. He’s not,” she added quickly. “But I don’t know if she’s listenin’ to him. She seems like the type to keep pushin’.”
“What am I … uh … supposed to do about it?”
Another soft laugh. “For starters, you could go over there and kick her ass.”
“I don’t have a say in who Stone spends his time with.”
This time, Reilly’s laugh sounded bitter, and her voice softened. “You might not think so, Stevie, but my brother’s worth fightin’ for. I know he hurt you once, but he’s not the same guy anymore. I’ve never…”
“Never what?” Stevie prompted, needing Reilly to finish that sentence.
“I’ve never seen Stone so happy. Y’all might not want to admit it, but I’m not an idiot. I know the three of you have somethin’ goin’ on. So, if you care about him at all, you and Nico should swing by and save him from her. I don’t think she’s gonna give up. Just beware. I think she’s the Hulk in disguise.”
“What does that even…” The call ended. “…mean?”
“What did she want?” Nico asked when Stevie set the phone down.
Staring out the window into the night, she gave him a quick rundown of the conversation—at least the parts she understood.
“And then she said somethin’ about her bein’ the Hulk in disguise?”
Stevie tried to make sense of that as Nico drove faster. She tried to make sense of it all. Melanie showing up totalkto Nico. Stone’s ex-employerslashgirlfriend, or whatever she was, coming back. Was the universe out to get her, or what? All on the same day?
It did make her feel better that Reilly had called. It restored some semblance of hope that her world wasn’t crashing down around her again.
As easy as it would be to get angry and sulk for the next fifteen years while Stone ran off to do whatever the hell he wanted to do, Stevie knew confronting him was the only real option. And if Reilly was right, Stevie had a few things to say to the crazy bitch who thought she could prance in and take what didn’t belong to her.
Speaking of crazy bitches… “What did Melanie say after I left?”
Nico cleared his throat. He did that when he was uncomfortable talking about something.
“I told her I was in love with two people, and I was gonna fight to make it work.”
Her heart flipped over to reveal its soft underside.
“It’s true, Stevie.” He reached for her hand, linking their fingers. “I’ll fight for what’s mine.”
She turned her attention out the window again. Maybe that was what she needed to do, too. Fight for what was hers.
