Rob’s entire face was bloodied, but he still managed to throw a hook straight into my eye socket when I wasn’t expecting it. I tripped a few steps, Wyatt’s arms catching me before I bounced back and went for Robert’s full destruction.
Tim and Kyle pulled Robert away, breaking us up.
“Holy shit, Cruz. What the fuck?!” Wyatt boomed, pushing me violently toward the door, his expression roaring, his lips still glittering with a stranger’s watermelon lip gloss.
Rob, Kyle, and Tim stayed behind. We spilled out to the humid summer night, and I blew out air, my body buzzing with violence.
“He’s a son of a—gun.”
“He was one of your best friends.” Wyatt pointed at the door to the club.
The two bouncers outside looked at us like we were guests on Jerry Springer—when the baby daddy who impregnated five women in a span of three days just walked in to hear his paternity results.
“What’s happening to you, brother? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you got cozy with the other Turner girl. I didn’t say shit because I figured you’d drop her after the cruise, but Jesus Christ, this is getting to be too much.”
“Too much what?” I challenged him, arching a brow.
“Too much trouble for someone like her.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “You’re marrying her sister.”
“Her sister’s different. Trinity’s harmless. A church mouse.”
“Well, Tennessee is all venom and honey. Dangerous but irresistible. She’s better than Trinity. Better than all of them.”
“In the sack, maybe. But—”
I grabbed the hem of his shirt, no longer giving any damn about my precious reputation.
I pressed my nose against his. “Don’t. This is the last time you talk about her like that, got it? Next time, your face will be the shape of my fist.”
“Wow. Okay.” He pushed me away, taking a few steps back. He turned around and kicked a trash can, pouring its contents onto the sidewalk. “Goddammit!”
He paced back and forth.
Robert, Kyle, and Tim trickled out of the club, sweaty and disoriented.
Rob looked at me with murder in his eyes, pointing a finger to my face. “I’m not getting into a car with this psycho.”
“Better get a head start if you want to make it home by morning. West’s that direction, in case your drunk ass needs a map.” I spun the keys on my index finger, starting toward Wyatt’s car.
They all trailed behind me, Robert included. Wyatt was the first to catch my step.
“Is it serious?” he asked.
I knew exactly what he meant.
I weighed the pros of telling him the truth. There was no way at least some of this evening wasn’t going to make its way to Mrs. Underwood, who’d make sure to tell everyone else in Fairhope.
No point in pretending otherwise.
“Yeah.”
“Does Mom know?”
“No.”
“Are you going to tell her?”