“Hey,” I answer her, watching through narrowed eyes as she fidgets on the spot.
“You two know each other?” Dean asks, and when I turn to face him, he has a smirk on his face, one I want to wipe off with my fist. Fucker.
I nod slowly, my gaze tracking Lily’s tongue as she swipes it over her lip. Fuck, what is wrong with me? I can’t be watching her like—
“Been in a fight, huh?” Dean comments and I stand straighter. Her eyes widen, her hand swiping up and covering her lip. “You in high school?” Dean continues, and when she nods, he laughs. “It’s rough being in school with all the cliques. Although I…”
I block him out, stepping closer to her, my nostrils flaring as my breaths become faster, my mind running away with what could have happened.
I may not know Lily well, but I know she’s not the kind of girl to get into fights. So something either happened, or it was her—
“Yeah.” She laughs, moving her hand away, her eyes sparking with something I see right through. “Never piss off a cheerleader.”
I step closer, now only two steps away from her as I whisper, “You’re lying.”
Her head whips my way, her face falling for a millisecond; I would have missed it had I not been watching so closely.
“I erm… I better head to school.”
She steps back, her head bowing as she looks down at her feet. I don’t know what the fuck comes over me, but I reach out, grabbing her arm and causing her to gasp.
I let go like she burned me. “Fuck.” Scrubbing my hand through my hair, I pull at it. “Sorry, angel.”
“It’s…” She takes another step back, her gaze moving back to the road. “It’s okay… I gotta… go.”
I nod, not knowing what to say or what to do. I’m not this person. I’m the kind of man who takes control of a situation. My instincts drive my decisions, and they’ve always kept me alive, kept me and my family safe. But right now, I have no idea what I’m meant to do. Should I tell her I know what’s happening, even though she hasn’t said a word
to anyone? Or should I let her walk away and forget about her?
She’s not my problem; she’s not my—who the fuck am I kidding? Ever since I saw her standing in the doorway of the church, I’ve felt… protective of her.
Fuck!
I watch her walk away, rushing down the sidewalk, but even when she’s out of sight, I still don’t move. There’s something about her, some part of her that’s calling to me in a way nothing else ever has. Fuck me; I sound like a goddamn Hallmark card.
“Shit, is Luke almighty crushing on a teenager?”
My pulse skyrockets, my body being overtaken by some other force as I spin around and grab Dean, pushing him against the back of my SUV.
“I’m only gonna say this once, so you listen fuckin’ carefully.” I give him another push, lifting his feet slightly off the ground. “You stay out of my fuckin’ business. Got it?” I wait a beat, but when he doesn’t say anything, his eyes wide and his face turning red, I shake him.
“I got it,” he squeals out, much like a five-year-old boy who’s just had his favorite toy taken from him.
“Good.” I give him one last shake before letting go, not looking back at him as I stomp around the SUV and pull the door open.
I can’t stop that little voice in the back of my mind telling me he’s right though.
What the fuck am I doing?
LUKE
“Anything?” Ty asks from the head of the table once we’ve walked inside the warehouse.
I pull my chair out and sit down. “Not yet. I’ll head back there after seeing Mom later.”
Ty nods, his chocolate-brown eyes watching me. I know he can see the dark circles under my eyes and the way my shoulders are drawn up.
“You should take the night off,” he says, but I’m already shaking my head.