“Fuck!” he growled loudly. He grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet, pushing me to the side and onto my bed.
I stared at him in stunned silence as he started tugging his jeans up. When he lifted his shirt, my eyes caught the small pin prick in his smooth stomach. Slider was sexy, but he didn’t have the rippling abs like some of the other men. He was just toned. The mark stood out against his pale skin.
“Slider,” I started cautiously. “What’s that?” I pointed to his stomach, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. We both stilled, neither one of us willing to make a movement and scare the other. My eyes met his and for a second, I saw sadness. He hadn’t wanted me to see it. I bet he didn’t want anyone to see it. It was a secret that he’d been hiding.
“It’s nothing,” he snapped, roughly tugging the bottom of his shirt down and adjusting his cut over it.
“Slider…”
“Leave it alone, Hadley.” His voice was sharp and harsh, a tone that just minutes ago I would have told you could have never come from his mouth.
Slider was always the joker. He laughed, he made others laugh, and in uncomfortable situations his sarcasm and quick wit were what pulled people through.
“Slider—”
“I said leave it alone!” he yelled, breathing heavily, his chest heaving.
My body tensed, and my arms automatically went around myself, shielding my half naked body from him.
The deep glare in his eyes softened slightly, and his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry.” He turned sharply and headed for the door.
Just as he reached for the handle I called out to him, “I’m here, if you need to talk.” I tried to reassure him, but my voice was shaky and not confident. My nerves were shattered. I hadn’t expected this reaction from him. It hurt me to see him so angry and frustrated.
He paused like he was acknowledging my offer but was soon gone. My bedroom door closing softly behind him.
I took a deep breath and climbed off the bed, gathering my strewn clothes from the floor and pulling them back on my body. I could still see it in my head. His smooth untainted skin and that bright red pin hole in the side. I wondered for a second if I should go after him, force him to talk to me and give him the opportunity to explain. But I knew pushing him too far would only force him to cave in on himself.
He needed to come to me.
It needed to be on his terms and when he was comfortable, not when he was feeling embarrassed or ashamed.
I sighed deeply and sat down at the edge of my bed. I never thought that coming here would mean getting so invested in these people’s lives. A couple of measly weeks and I was already feeling like things were falling into place.
At first, this was about being protected—being protected while getting my rocks off. It was a win-win. But what it was becoming was so much more.
They said Club Girl Rule Number Two was—You must love the club.
The possibility of that idea two weeks ago seemed far-fetched. All these people here had been a part of this club for a lot longer than I had. I guessed it would come eventually, but I had no idea how long I was going to be here, and I never expected my need to care for these people would hit me so hard and so fast.
And now here I was. Needing to watch over and protect—Macy, the other night when I’d found her in the hall, my heart reaching out for Chelsea today as I’d watched Sugar walk away from her, and now this. The pain I felt knowing that Slider was struggling through something so significant, so life altering and just wanting to hold his hand and care for him.
He’d walked out of here probably thinking I was none the wiser.
But I knew exactly what I’d seen, and I knew exactly what kind of trouble he had going on.
I’d seen it before.
And it made my heart ache.
For him, and for all these people who considered him a brother.
Because once they found out, everyone was going to hurt.