“But to kill the guy over it?” Rob asks. “That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think? The guy didn’t even sleep with his wife. Talk is cheap.”
“I disagree,” I murmur. “Words are just as important as actions. I try to always say what I mean to try to avoid there being any ambiguity. I’ve seen too many friends back in high school screw up relationships all because they wouldn’t talk to the guy and be honest about their feelings.”
“To be fair, most high school relationships are doomed to fail,” he points out.
“Not all of them,” I counter. “My best friend Erika? She found love, and there’s no way she’s letting those guys go.”
His eyebrows lift, and I know it’s because I said, “guys,” and not, “guy.”
“But that’s beside the point. You see, things got really messy for a while for the Thunder Crows. Erika? Her father used to be the leader of the Thunder Crows, but he snapped and killed his wife. Erika saw and took off for California. Long story short, her father brought some of the Thunder Crows with him to go to war with another motorcycle club turned mafia out there.”
"And your father took over what was the rest of the club here in Texas."
“You got it. Mr. Slade, Erika’s father, is dust now.”
“Jesus.” He lets out a low whistle.
“Erika was strong, stronger than I am. She tried to help bring down her father. She went to war against him, but that’s not me. I don’t want to get involved, so I shipped my mom off, and she’s dating a guy now and seems very happy.”
“Seems?”
I press my lips together. “Seems,” I confirm quietly. “I don’t know for sure. I want to believe it, but she’s in a super vulnerable place right now. I don’t want anyone to take advantage of her, and I don’t want her to move too quickly…” I lick my lips and glance away. “Like her daughter did.”
Rob eyes me but says nothing. I’m not sure what I wanted him to say, but silence is kinda crappy.
“Have you guys all… talked?” I ask, wincing.
“Katie, we aren’t exclusive.”
“I know, but…”
“You’re allowed to be with whoever you want.”
“I know, but…”
“Do you want to be exclusive?” he asks.
“Do you?”
“I asked you first.” He tilts his head, appraising me.
I briefly close my eyes before opening them. “I think… I think it might be best if things remain how they are for right now at least.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
He snorts. “For what? As if you don’t know that I have a million things to apologize for, and I don’t expect that to change your answer. I’ve been around you and the other guys, and I know they make you happy. Maybe happier than I do. But… the way I was at the diner… honestly, that’s unforgivable. How can you even look at me?”
“I won’t lie. It hurt. It really did, but it probably would’ve hurt a lot more if my father hadn’t shown up in the Uber car that was supposed to bring me back to campus.”
“He showed up at the diner,” he says flatly.
“Yep.”
“In the Uber car you hired?”
“Yep.”