I shoot him a hard stare, but the fucker just grins back at me, knowing all too well how to push my buttons.
Asshole.
Bri though, she doesn’t even crack a smile at his stupid joke. Instead, her gaze falls to the ground, almost as though she’s trying to fade away. Nobody even seems to notice, but I notice every fucking thing she does.
My brows furrow as I move across the grass and rest my hands on her shoulders, brushing my thumb across her soft skin. “Hey,” I murmur, her stare lifting to mine. “What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head, her hand coming to rest over mine on her shoulder, and honestly, I’m not entirely sure she’s aware she’s done it. “Nothing, I just … all this talk about my mom and Addison—”
“It’s heavy,” I finish for her.
Bri nods and I pull her into my chest, wrapping her in my arms and hoping I can somehow ease her pain. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all week,” she murmurs into my chest, her words muffled by my shirt, keeping our conversation private. “Every day it’s just … always on my mind, and I can’t seem to shake it. It’s turning me into a moody bitch. This isn’t who I am, Tanner. Pushing Jules like that, that’s not me. Not to mention, I’ve been snappy with everyone, especially you.”
“To be fair, I kinda deserve it,” I tell her. “Though, just for the record, watching you get all worked up is hot as fuck.”
I can almost feel the way she rolls her eyes. “You’re not supposed to be getting off on my pain,” she mutters, her tone filled with irritation, but the grin stretching across her face tells a different story.
“You wanna get out of here?” I ask, my hand moving over her back. “You can crash at my place if you don’t want to go home. Or I can stay with you at yours.”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. It’s your big night. You just won your game and kicked Logan’s ass on the track. I don’t want you cutting your night short for me. You should stay and enjoy yourself.”
“No amount of wins can make me enjoy my night while you’re over there in your own personal hell,” I tell her. “Besides, I’d prefer to take you back to my place, and if you’re lucky, I might even show you a few tricks I’ve learned to help get your mind off things.”
Her brow arches and she glances up at me. “Oh, yeah?” she questions. “What kind of tricks could the famous Tanner Morgan possibly know that he hasn’t already shown me?”
“Don’t you worry your gorgeous little head about that,” I say, a grin pulling at my lips. “I’ve got all sorts of tricks hidden up my sleeve, tricks that will blow your mind.”
“And here I was thinking you were nothing but muscles and a pretty face,” she says, stretching up onto her tippy toes, her eyes locked on mine, hooded and full of desire. “But for the record, it’s not my mind that needs to be blown.”
Well fuck.
Her wish is my command.
Chapter 8
BRIELLE
The Mustang idles in Tanner’s driveway, and I go to reach for the door when his fingers gently curl around my elbow. “Hold up a second,” Tanner murmurs, his tone stopping me faster than his hold ever could.
I pause and let my hand fall from the door. We’re cloaked in darkness from the starless sky, and the subtle lines on his face are impossible to read, even in the close confines of the Mustang.
It’s well after one in the morning, and it’s been one hell of a long night. While our friends are still out, determined to party into the early hours of Saturday morning, I couldn’t be happier to be home … at least, home with Tanner. The last thing I want is to walk back into Channing’s mansion and have to pretend it feels like home to me. Pretend the stranger wearing my mother’s face isn’t one of the people helping to burn my world to ashes. Pretend as though every time I step through that door a little piece of my heart doesn’t die.
The ride home was silent, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Tanner was purposely taking his time. The further we drove, the more he seemed to sink inside his own head, hostage to his thoughts, and it killed me wanting to know what was going on. I suppose I won’t have to wait long to find out.
I twist in my seat, getting comfortable as his hand falls from my elbow and drops to my thigh.
“What’s up?” I ask, my eyes locked on his through the darkness.
Tanner shakes his head and reaches for me with both hands, gripping my waist and hauling me over the center console until I’m perfectly straddled over his lap, being careful not to jostle me in any way that’s going to send a wave of pain shooting through my healing ribs. Both his hands rest at my waist, his thumbs slowly brushing over my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps. “I hate that we’re not together,” he tells me, his voice thick with regret as those dark eyes pierce right through to my soul, holding me captive in the best way.