But he waves off my objections as if they mean nothing to him. “They’re just a simple token of how I feel.”
I force a smile, but the discomfort reads all over my expression.You can always tell what kind of person a man thinks you are by the earrings he gives you.Diamonds may be beautiful, but they aren’t unique. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to turn my nose up at an age-old classic—my favorite movieisBreakfast at Tiffany’s after all—but that’s the problem. Diamonds aretypical. I’d much prefer a gift from the heart. Something that made him think ofmewhen he saw it. Expensive baubles and fancy dinners only make me feel as if my affection has a price tag. Buying things is easy. I want to beshownhow much he cares. “Thank you.”
When I set the top back on the box, he pouts. “Aren’t you going to put them in?”
“Oh. Yeah… of course,” I mumble, shaking the fog from my brain. Of course, wearing them is the right thing to do. I flip down the visor and gently remove my white gold hoops. The round-cut diamonds glitter in the moonlight. “They’re beautiful.”
He cups his hand on the nape of my neck. “I have an eye for beautiful things, I guess.”
With a shy grin, I lower my gaze. He pulls me in, and drops his lips to my hairline. I should be head over heels for him. I should be sitting in this leather seat, falling in love, but I’m not. In fact, I’m scared to death. But I swallow down the fear bubbling up my throat and sit back in my seat as he pulls the car from the curb. It’s probably some form of PTSD. My life has been irreparably ruined, and now I have trouble with trust. That mustbe it because Troy is such a wonderful man; there’s no other explanation for why I feel nothing when I’m with him.
“You hungry?” he asks.
“Not really.”
“There’s a gathering down at the mulch pits. Some of my buddies are there. You wanna go?” He glances at my scrunched-up nose, then sets his eyes forward as he shifts gears. “C’mon, let’s check it out. If it sucks, we’ll leave.”
“Okay.”
Music echoes beyond the trees, the smell of fire dancing in the dark. Hand in hand, Troy and I walk the tracks until the dense forest opens to a clearing. Flames crackle from the bonfire in the center, its orange fingers reaching to the sky. Around it, a horde of people mills about, laughing, dancing, raising their red Solo cups in salute of a Saturday night.
I reach across myself and grasp Troy’s arm with my free hand. This is more than a gathering. This is a full-scale party, and I’m not prepared for it.
“Don’t be nervous.” He untangles our fingers and wraps his arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side. “You’re with me.”
He leads me through the crowd toward a lifted truck on gigantic tires, its custom paint glimmering. A row of girls sit on the lowered tailgate, and a circle of guys stands nearby. “Hey,” Troy calls as he approaches.
“Sup, Mac,” one of the guys replies, catching Troy’s hand in a high five.
Troy’s arm tightens around me. “You remember Robbie, right?” I look up at him with parted lips, racking my brain, but Troy saves me before I make an ass of myself. “From the fight.”
“Oh. The Wrecker?”
A raspy roar of laughter rumbles in his chest. “You can call me Rob.”
“This is Ellie,” Troy announces loud enough so everyone can hear, then ticks off his friends one by one: Robbie, Jarrett, Ben, Pete … Cora, Emma, Taylor.
I wave hello.
In a single bound, Robbie leaps into the truck bed and starts pumping the keg. “Y’all want a beer?”
“Definitely,” Troy answers without hesitation.
Robbie fills two cups and offers me one with a grin. “Which fight were you at?”
I bring the cups to my lips and take a sip. Carbonation pops on my tongue and tickles my nose. “You fought Jace Wilder.”
“Ellie was holding the signs,” Troy adds, and I scowl. I’d rather not be remembered as the girl in the hideous American flag bikini.
But Robbie’s eyes glitter over. “Oh yeah.” He throws his head back, sucking down the last of his drink. “That was an off night.”
Troy laughs. “Yeah, because you got your ass kicked.”
Robbie elbows him away. “Shut up, man. I’d like to see your skinny ass go up against Wilder instead of those pansies they match you with. Besides, the guy cheated.”
My pulse picks up speed. I don’t know anything about MMA, but from what I saw, it looked like Jace beat him fair and square. “Cheated how?”
“Guy’s full of so much HGH, I’m surprised he hasn’t turned into the Incredible Hulk.”