: Chapter 23

“Thanks for letting me play Assassin’s Creed. It was awesome. I’d kill to have your game room, dude.” Bear unbuckled himself in my passenger’s seat, his grin threatening to split his face in two.

“Please don’t. Your mother would find a way to pin it on me, and the bail’s going to be through the roof.”

I cut the engine, my gaze touching the front door of the rickety bungalow. There was a brand new skateboard box leaning against the door.

I frowned.

“Did your mom get you a new one?” I was under the impression she was saving up to get him a video game.

“Negatory. That would be Rob, that pain in the butt. I know he’s your friend, but for real, he’s pushier than a good bra.” Bear’s brown hair flopped over his green eyes. He blew it away, shaking his head.

“He’s showing promising signs of turning into a semi-decent guy,” I forced myself to say.

True, he mouthed off to me at Wyatt’s bachelor party, but nothing could take away the fact he was genuinely trying, even though he was getting nowhere with Tennessee.

“He’s a glorified sperm donor,” Bear said.

“He’s trying to make it up to you.”

“It’ll take more than a skateboard and a few Dwight Schrute pining faces to get me on board with that family reunion.”

The kid was a fan of . How dumb was Rob to give up on what he’d left behind?

Bear bent to retrieve his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Anyway, thanks for the game. And the pizza. But the pep talk.”

“Bear, wait.”

I put my arm on his shoulder. He turned to look at me expectantly. I really didn’t want to play this game again, where I sought Tennessee out. It made me feel like a desperate fanboy.

She hadn’t called me after our last hookup, and even though I pretended I didn’t give a shit and called her the next day, this whole one-sided relationship was starting to get on my last nerve.

“Tell your mom to come outside.”

“You seein’ her?” A lopsided, dimpled smile that reminded me too damn much of Rob stretched across his face. I liked this kid a lot, but also had to come to terms with the fact he would always be connected to the man who was now my enemy.

“Ask her.”

“Mom has never had a boyfriend. Doubt she’d admit to having one now.”

“Well, tell her that her whatever I am to her, is waiting outside and wants a word.”

Bear slid out of my car and jogged to the front porch, kicking the skateboard away as he unlocked the screen door. A few moments later, Tennessee waltzed out said door, wearing a pair of snug jeans and a ruffled white tank top.

She looked somber, and again, that sinking feeling, that I was doing this all by myself, even though I had my own can of worms to deal with, crashed into me.

She sauntered toward my car, parking her elbows against my window, her tits almost in my face.

“What’s up?” She kissed my cheek.

“You tell me. We haven’t spoken all day.”

I officially sounded like all the women I’d ever let down in my life. I had to admit, being on the other side of that equation felt pretty shitty.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you and Bear.”

“Then why aren’t you inviting me in right now?” I challenged.

She looked left and right, her face falling as she dropped her voice.

“Gabriella’s been telling everyone we’re sleeping together. Remember I told you she stopped by your house when you were away delivering the Duggar baby?”

How could I forget?

Tennessee’d almost had a nervous breakdown.

I knew I needed to sit Gabriella down and explain to her, for the millionth time, that we were over. But I didn’t trust her not to try to pull some next-level, , Roman-is-not-dead-nor-is-he-

bull crap.

Secret pregnancy, emotional blackmail, exorcism—Gabriella wasn’t above any of those tricks to make us happen, and I wanted to give my relationship with Tennessee a few more days to stabilize.

“I remember,” I ground my teeth.

“Well, I guess that’s her payback. Everyone knows we’re sleeping together now.”

“Great.” I shrugged. “Now we don’t have to keep it a secret.”

“Trinity wants me to call it off.”

“She’ll come around.”

And if she didn’t, well, too bad for Trinity, then. Tennessee was a terrific sister. Her life revolved around making Trinity happy.

“Now, can I come in and have dinner with my girlfriend?”

“I…well, I’m…”

My eyes widened.

She wasn’t actually thinking about calling things off because of Trinity, was she?

Only, she was.

Of course she was.

This was Tennessee we were talking about.

“You’re considering it,” I said flatly.

“I’m trying to figure out the best course of action.” She let her head drop to the edge of my window.

“You’re a medical miracle, you know,” I said.

She looked up, resting one cheek against my window frame. “How so?”

“You’re the only person I know who can stand upright without a spine.”

She winced, pulling away from the car.

I snatched her jaw, trying to get her to look at me. She made a low, moaning sound and pulled away, rubbing at her cheek. That’s when I saw she was back to wearing an unholy amount of makeup. And that the makeup was designed to hide something ugly…instead of concealing something beautiful.

I narrowed my eyes, realizing that one of her cheeks was red and had the imprint of fingers on it.

“What the—”

“I’m okay.” She took a step back.

But it was too late.

I’d already gotten out of the car and slammed the door shut behind me.

“The hell you are. Who did this to you? Was it Rob?”

I was going to kill him and then feed him to the coyotes bit by tiny bit.

She snorted. “I’d bitch-slap Rob before he bitch-slapped me.”

My jaw went rigid, and my muscles clenched.

“Trinity.”

“I’ve got it handled.” She tried to scurry away from me.

“The little witch.”

“She was mad.”

“She’s about to be furious when I kick her ass to the curb and make her jobless.”

“Cruz, no.” She clutched my arm, tugging hard. “Please let me handle this my way.”

“Your way is lying on the road waiting for her to run you over. This isn’t just about you—you think I want someone that heartless taking care of vulnerable patients? No, thanks.”

“My way is giving my family time. Easing them into the idea.”

“What idea? Of you going out with a respectable member of the community?”

“Of me starting another scandal.” She jutted her jaw out. “They hate it when I’m the center of attention.”

them “I’m starting to lose my patience here, sweetheart,” I said, dead serious. “I’m not going to chase you forever. I like you, Tennessee, but I don’t like the way you make me feel, and that’s starting to become a problem.”

“I know,” she said firmly, placing her palms flat on my chest.

My heart was beating like mad.

Goddammit, I wanted her. I wanted to run. But her eyes were sincere.

“Just give me a few seconds to make sense of it all, all right? I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow.”

I drove back home, feeling a weird sense of calamity taking over me. When I parked in front of my front door, I realized why.

She was slipping away from me. Letting me down easy, the way I’d let down Gabriella and all the women before her.

I punched the steering wheel so hard, I tore the motherfucker.

I was losing Tennessee Turner, and I felt it.