Read Online Better (Stark Ink Book 2) by Dahlia West - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dahlia West
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needed him, he wouldn’t push her. Some people were the people, but it was never the right time. He watched as she finished gathering her things and re-packed her bag. His chest ached, but he made no move to stop her.
“I should go to my parents’ house. I have to face them sometime.”
Dalton pushed off the wall. “I’ll drive you. We’ll take your car. I’ll get a cab back.”
She paused with her fingers on the zipper of her bag. “You don’t have to. I can— ”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s not about what you can do, Zoey. I can do that much. I owe you that, at least.” He moved forward, finished zipping her overnight bag, and slung it onto his shoulder. She was ready to go, so she had to go and there was no point or use in trying to stop her. He held the front door for her and then placed her bag in the back seat of her car. He took his time adjusting the driver’s seat to fit his large frame, though. Pathetic, but just a few more minutes was better than nothing.
He turned the mirrors, played with the heat, checked to make sure she was warm enough. He told himself he was getting used to the idea of her leaving, sitting with it a while until it was no longer a pain but just another errand. Finally, when he couldn’t stall any longer, he pulled away from the curb.
Chapter Eleven
For all his pep talks and posturing, the closer they got to her parents’ place the more uneasy he felt. It seemed that letting Zoey go this time would be a bit harder to do than he wanted to admit. He told himself he was concerned for her, which was mostly true, but surely her parents, for all their faults, could keep her safe.
He pulled up to their large, two-story house and parked out front. Despite the circumstances, he chuckled to himself as he walked around the front of the Mercedes to get Zoey. He shouldn’t stay long. Not that the Connors would want him to. He helped Zoey to the door and carried her backpack for her. She knocked and her long-suffering mother finally answered. Dalton knew she was long-suffering not because she looked it, but because if you spent any amount of time with the woman she’d tell you all about it. He knew more than he wanted to know about Home Owners’ Associations and shady landscaping services.
Elaine’s relief at seeing her daughter was tempered in no small part by the fact that Dalton was standing next to her. She seemed so bewildered by his presence that she didn’t even immediately invite Zoey in, finally opening the door wide and stepping back when the initial shock wore off.
Dalton followed her inside, cautiously. Elaine was too polite to actually slam the door in his face, but he steered clear of the swinging barrier all the same. She obviously wasn’t happy about his presence. Dalton didn’t bother to acknowledge this, having years ago resigned himself to it.
It was no secret how the Connors felt about Dalton. They may have tolerated the Starks on the whole, seeing as how they went to the same church, but Elaine and Lyle had made it clear to Zoey that Dalton was out of his league. They hadn’t really laid it on thick at first, a comment here, a snide remark there. So long as they had only been casually dating, and not very often at that, Dalton suspected that the Connors were chalking him up to Zoey’s little walk on the wild side before she settled down.
When she ended up moving in with him, though, they changed their tactics and began an all-out full-court press to get rid of him. In the end, only Dalton had been able to get rid of Zoey and though the Connors were probably very, very happy about that, Dalton had a feeling that they were both more than a little miffed that they hadn’t been the ones to make her see the light.
“Zoey, honey. Patrick’s been calling and calling. He’s just worried sick. And here you are... with him!”
“More like he’s worried he’s going to jail,” Dalton replied.
Elaine narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean? And
“I should go to my parents’ house. I have to face them sometime.”
Dalton pushed off the wall. “I’ll drive you. We’ll take your car. I’ll get a cab back.”
She paused with her fingers on the zipper of her bag. “You don’t have to. I can— ”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s not about what you can do, Zoey. I can do that much. I owe you that, at least.” He moved forward, finished zipping her overnight bag, and slung it onto his shoulder. She was ready to go, so she had to go and there was no point or use in trying to stop her. He held the front door for her and then placed her bag in the back seat of her car. He took his time adjusting the driver’s seat to fit his large frame, though. Pathetic, but just a few more minutes was better than nothing.
He turned the mirrors, played with the heat, checked to make sure she was warm enough. He told himself he was getting used to the idea of her leaving, sitting with it a while until it was no longer a pain but just another errand. Finally, when he couldn’t stall any longer, he pulled away from the curb.
Chapter Eleven
For all his pep talks and posturing, the closer they got to her parents’ place the more uneasy he felt. It seemed that letting Zoey go this time would be a bit harder to do than he wanted to admit. He told himself he was concerned for her, which was mostly true, but surely her parents, for all their faults, could keep her safe.
He pulled up to their large, two-story house and parked out front. Despite the circumstances, he chuckled to himself as he walked around the front of the Mercedes to get Zoey. He shouldn’t stay long. Not that the Connors would want him to. He helped Zoey to the door and carried her backpack for her. She knocked and her long-suffering mother finally answered. Dalton knew she was long-suffering not because she looked it, but because if you spent any amount of time with the woman she’d tell you all about it. He knew more than he wanted to know about Home Owners’ Associations and shady landscaping services.
Elaine’s relief at seeing her daughter was tempered in no small part by the fact that Dalton was standing next to her. She seemed so bewildered by his presence that she didn’t even immediately invite Zoey in, finally opening the door wide and stepping back when the initial shock wore off.
Dalton followed her inside, cautiously. Elaine was too polite to actually slam the door in his face, but he steered clear of the swinging barrier all the same. She obviously wasn’t happy about his presence. Dalton didn’t bother to acknowledge this, having years ago resigned himself to it.
It was no secret how the Connors felt about Dalton. They may have tolerated the Starks on the whole, seeing as how they went to the same church, but Elaine and Lyle had made it clear to Zoey that Dalton was out of his league. They hadn’t really laid it on thick at first, a comment here, a snide remark there. So long as they had only been casually dating, and not very often at that, Dalton suspected that the Connors were chalking him up to Zoey’s little walk on the wild side before she settled down.
When she ended up moving in with him, though, they changed their tactics and began an all-out full-court press to get rid of him. In the end, only Dalton had been able to get rid of Zoey and though the Connors were probably very, very happy about that, Dalton had a feeling that they were both more than a little miffed that they hadn’t been the ones to make her see the light.
“Zoey, honey. Patrick’s been calling and calling. He’s just worried sick. And here you are... with him!”
“More like he’s worried he’s going to jail,” Dalton replied.
Elaine narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean? And
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