be able to handle that type of hurt from him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
NICK
I wasn’t sure why I was going home with her; all I knew was that I wasn’t ready to have her out of my sight just yet. Tiffany and Emily chatted away in the front of the car, but here in the back with Jules, we were in our own little world.
She continued to stare into my eyes as I held on to her hand and moved my thumb in slow motions across hers. I’d wanted to do that—hold her hand again—for so long now. Something in her eyes shifted, an emotion poured into those big green eyes of hers that I struggled to name. Before I could, she’d turned away from me and resumed staring out the window.
“Do you care to get out here or do I need to back down the driveway and cut a left to your house, too?” Tiffany asked me with a mocking tone once we’d made it to Jules’ house.
I chuckled. “Nah, I’ll walk.”
“Good, because if you’d made me do that I’d never have let you live it down.” Tiffany winked.
“I have no doubt,” I said as I opened the door and stepped out.
“Sorry to cut your fun short tonight, you guys,” Jules said as she stood beside the car and picked at her fingernails.
“Don’t say that. The look on Vincent’s face when he dropped to the ground was priceless,” Emily insisted.
“God, I can’t believe I missed that!” Tiffany shouted, banging her palm against the steering wheel.
Jules smiled, but I could tell it was forced. She was worried about something. Emily’s phone went off and drew my attention away from Jules.
“It’s Blake; he’s heading to McDonald’s with Tom and wants us to meet him there, Tiff. You guys wanna come?”
Jules shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Actually, I think I’m going to turn in for the night. I have to work tomorrow.”
Jules glanced at me and I wondered if she hoped I would turn down the offer, too. Hope swelled within my chest with that one seemingly meaningless glance. “Nah, I’m cool. Thanks for the lift home, though.”
Emily smirked. “All right, well, later you two.”
“Not a problem,” Tiffany said as she began to back out.
I watched the red glow of the taillights disappear at the end of the road and turned my attention back to Jules.
“You okay?” I asked, taking a step toward her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I didn’t believe her, but I wasn’t about to press the issue. We both knew when the other needed space still and right now I was getting the impression from her that that was what she needed. I glanced up at her house and noticed the blue glow from the TV in the living room.
“Your brother home?” I wondered, remembering earlier what she’d said about how things had only gotten worse for her at home. I’d feel better if I knew she wasn’t going to be solely alone tonight.
She glanced over her shoulder at her house. “Yep, looks like it.”
“Good.” I shoved my hands into my front pockets. “Listen, I’m sorry for the way that jerk treated you tonight.” I wasn’t the best at saying what I felt, but that didn’t mean I lacked compassion. Jules hadn’t deserved to be treated like a piece of meat, and she didn’t deserve to have that guy out her personal business in front of people like that, regardless if they were her friends or not.
I stared at her as she shuffled her sandaled foot around in the driveway, still avoiding my eyes. Was what he had said about her mother true, or was that just another dickhead joke about her mom’s chosen profession?
“It wasn’t your fault.” She shrugged and I hated how nonchalant she was trying to seem.
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to bash his face in for you,” I said, hoping to get even a slight grin out of her. I wanted to see her smile, even if it was a small one, before I had to leave her for the night.
Her lips twisted into the hint of a smile and she darted her heavily lashed green eyes in my direction for a brief
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
NICK
I wasn’t sure why I was going home with her; all I knew was that I wasn’t ready to have her out of my sight just yet. Tiffany and Emily chatted away in the front of the car, but here in the back with Jules, we were in our own little world.
She continued to stare into my eyes as I held on to her hand and moved my thumb in slow motions across hers. I’d wanted to do that—hold her hand again—for so long now. Something in her eyes shifted, an emotion poured into those big green eyes of hers that I struggled to name. Before I could, she’d turned away from me and resumed staring out the window.
“Do you care to get out here or do I need to back down the driveway and cut a left to your house, too?” Tiffany asked me with a mocking tone once we’d made it to Jules’ house.
I chuckled. “Nah, I’ll walk.”
“Good, because if you’d made me do that I’d never have let you live it down.” Tiffany winked.
“I have no doubt,” I said as I opened the door and stepped out.
“Sorry to cut your fun short tonight, you guys,” Jules said as she stood beside the car and picked at her fingernails.
“Don’t say that. The look on Vincent’s face when he dropped to the ground was priceless,” Emily insisted.
“God, I can’t believe I missed that!” Tiffany shouted, banging her palm against the steering wheel.
Jules smiled, but I could tell it was forced. She was worried about something. Emily’s phone went off and drew my attention away from Jules.
“It’s Blake; he’s heading to McDonald’s with Tom and wants us to meet him there, Tiff. You guys wanna come?”
Jules shook her head. “I’m not hungry. Actually, I think I’m going to turn in for the night. I have to work tomorrow.”
Jules glanced at me and I wondered if she hoped I would turn down the offer, too. Hope swelled within my chest with that one seemingly meaningless glance. “Nah, I’m cool. Thanks for the lift home, though.”
Emily smirked. “All right, well, later you two.”
“Not a problem,” Tiffany said as she began to back out.
I watched the red glow of the taillights disappear at the end of the road and turned my attention back to Jules.
“You okay?” I asked, taking a step toward her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I didn’t believe her, but I wasn’t about to press the issue. We both knew when the other needed space still and right now I was getting the impression from her that that was what she needed. I glanced up at her house and noticed the blue glow from the TV in the living room.
“Your brother home?” I wondered, remembering earlier what she’d said about how things had only gotten worse for her at home. I’d feel better if I knew she wasn’t going to be solely alone tonight.
She glanced over her shoulder at her house. “Yep, looks like it.”
“Good.” I shoved my hands into my front pockets. “Listen, I’m sorry for the way that jerk treated you tonight.” I wasn’t the best at saying what I felt, but that didn’t mean I lacked compassion. Jules hadn’t deserved to be treated like a piece of meat, and she didn’t deserve to have that guy out her personal business in front of people like that, regardless if they were her friends or not.
I stared at her as she shuffled her sandaled foot around in the driveway, still avoiding my eyes. Was what he had said about her mother true, or was that just another dickhead joke about her mom’s chosen profession?
“It wasn’t your fault.” She shrugged and I hated how nonchalant she was trying to seem.
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to bash his face in for you,” I said, hoping to get even a slight grin out of her. I wanted to see her smile, even if it was a small one, before I had to leave her for the night.
Her lips twisted into the hint of a smile and she darted her heavily lashed green eyes in my direction for a brief
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