Emilio sidles up beside me. “She’s back,” he mutters under his breath. My jaw tightens and all our heads turn to see her step out of a silver car a few rows down from us.
“Is that a…” Emilio starts.
“Brand new Audi RS 5? Yeah. It is,” Dom answers and a quick look his way shows he’s not all that happy to see her, either.
Guess she’s still living the good life or maybe now she’s just happier to embrace it. She’s dressed in that rich preppy shit she wore the first week of school.
I guess we’re back to that again, too.
I shrug my shoulders and catch Emilio and Dom’s gazes. “Doesn’t matter what she’s driving. She’s here. I want some fucking answers.” That chick that works for her dad blew us off when we showed up, but I’m not buying the whole Allie-doesn’t-want-to-see-me crap. Something else has to be going on. I tried waiting around for Allie to leave the house, hoping to catch her and corner her into talking to me, but she never fucking left her house. Not once. Not that I ever saw, at least. And I was there, every fucking day for eight days straight. I went full-fledge stalker and don’t even care.
I push off from the hood of my ride, intent on speaking with her, but then I catch sight of a guy getting out of the passenger seat of the same vehicle.
“What the fuck?” Emilio says beside me. He scratches the back of his head. “This is new.”
“Yeah,” I bite out. “It is.”
I watch as he moves around the car until he’s right beside her. He reaches a hand out to her. It’s tentative, like he’s unsure if she’ll accept his touch and for a second my heart races in my chest. She’s going to brush him off. I know she is. If this were a thing, if he was competition, he wouldn’t look so hesitant to touch her. I grin. The fucker has no idea what he’s trying to get in between.
Allie’s mine. She has a lot to answer for and I’m pissed as hell with her, but she’s still mine.
I take another step toward them and my boys follow suit. But then she smiles up at the guy and accepts his hand. She threads her fingers with his and the two of them turn their backs on us and head to the school’s front entrance.
I stop in my tracks, my eyes glued to their hands. Their fucking entwined fingers like this is middle school or some shit.
What. The. Fuck.
Dominique puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “You alright, bro?”
“I’m fine.”
Emilio swears beside me. “Who the fuck is that dude?”
I grind my teeth.
“We still need answers,” Dom says beside me. “You guys didn’t see her last week. Something happened.”
“I don’t fucking care. Ice her out.” Anger bubbles up inside me. “I don’t have time for petty bitches and their games. That’s not how we roll.” Both of them nod their agreement, but Emilio looks hesitant.
“There’s gotta be an explanation,” he hedges. I glare at him and he puts his arms up, palms out in surrender. “Whatever you say, man. We’ll ice her out.”
I nod. She ghosted us. Ghosted me. And for what? This guy? I don’t know him. Don’t even recognize his face. Not once have I ever seen him near her before. But she blew me off for that guy. She made me look like a fool. And now, hand in hand, she’s making sure the entire school knows she’s dropped me.
She didn’t even have the decency to call. My pops showed up to the game. He never comes to my games. He never has the time. But he came to our rival game against the Saints and I had it all planned out. He was going to meet my girl. I told my fucking parents about her. My mom knew Allie was supposed to be there and she no-showed. Fucking no-showed. No call. No text. Nothing.
A tick forms in my jaw and I glare at her retreating form. As if she can sense my attention her head swivels to look over her shoulder and her eyes lock on mine. Pools of chocolate brown meet my stare head-on and she flinches.
I hope she sees just how pissed off I am. How done I am with her.
The guy beside her slows his steps. I watch as she untangles her hand from his and he frowns at her. She says something to him. She’s shaking her head and glancing over at me again. He says something back and they argue for a moment before a decision is made.
She turns around and heads in my direction—the new guy hot on her heels. She chews on her bottom lip, worry lines deepening with every step she takes. Good. She should be worried. If she’s expecting a warm welcome, she won’t find it.
The guy has a blank expression. I can’t get a read on him but he stays close to Allie. Almost like he wants to protect her. His hands are tatted and he has two diamond studs in his ears. He’s dressed in dark denim jeans and a black hoodie with the words Richland printed on the back. Then it clicks. This dude is from her hometown. Is he the ex? The ex that doesn’t look like he’s an ex anymore?
They’re almost to us when Dom asks, “What’s the plan?”
I shake my head. I don’t know. She’s coming over to us but she’s with him. They clearly have some sort of relationship with each other and I have no fucking clue what’s going on. Was I some side piece of hers? She said in the beginning, she didn’t want anything serious. We didn’t use labels. I never called her my girlfriend, but fuck, she was my girl. She’d been my girl.
None of it matters now. “Stick to the plan. Ice her out. I’m done.”
They nod and we each grab our bags, heading straight toward them. Allie’s steps falter and her skin pales, highlighting the sharp angles of her cheekbones. Has she lost more weight?
When we’re right in front of them she says, “Ro?” My name on her lips is whisper-soft and it does something to me, twisting my insides around, but I don’t respond. I don’t react. Instead, I push right between her and her new guy and head straight to the doors. My steps never slow.
She gasps before saying a little bit louder, “Roman?”
I keep going. Then the asshole with her calls out, “Bro, what’s your problem?”
I whirl on him. Dropping my backpack on the pavement, I close the distance between us and get right in his face. He holds his ground and fury flashes in his eyes.
Allie sucks in a breath and takes several steps back. She’s as white as a sheet but I can’t find it in me to fucking care.
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but this is my school. My town. Don’t talk to me again. Ever. We clear.”
He doesn’t answer, meanwhile Allie’s all but hyperventilating beside us as she watches the exchange.
Slowly, so fucking slow, I turn my head to glare at her. “The same goes for you. Don’t speak to me. We’re not friends. We’re not anything. I don’t fraternize with whores.” She jerks back as if I’ve slapped her and the next thing I know a fist smashes into my face and I stumble back a few steps. Dom and Emilio rush up beside me and I shake my head, blinking hard to clear my vision as it meets the angry glare of the guy she came with.
His nostrils flare and his hands clench into tight fists at his sides as though he’s barely keeping himself from hitting me again.
I spit and my blood smacks the pavement. “You’re gonna regret that.”
“Don’t call her that again. Are we clear?” His tone is hard, his eyes murderous.
I can’t help it. I laugh. “Whatever you say, cabrón. Just know she was underneath me two weeks ago. Who knows how many guys she’s had since?”
“You worthless sonovabitch. Do you have any idea what she’s—”
“Julio, don’t!” she cries out and we both turn to see her tear-filled gaze. “Please. Don’t.”
Guilt tears into me at the sight of those tears before I push it away. No way am I going to feel sorry for her. She’s got Julio now. That’s this fucker’s name. So not the ex.
His eyes soften as they drink her in and he moves toward her. He cups the back of her neck and draws her face toward his chest. She goes willingly, wrapping her arms round his waist and fuck, it’s like a punch to the gut. Seeing that, seeing her in his arms hurts more than that fucker’s punch to my face ever could.
I don’t say anything. I have no fucking words. I turn around and head back to the entrance, refusing to look back.
“Watch your back,” Dom warns him before moving in step beside me.
“What the hell was that?” Emilio mutters when we’re out of hearing distance from the happy couple.
I don’t answer him.
When Silvia Parish walks past me, rather than ignoring her like I usually would, I call her over. Her eyes are hesitant, but they brighten when I give her a smile. She slows her steps, waiting for me.
“Hey, Ro,” she purrs.
I see the confusion in my boys’ gazes but I ignore them. “Ready to be out of the dog house?” I ask her.
She pouts. “That was really mean of you.”
“Yeah. Well, maybe later I’ll make it up to you. What do you say?”
Lust darkens her eyes and she nods her head in agreement. “Mmmmm. I’d love to.” She settles in beside me. “Are you and the little do-gooder over?”
I shake my head, then look down at her and give her a devilish grin. “Nothing to be over,” I tell her. “Shit never even started.”
