Page 120 of A Little Jaded
“Dodge,” Raine warns.
“Just asking him a question,” her brother returns, pinning me with another look. And it’s crazy. To see his easy-going persona from the stage slip, turning him into a fucking Rottweiler who wants to rip me to shreds.
Honestly, I admire it. His desire to protect Raine. To keep her safe, even if it pisses her off. He doesn’t know it, but I relate to him more than he’ll ever understand. It’s how I feel about Finley. About Dylan. And Ophelia and Tatum and everyone else I grew up with. A need to keep them safe. Protected.
“No, he’s not the reason I’ve been absent,” Raine argues. “We’ve only known each other for a few months.”
Dodger’s eyes thin. “Before or after you showed up at Dad’s work with a split lip and a shitty excuse about where it came from?”
Raine glares at her dad, and suddenly, it all makes sense. Milo didn’t need to put me through the wringer. He knew his son would do it for him.
When Raine and I stay quiet, Dodge asks, “What? Nothing to say?”
My molars grind, but I manage to keep my mouth shut. Because I have a lot to say. Like I would never hit Raine. And she has a crazy ex-stalker who not only hit her but filmed them together without her permission. Then, he stalked her place of work until she had to leave, potentially ruining her future in the tattoo industry if it wasn’t for her dad’s help. But I can’t say a fucking word because if I do, I’ll betray Raine’s trust, and Drake already obliterated it hand over fist, leaving nothing but pieces for me to put together all by myself. So that’s what I’m doing right now. By keeping my mouth shut. By biting my tongue until I swear I can taste blood. Because it isn’t my secret. It’s Raine’s.
“Can we not do this?” she begs. “I’m here to support you and your band, not be interrogated over something you know nothing about.”
Cracking his knuckles in front of him, Dodger laces them together and cups the back of his head. “Now, if that isn’t incriminating, I don’t know what is.”
Raine’s body tenses, and she turns to her father. “Thanks a lot, Dad. Thank yousomuch for reminding me why I should’ve never accepted an internship with you.”
“Raine,” her dad starts, but she stands up and heads outside, not bothering to grab her coat and put it on despite the dropping temperature.
“Did you accomplish what you came for?” I ask Dodge. “Don’t get me wrong. I get it. I have a little sister, too, but?—”
“Finley Taylor.” His mouth stretches into a sneer. “I did my research.”
Fuck me. If this guy was anyone else. Anyone. I’d beat the shit out of him for digging into my life as if I have something to hide. The fact he’s been sniffing around Fin, though? This asshole’s playing with fire. Unfortunately, kicking the shit out of my girlfriend’s brother isn’t on my to-do list. Not yet, anyway, so I try to rein in my temper.
“If you’ve done your research, you should already know one of the things I stress about more than anything in my life is whether my little sister is or isn’t being treated right by her boyfriend,” I tell him. “And no, not only physically, but emotionally, too.”
“Yeah, her boyfriend seems like a real piece of work,” he counters. “Might wanna stop fucking up on that front. But, hey, you do you.”
My molars grind, and I squeeze my empty glass, surprised it hasn’t splintered. “I understand the interrogation. The desire to check on Raine and make sure she isn’t making bad decisions or winding up with an asshole. But despite your desire to protect her, you’re only fucking up your relationship by implying you don’t trust her.”
“Where’d the split lip come from?” her dad demands.
My gaze slices to him. “I won’t break Raine’s trust?—”
“What if it was your sister?” Dodge interrupts. “What if Finley was the one pulling away? The one hiding things. The one who showed up with a split lip and a new boyfriend no one knew about who doesn’t let her out of his sight. What then?”
They’re right. If I was in their position, I’d be a mess.
Scrubbing my hand over my face, I try to figure out how I can put their minds at ease about me without breakingRaine’s trust. None of it makes me feel better. I hate how there isn’t a simple solution. It’d be one thing if I didn’t like Raine the way I do. If I didn’t care about her as more than a human, a human I actually like. A human I want a future with, and said future should sure as shit include her family.
Nostrils flaring, I glance at SeaBird’s exit. “I’m not the one who hurt her, all right?”
“Who is?” Milo challenges.
“Someone I’m trying to protect her from,” I reply carefully. “And the sooner you become a safe space for Raine, the sooner she’ll open up to you without feeling like you’ll overreact or be disappointed in her. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
I stand up, but Dodge blocks my way. We’re eye to eye. Nose to nose. And the asshole might be a rockstar, but he’s built like a fighter. One who isn’t afraid to fight dirty.
I hold his gaze, refusing to back down but not egging him on, either. No use adding fuel to the fire, not when he’s already close to losing his shit. Yeah, I’ve seen this look before, both on and off the ice. This guy’s a loose cannon.
“What are you gonna do, Dodge?” I ask. “Your move.”
He cocks his head. “If you’re lying, I’ll kill you,” he growls.